by Paul Apple | Mar 16, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: REPENTANCE IS THE PATHWAY TO ENJOYING GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS IN RESTORATION AND FRUITFULNESS INTRODUCTION: Biblehub: Hosea 14 is a powerful reminder of God’s undying love and His ever-present willingness to forgive and restore. Regardless of how far we...
by Paul Apple | Mar 15, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DEATH DEVOURS WHEN THE HELPLESS REJECT THEIR HELPER INTRODUCTION: Trent Butler: Guilt eventually brings the death sentence even from a God of compassion and salvation. J. Andrew Dearman: Chapter 13 is the second of two historically oriented prophetic lessons...
by Paul Apple | Mar 7, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: INDICTED FOR SPIRITUAL AND MORAL UNFAITHFULNESS, GOD’S ELECT NATION FACES DIVINE RETRIBUTION DESPITE THE CALL FOR REPENTANCE AND HOPE OF ULTIMATE RESTORATION DUE TO GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: ch. 12 stands at the beginning of the fourth...
by Paul Apple | Mar 5, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: COMPASSION AND MERCY TRIUMPH OVER JUDGMENT AS GOD CALLS HIS PRODIGAL NATION TO RETURN HOME DESPITE DESERVING EXTINCTION INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: First, I have assumed that the chapter must be accorded some priority. It is the clearest statement of Hosea’s...
by Paul Apple | Mar 4, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S NATION CHARACTERIZED BY INIQUITY AND IDOLATRY MUST CONVERT OR SUFFER THE AWFUL CONSEQUENCES OF CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This section has a good deal of continuity with the previous one, since both condemn Israel’s false worship at...
by Paul Apple | Mar 3, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE JUDGMENT OF DISPERSION AND BARRENNESS CHARACTERIZES A NATION ABANDONED BY GOD FOR SPIRITUAL HARLOTRY AND DEEP DEPRAVITY INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: Hosea continues his attack on the cult. In the previous chapters the targets had been idols, altars, and...
by Paul Apple | Feb 27, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: DANGEROUS SELF-RELIANCE FUELS COVENANT TRANSGRESSION FOR A NATION THAT HAS FORGOTTEN ITS GOD INTRODUCTION: Robin Routledge: While there is general agreement that 8:1 marks the beginning of a new section, some view 8:1–14 and 9:1–9 as separate units (Wolff...
by Paul Apple | Feb 25, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: WHEN THERE IS NO TURNING BACK TO THE LORD, MORAL CORRUPTION LEADS TO POLITICAL DISINTEGRATION OF A NATION (BOTH INTERNALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY) INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: The RSV translation attaches 6:11b to ch. 7. This is acceptable and makes good sense....
by Paul Apple | Feb 21, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: RELIGIOUS RITUALS CANNOT COMPENSATE FOR LACK OF LOYAL LOVE AND TREACHEROUS ACTS OF REBELLION INTRODUCTION: John Schultz: Again, God’s inner conflict is expressed in the question: “What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you,Judah?” It is as if...
by Paul Apple | Feb 20, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE PATH TO RESTORATION INVOLVES REPENTANCE AND RENEWAL INTRODUCTION: Derek Kidner: There are at least two ways of taking this. One is that God is first portraying in 5:15 – 6:3 the deep conversion that He is working for and will at last evoke – that total...
by Paul Apple | Feb 20, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: JUDGMENT IS INEVITABLE BECAUSE OF ISRAEL’S HARLOTRY AND GOD’S HOLY WRATH INTRODUCTION: Derek Kidner: For several chapters now the picture will be building up by fragments, coming at the subject from all kinds of angles. By its very disjointedness the style...
by Paul Apple | Feb 15, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: CORRUPT RELIGIOUS LEADERS PROVOKE JUDGMENT FOR THE REJECTION OF GOD’S WORD INTRODUCTION: J. Andrew Dearman: Overall, 4:4–19 elaborates on the charge against the people in 4:1–3, with the priesthood initially a major focus of attention (cf. 5:1). The spirit...
by Paul Apple | Feb 13, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S CASE AGAINST ISRAEL EXPOSES HER MORAL FAILURES DERIVED FROM NOT KNOWING GOD — LEADING TO COSMIC CONSEQUENCES INTRODUCTION: Allen Guenther: The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts. Chapter four begins the second part. Here the...
by Paul Apple | Feb 12, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE INEXPLICABLE LOVE OF GOD PERSISTS IN RECOVERING HIS PEOPLE INTO COVENANT RELATIONSHIP INTRODUCTION: Gary Smith: This short narrative describes God’s plans for restoring the relationship between Hosea and his wife (3:1–3) and between himself and his...
by Paul Apple | Feb 11, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: GOD’S STEADFAST LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS WILL RESTORE AND RENEW HIS COVENANT RELATIONSHIP TO ISRAEL IN THE END TIMES INTRODUCTION: Robin Routledge: These verses emphasize Yahweh’s commitment to winning back and restoring his wayward bride. In the previous...
by Paul Apple | Feb 9, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: FORSAKING GOD CREATES A VACUUM FILLED BY SYNCRETISTIC WORSHIP THAT HAS SHAMEFUL AND DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES INTRODUCTION: H. D. Beeby: In Israel’s state of rebellion as depicted here all the great biblical sins are comprehended and all the virtues excluded....
by Paul Apple | Feb 7, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: THE FUTURE MESSIANIC RESTORATION OF ETHNIC ISRAEL WILL BE GLORIOUS AND PERMANENT INTRODUCTION: H. Ronald Vandermey: Between verses 9 and 10 lie volumes of Jewish history that fulfill the judgment of Jezreel. To the anguished cry of the ages God will in that...
by Paul Apple | Feb 6, 2025 | Bible-OT
BIG IDEA: ISRAEL’S CORRUPTION AS PICTURED IN HOSEA’S MARRIAGE TO THE PROSTITUTE AND HER CHILDREN OF HARLOTRY PROVIDES THE BACKDROP FOR GOD’S AMAZING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE INTRODUCTION: David Thompson: GOD DEMANDS HIS PROPHET MARRY AN IMMORAL HARLOT AND HAVE CHILDREN BY...
