WEBVTT 00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:09.099 in a year. Today we begin the book of Hosea, 00:00:09.259 --> 00:00:12.599 and we are going to read chapters 1 through 6. 00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:16.600 Chapter 1. The word of the Lord that came to 00:00:16.600 --> 00:00:19.660 Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Hosea, 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:23.600 Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:26.260 in the days of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king 00:00:26.260 --> 00:00:29.059 of Israel. When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, 00:00:29.160 --> 00:00:32.100 the Lord said to Hosea, Go take yourself a wife 00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:35.240 of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:37.820 land has committed great harlotry by departing 00:00:37.820 --> 00:00:40.520 from the Lord. So he went and took Gomer, the 00:00:40.520 --> 00:00:43.179 daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore 00:00:43.179 --> 00:00:45.840 him a son. Then the Lord said to him, Call his 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:49.280 name Jezreel, for in a little while I will avenge 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.939 the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, 00:00:52.020 --> 00:00:54.039 and bring an end to the kingdom of the house 00:00:54.039 --> 00:00:56.369 of Israel. It shall come to pass in that day 00:00:56.369 --> 00:00:59.329 that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley 00:00:59.329 --> 00:01:01.630 of Jezreel. And she conceived again and bore 00:01:01.630 --> 00:01:04.069 a daughter. Then God said to him, Call her name 00:01:04.069 --> 00:01:07.109 Lo -Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy 00:01:07.109 --> 00:01:09.469 on the house of Israel, but I will utterly take 00:01:09.469 --> 00:01:11.849 them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house 00:01:11.849 --> 00:01:14.409 of Judah, will save them by the Lord their God, 00:01:14.590 --> 00:01:17.549 and will not save them by bow, nor by sword or 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:21.069 battle, by horses or horsemen. Now when she had 00:01:21.069 --> 00:01:23.390 weaned Lo -Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a 00:01:23.390 --> 00:01:27.120 son. Then God said, Call his name Lo -Ammi, for 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:29.519 you are not my people, and I will not be your 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.239 God. Yet the number of the children of Israel 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:34.500 shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot 00:01:34.500 --> 00:01:36.760 be measured or numbered. And it shall come to 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:39.060 pass, in the place where it was said to them, 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:41.719 You are not my people, there it shall be said 00:01:41.719 --> 00:01:44.560 to them, You are sons of the living God. Then 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:46.579 the children of Judah and the children of Israel 00:01:46.579 --> 00:01:48.980 shall be gathered together and appoint for themselves 00:01:48.980 --> 00:01:51.739 one head, and they shall come up out of the land. 00:01:52.120 --> 00:02:17.110 For great will be the day of Jezreel. and make 00:02:17.110 --> 00:02:19.669 her like a wilderness, and set her like a dry 00:02:19.669 --> 00:02:22.710 land, and slay her with thirst. I will not have 00:02:22.710 --> 00:02:25.050 mercy on her children, for they are the children 00:02:25.050 --> 00:02:27.849 of harlotry. For their mother has played the 00:02:27.849 --> 00:02:31.409 harlot, she who conceived them has behaved shamefully. 00:02:31.590 --> 00:02:35.250 For she said, I will go after my lovers, who 00:02:35.250 --> 00:02:37.750 give me my bread and my water, my wool and my 00:02:37.750 --> 00:02:40.650 linen, my oil and my drink. Therefore, behold, 00:02:40.949 --> 00:02:43.590 I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall 00:02:43.590 --> 00:02:46.689 her in. so that she cannot find her path. She 00:02:46.689 --> 00:02:48.810 will chase her lovers, but not overtake them. 00:02:49.050 --> 00:02:52.090 Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then 00:02:52.090 --> 00:02:54.909 she will say, I will go and return to my first 00:02:54.909 --> 00:02:58.009 husband, for then it was better for me than now, 00:02:58.150 --> 00:03:01.129 for she did not know that I gave her grain, new 00:03:01.129 --> 00:03:04.210 wine and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, 00:03:04.349 --> 00:03:07.490 which they prepared for Baal. Therefore I will 00:03:07.490 --> 00:03:10.310 return and take away my grain in its time, and 00:03:10.310 --> 00:03:12.870 my new wine in its season, and will take back 00:03:12.870 --> 00:03:16.020 my wool and my linen. Given to cover her nakedness. 00:03:16.180 --> 00:03:18.699 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight 00:03:18.699 --> 00:03:21.379 of her lovers, and no one shall deliver her from 00:03:21.379 --> 00:03:24.599 my hand. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, 00:03:24.780 --> 00:03:27.840 her feast days, her new moons, her sabbaths, 00:03:27.860 --> 00:03:30.659 all her appointed feasts. And I will destroy 00:03:30.659 --> 00:03:33.340 her vines and her fig trees, of which she has 00:03:33.340 --> 00:03:36.139 said, These are my wages that my lovers have 00:03:36.139 --> 00:03:39.199 given me. So I will make them a forest, and the 00:03:39.199 --> 00:03:41.870 beasts of the field shall eat them. I will punish 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:44.530 her for the days of the bales to which she burned 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:47.129 incense. She decked herself with her earrings 00:03:47.129 --> 00:03:50.009 and jewelry and went after her lovers, but me 00:03:50.009 --> 00:03:53.469 she forgot, says the Lord. Therefore, behold, 00:03:53.810 --> 00:03:56.430 I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, 00:03:56.669 --> 00:03:59.250 and speak comfort to her. I will give her her 00:03:59.250 --> 00:04:01.629 vineyards from there. and the valley of Acre 00:04:01.629 --> 00:04:04.849 as her door of hope. She shall sing there as 00:04:04.849 --> 00:04:07.449 in the days of her youth, as in the day when 00:04:07.449 --> 00:04:09.789 she came up from the land of Egypt. And it shall 00:04:09.789 --> 00:04:12.310 be in that day, says the Lord, that you will 00:04:12.310 --> 00:04:15.449 call me my husband, and no longer call me my 00:04:15.449 --> 00:04:18.529 master. For I will take from her mouth the names 00:04:18.529 --> 00:04:21.089 of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by 00:04:21.089 --> 00:04:24.069 their name no more. In that day I will make a 00:04:24.069 --> 00:04:26.649 covenant for them with the beasts of the field, 00:04:26.790 --> 00:04:29.230 with the birds of the air, and with the creeping 00:04:29.230 --> 00:04:32.230 things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle 00:04:32.230 --> 00:04:34.769 I will shatter from the earth to make them lie 00:04:34.769 --> 00:04:38.269 down safely. I will betroth you to me forever. 00:04:38.490 --> 00:04:41.089 Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness 00:04:41.089 --> 00:04:44.389 and justice, in loving kindness and mercy. I 00:04:44.389 --> 00:04:47.250 will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you 00:04:47.250 --> 00:04:49.870 shall know the Lord. It shall come to pass in 00:04:49.870 --> 00:04:52.319 that day. that I will answer, says the Lord, 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:55.319 I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:57.939 the earth. The earth shall answer with grain, 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:01.220 with new wine, and with oil. They shall answer 00:05:01.220 --> 00:05:04.000 Jezreel. Then I will sow her for myself in the 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:06.579 earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not 00:05:06.579 --> 00:05:09.500 obtained mercy. Then I will say to those who 00:05:09.500 --> 00:05:12.240 were not my people, You are my people, and they 00:05:12.240 --> 00:05:17.699 shall say, You are my God. Then the Lord said 00:05:17.699 --> 00:05:20.459 to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by 00:05:20.459 --> 00:05:23.100 a lover and is committing adultery, just like 00:05:23.100 --> 00:05:25.079 the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, 00:05:25.220 --> 00:05:27.920 who look to other gods and love the raising cakes 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:31.079 of the pagans. So I bought her for myself for 00:05:31.079 --> 00:05:33.819 fifteen shekels of silver and one and one half 00:05:33.819 --> 00:05:36.779 homers of barley. And I said to her, You shall 00:05:36.779 --> 00:05:39.399 stay with me many days. You shall not play the 00:05:39.399 --> 00:05:42.519 harlot, nor shall you have a man. So too will 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:45.000 I be towards you. For the children of Israel 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:47.319 shall abide many days without king or prince, 00:05:47.480 --> 00:05:50.660 without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod 00:05:50.660 --> 00:05:53.560 or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel 00:05:53.560 --> 00:05:56.420 shall return and seek the Lord their God and 00:05:56.420 --> 00:05:59.040 David their king. They shall fear the Lord and 00:05:59.040 --> 00:06:04.199 his goodness in the latter days. Chapter 4 Hear 00:06:04.199 --> 00:06:06.000 the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, 00:06:06.180 --> 00:06:08.740 for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants 00:06:08.740 --> 00:06:12.120 of the land. There is no truth or mercy or knowledge 00:06:12.120 --> 00:06:15.230 of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing 00:06:15.230 --> 00:06:18.029 and stealing, and committing adultery, they break 00:06:18.029 --> 00:06:20.990 all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. 00:06:21.029 --> 00:06:23.610 Therefore the land will mourn, and everyone who 00:06:23.610 --> 00:06:26.250 dwells there will waste away. With the beasts 00:06:26.250 --> 00:06:28.829 of the field, and the birds of the air, even 00:06:28.829 --> 00:06:31.790 the fish of the sea will be taken away. Let no 00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:34.769 man contend, or rebuke another, for your people 00:06:34.769 --> 00:06:37.389 are like those who contend with the priest. Therefore 00:06:37.389 --> 00:06:40.170 you shall stumble in the day. The priest also 00:06:40.170 --> 00:06:42.529 shall stumble with you in the night, and I will 00:06:42.529 --> 00:06:44.930 destroy your mother. My people are destroyed 00:06:44.930 --> 00:06:47.170 for lack of knowledge because you have rejected 00:06:47.170 --> 00:06:50.069 knowledge. I also will reject you from being 00:06:50.069 --> 00:06:52.550 priest for me. Because you have forgotten the 00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:55.550 law of your God, I also will forget your children. 00:06:55.769 --> 00:06:58.290 The more they increased, the more they sinned 00:06:58.290 --> 00:07:01.050 against me. I will change their glory into shame. 00:07:01.399 --> 00:07:04.240 They eat up the sin of my people. They set their 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:07.259 heart on their iniquity. And it shall be like 00:07:07.259 --> 00:07:09.959 people, like priests. So I will punish them for 00:07:09.959 --> 00:07:12.399 their ways, and reward them for their deeds. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.379 For they shall eat, but not have enough. They 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:18.139 shall commit harlotry, but not increase, because 00:07:18.139 --> 00:07:21.139 they have ceased obeying the Lord. Harlotry, 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:24.319 wine, and new wine enslave the heart. My people 00:07:24.319 --> 00:07:27.000 ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:29.779 staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry 00:07:29.779 --> 00:07:32.199 has caused them to stray, and they have played 00:07:32.199 --> 00:07:35.100 the harlot against their god. They offer sacrifices 00:07:35.100 --> 00:07:37.680 on the mountaintops, and burn incense on the 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:41.519 hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:44.079 their shade is good. Therefore your daughters 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:47.160 commit harlotry, and your brides commit adultery. 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:50.100 I will not punish your daughters when they commit 00:07:50.100 --> 00:07:52.699 harlotry, nor your brides when they commit adultery. 00:07:53.050 --> 00:07:55.329 For the men themselves go apart with harlots 00:07:55.329 --> 00:07:58.750 and offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot. Therefore 00:07:58.750 --> 00:08:01.110 people who do not understand will be trampled. 00:08:01.310 --> 00:08:04.089 Though you, Israel, play the harlot, let not 00:08:04.089 --> 00:08:07.490 Judah offend. Do not come up to Gilgal, nor go 00:08:07.490 --> 00:08:10.209 up to Beth -Avon, nor swear an oath, saying, 00:08:10.449 --> 00:08:13.430 As the Lord lives. For Israel is stubborn, like 00:08:13.430 --> 00:08:16.350 a stubborn calf. Now the Lord will let them forage, 00:08:16.389 --> 00:08:19.310 like a lamb in open country. Ephraim is joined 00:08:19.310 --> 00:08:22.569 to idols. Let him alone. Their drink is rebellion. 00:08:22.889 --> 00:08:25.629 They commit harlotry continually. Her rulers 00:08:25.629 --> 00:08:28.970 dearly love dishonor. The wind has wrapped her 00:08:28.970 --> 00:08:32.129 up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because 00:08:32.129 --> 00:08:37.909 of their sacrifices. Chapter 5 Hear this, O priests. 00:08:38.169 --> 00:08:41.149 Take heed, O house of Israel. Give ear, O house 00:08:41.149 --> 00:08:43.990 of the king. For yours is the judgment, because 00:08:43.990 --> 00:08:46.669 you have been a snare to Mizpah. And the net 00:08:46.669 --> 00:08:50.049 spread on Tabor. The revolters are deeply involved 00:08:50.049 --> 00:08:53.070 in slaughter. Though I rebuke them all, I know 00:08:53.070 --> 00:08:55.690 Ephraim and Israel is not hidden from me. For 00:08:55.690 --> 00:08:59.070 now, O Ephraim, you commit harlotry, Israel is 00:08:59.070 --> 00:09:01.850 defiled. They do not direct their deeds toward 00:09:01.850 --> 00:09:04.789 turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry 00:09:04.789 --> 00:09:07.450 is in their midst, and they do not know the Lord. 00:09:07.629 --> 00:09:11.029 The pride of Israel testifies to his face. Therefore 00:09:11.029 --> 00:09:13.769 Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity, 00:09:13.889 --> 00:09:17.110 Judah also stumbles with them. With their flocks 00:09:17.110 --> 00:09:19.610 and herds they shall go to seek the Lord, but 00:09:19.610 --> 00:09:21.750 they will not find him. He has withdrawn himself 00:09:21.750 --> 00:09:24.450 from them. They have dealt treacherously with 00:09:24.450 --> 00:09:26.950 the Lord, for they have begotten pagan children. 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:30.309 Now a new moon shall devour them and their heritage. 00:09:30.649 --> 00:09:33.649 Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:37.029 Ramah. Cry aloud at Beth -Avon. Look behind you, 00:09:37.049 --> 00:09:39.809 O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate in a day 00:09:39.809 --> 00:09:42.629 of rebuke. Among the tribes of Israel I make 00:09:42.629 --> 00:09:45.700 known what is sure. The princes of Judah are 00:09:45.700 --> 00:09:48.460 like those who remove a landmark. I will pour 00:09:48.460 --> 00:09:51.820 out my wrath on them like water. Ephraim is oppressed 00:09:51.820 --> 00:09:54.259 and broken in judgment, because he willingly 00:09:54.259 --> 00:09:57.240 walked by human precept. Therefore I will be 00:09:57.240 --> 00:10:00.220 to Ephraim like a moth, and to the house of Judah 00:10:00.220 --> 00:10:03.029 like rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness 00:10:03.029 --> 00:10:05.970 and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to 00:10:05.970 --> 00:10:09.149 Assyria and sent to king Jerob. Yet he cannot 00:10:09.149 --> 00:10:12.029 cure you nor heal you of your wound, for I will 00:10:12.029 --> 00:10:14.710 be like a lion to Ephraim and like a young lion 00:10:14.710 --> 00:10:18.190 to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them 00:10:18.190 --> 00:10:21.129 and go away. I will take them away and no one 00:10:21.129 --> 00:10:23.590 shall rescue. I will return again to my place 00:10:23.590 --> 00:10:26.610 till they acknowledge their offense. Then they 00:10:26.610 --> 00:10:29.509 will seek my face. In their affliction they will 00:10:29.509 --> 00:10:58.820 earnestly seek me. O Ephraim, what shall I do 00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:01.779 to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? for 00:11:01.779 --> 00:11:04.179 your faithfulness is like a morning cloud and 00:11:04.179 --> 00:11:07.220 like the early dew it goes away therefore i have 00:11:07.220 --> 00:11:10.159 hewn them by the prophets i have slain them by 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:12.539 the words of my mouth and your judgments are 00:11:12.539 --> 00:11:15.279 like light that goes forth for i desire mercy 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:18.580 and not sacrifice and the knowledge of god more 00:11:18.580 --> 00:11:21.779 than burnt offerings but like men they transgressed 00:11:21.779 --> 00:11:24.779 the covenant there they dealt treacherously with 00:11:24.779 --> 00:11:28.100 me gilead is a city of evildoers and defiled 00:11:28.100 --> 00:11:31.220 with blood As bands of robbers line wait for 00:11:31.220 --> 00:11:34.139 a man, so the company of priests murder on the 00:11:34.139 --> 00:11:36.919 way to Shechem. Surely they commit lewdness. 00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:39.179 I have seen a horrible thing in the house of 00:11:39.179 --> 00:11:42.799 Israel. There is the harlotry of Ephraim. Israel 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:46.340 is defiled. Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed 00:11:46.340 --> 00:11:49.620 for you when I return the captives of my people. 00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:56.840 I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much as 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:58.950 I did. And I look forward to seeing you again 00:11:58.950 --> 00:12:01.389 tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless 00:12:01.389 --> 00:12:02.450 you and have a great day.