Israel Refused to Turn to Me

Friday, June 26, 2015
Hosea 11:1-7 KJV

1 When Israel [was] a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. 2 [As] they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. 3 I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them. 5 He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. 6 And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour [them], because of their own counsels. 7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt [him].

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) How did the Lord feel about His people and what did He do as a result? (v.1)
2) What did the people of God do after He delivered them? (v.2)
3) What else did the Lord do for His people and how did they respond? (v.3-4)
4) How did the Lord punish His people and why? (v.5-7)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Do you know of anyone who has backslidden, or rejected, the Lord after being saved?
6) If so, describe what happened to one such individual?

LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord God saves us for His own purposes.
8) We will never know the Lord's purpose for our lives if we reject Him after being saved.
9) When we reject the Lord, He removes His hand of protection from us and allows our enemies to consume us.

I Will Heal Your Faithlessness

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Jeremiah 3:19-23

19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. 
20 Surely [as] a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD. 
21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping [and] supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, [and] they have forgotten the LORD their God. 
22 Return, ye backsliding children, [and] I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou [art] the LORD our God. 
23 Truly in vain [is salvation hoped for] from the hills, [and from] the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God [is] the salvation of Israel.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did the Lord want to give His people and why? (v.19)
2) How did Israel respond to the Lord? (v.20)
3) Why were the people of God weeping? (v.21)
4) What did the Lord promise His people if they returned to Him? (v.22)
5) What did God's people conclude about the Lord? (v.23)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) Who, or what, do you seek answers from, besides God, to live your life? Why?
7) Have the solutions that you've received from sources other than God, helped you? 
8) If you responded positively to the above question, were the solutions you received permanent, or temporary?

PRINCIPLES
9) God never gives up on His people.
10) Though we may wander from Him, the Lord is always available to us.
11) The Lord wants to save, and to deliver, us from all of our sinful ways.