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SOME STUDY GEMS:
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Kings
Hosea 13:10-11 “I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in my anger, and took him away in my wrath.”
Back in 1 Samuel 8 (click here to read more), we are now reminded by Hosea when Israel demanded to have their own kings and judges, and what YHWH said in 1 Samuel 8:7, “they have rejected Me from reigning over them.”
The Hebrew word for king is Melek H4428 – meleḵ, and the root word is Malak H4427 – mālaḵ, which means to reign over, to give counsel or to consult. It is not just an angry ruler that makes up rules to punish, use and abuse. The word means someone who takes care and has the responsibility of guiding. But back with Samuel, people in general see the physical glamour of the world, and want to fit in with the rest of the world, and thus rejecting the “unseen”, spiritual guidance that YHWH provides.
Orphans
Hosea 14:3 “for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy”
Most translations use the word “orphans”, but the Hebrew word Yatom H3490 – yāṯôm, means “Fatherless”, to be lonely, bereaved, no comfort. Back in Psalm 82 (click here to read more) we looked at the beauty of the meaning of orphans and widows. Both does not just mean a physical person, but it has spiritual meaning. The greek word for fatherless, orphan or comfortless is Orphanos G3737 – orphanos, and Yeshua Himself comforts the disciples and say in John 14:18, “I will not leave you comfortless: G3737 I will come to you.”
YHWH is the Father, and many times He called Himself Father of Israel like in Exodus 4:22-23
“This is what YHWH says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, ‘Let my son go, so he may worship me.’” In Matthew 23:9, Yeshua said, “And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven“
A Final call for forgiveness, YHWH’s Way
Hosea 14:9 “Wise people will understand these things. A person with insight will recognize them. YHWH’s ways are right. Righteous people live by them. Rebellious people stumble over them”
Hosea 14 reads like a love poem and song, providing a powerful and tender call to repentance and forgiveness from YHWH to Israel, emphasizing His steadfast love, and offering beautiful imagery of a renewed, fruitful nation rooted in Him, concluding with a wise reminder for readers to understand and follow YHWH’s righteous path. Hosea ends his book with “YHWH’s ways” are the path to follow.. Those who are righteous live by it, but the rebellious stumble of it. It is like a stumbling block.
Back in Proverbs 16 we talked about this Hebrew word for the Way, H1870 – dereḵ. Yeshua’s followers called themselves “followers of The Way” (click here to read more). This “Way” is like a stumbling block for the rebellious at heart. Peter quoted this also from Scriptures in 1 Peter 2:8 about Yeshua being the cornerstone that is rejected by many, and for them Yeshua and YHWH’s Way is stumbling block, “a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive”.
