Hosea 14:2-9 ~ It is I who answer and look after you

2 Chronicles 32, 3-4:

“And he took counsel with his officers and his mighty men to stop up the waters of the fountains that were outside the city, and they assisted him. And a large multitude gathered and stopped up all the fountains and the stream that flowed in the midst of the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?""

Hosea 14:2-9

Take with you words
and return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good,
and we will pay with bulls
the vows of our lips.

3 Assyria shall not save us;
we will not ride on horses;
and we will say no more, ‘Our God,’
to the work of our hands.
In you the orphan finds mercy.”

4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will love them freely,
for my anger has turned from them.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he shall blossom like the lily;
he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon;
6 his shoots shall spread out;
his beauty shall be like the olive,
and his fragrance like Lebanon.

7 They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols?
It is I who answer and look after you.
I am like an evergreen cypress;
from me comes your fruit.

9 Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them.

TRUST
 

King Hezekiah was raised to understand, by his late father King Ahaz, to survive as King of Judea, he needed to understand politically, monetarily and with religious compromise to have a good life as a puppet king for the Assyrian Empire next door. Hezekiah started out on just that path, pulling gold from the abandoned Temple ( by Ahaz) to give as tribute.

This is part of an amazingly jaw dropping time in the history of God's chosen people. The people decided to rely upon HIM and work ferociously to build upon their hopes while constructing fortifications against the Enemy. It is the only time in the Scriptures a leader has to ask the people to stop donating to HIM. The coffers are overflowing.

2 Kings 19
14 Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. 

15 And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. 17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands 18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed. 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

20 Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard."

2 Kings 20
5 “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you."

2 Chronicles 32:23
And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem and precious things to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations from that time onward.

Hezekiah lived such a prosperous reign, it is the only one compared to Solomon in prosperity and trade.


King Hezekiah's bulla or seal. In the Josef Chaim Kaufman Collection, Archaeological Center in Tel Aviv, Israel. Found also is Hezekiah's servant seal, which hung on a cord for the honored person to wear. Archaeologically, there is no doubt of these seals. Archaeologically, Hezekiah is supremely rich of finds - 2 actual seals of Hezekiah's, at least 5 bullae belonging to servants of Hezekiah, the tunnels for water, the Shiloah Inscription and the evidence of abundance in purchasing. Plus the historical knowledge of the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel and the wealth and independence of the Kingdom of Hezekiah's Judah in the midst of the Assyrian Empire.

All of these bullae bear the name of Hezekiah, without doubt.

Return to the Lord;
say to him,
“Take away all iniquity;
accept what is good"

Far from being an austere prophet Hosea says beautiful Words of HIM.

They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow;
they shall flourish like the grain;
they shall blossom like the vine;
their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon.

John 15:1
I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

Jesus was absolutely in agreement with Hosea, proclaiming faith for today and in this marvelous generation -

Matthew 13:32
Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.

Faith proclaimed through the generations.

Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed." +

We place our trust in Jesus, our strong deliverer. Each day. I put my life where God is and I trust. 

We need to hold on to our truths. If we sit idle and do not feed and nourish ourselves with God's Spoken Word and His teachings we drift away. Moses told the Children of Israel one day there would be revisionist history saying the Exodus did not happen. I would bet many people prayed to the Lord God to have Biblical History able to be found easily. And Assyria passed by Hezekiah, who trusted God and had a prosperous reign the equivalent of Solomon's.

Deuteronomy 4:9
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Father God,
You Delight in blessing us. Strengthen my soul to hold on to my Trust in You and our Great Hope in Jesus.

Help us to be merciful to those in doubt. We could be there next. I pray for the young person this week who really questioned if God would spread a table for her in her wilderness. We all have times werethink and ponder and have an opportunity to place ourselves where we would want Father God to find us in the Living Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Help us to remember to pray together as families, each day.

We pray for the safety of our nation and others in turbulent times knowing throughout Scripture, trouble rises up and diminishes. We pray the name of this organization is an old goddess and this group is put away. And ask Jesus to help where God is praised as good and the innocent are murdered. We would like to call them finished.

We put our trust in You, Living and Sovereign Father God of All.
In Jesus for ourselves, the ones we love and the people You give us. In the Highest Name of Jesus. Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †