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Scripture Text:
Hosea 11:1 “When Isra’el was a child, I loved him;
and out of Egypt I called my son.
2 But the more [the prophets] called them,
the farther they went from them.
They sacrificed to the ba‘alim
and offered incense to idols.
3 “Yet it was I who taught Efrayim to walk;
I took them by their arms.
But they did not know that it was I
who was healing them,
4 who was guiding them on through human means
with reins made of love.
With them I was like someone removing
the yoke from their jaws,
and I bent down to feed them.
5 He will not return to the land of Egypt,
but Ashur will be his king,
because they refused to repent.
6 The sword will fall on his cities,
destroying the bars of his gates,
because they follow their own advice.
7 My people are hanging in suspense
about returning to me;
and though they call them upwards,
nobody makes a move.
8 Efrayim, how can I give you up,
or surrender you, Isra’el?
How could I treat you like Admah
or make you like Tzvoyim?
My heart recoils at the idea,
as compassion warms within me.
9 I will not give vent to the fierceness of my rage,
I will not return to destroy Efrayim;
for I am God, not a human being,
the Holy One among you;
so I will not come in fury.
10 They will go after Adonai,
who will roar like a lion;
for he will roar, and the children will come
trembling from the west.
11 They will tremble like a bird as they come from Egypt,
like a dove as they come from the land of Ashur;
and I will resettle them in their own houses,
says Adonai.
Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to Adonai; for he is good,
for his grace continues forever.
2 Let those redeemed by Adonai say it,
those he redeemed from the power of the foe.
3 He gathered them from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the sea.
4 They wandered in the desert, on paths through the wastes,
without finding any inhabited city.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
their life was ebbing away.
6 In their trouble they cried to Adonai,
and he rescued them from their distress.
7 He led them by a direct path
to a city where they could live.
8 Let them give thanks to Adonai for his grace,
for his wonders bestowed on humanity!
9 For he has satisfied the hungry,
filled the starving with good.
43 Let whoever is wise observe these things
and consider Adonai’s loving deeds.
Colossians 3:1 So if you were raised along with the Messiah, then seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God.[Colossians 3:1 Psalm 110:1] 2 Focus your minds on the things above, not on things here on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. 4 When the Messiah, who is our life, appears, then you too will appear with him in glory!
5 Therefore, put to death the earthly parts of your nature — sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed (which is a form of idolatry); 6 for it is because of these things that God’s anger is coming on those who disobey him. 7 True enough, you used to practice these things in the life you once lived; 8 but now, put them all away — anger, exasperation, meanness, slander and obscene talk. 9 Never lie to one another; because you have stripped away the old self, with its ways, 10 and have put on the new self, which is continually being renewed in fuller and fuller knowledge, closer and closer to the image of its Creator. 11 The new self allows no room for discriminating between Gentile and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, foreigner, savage, slave, free man; on the contrary, in all, the Messiah is everything.
Luke 12:13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Rabbi, tell my brother to share with me the property we inherited.” 14 But Yeshua answered him, “My friend, who appointed me judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 Then to the people he said, “Be careful to guard against all forms of greed, because even if someone is rich, his life does not consist in what he owns.” 16 And he gave them this illustration: “There was a man whose land was very productive. 17 He debated with himself, ‘What should I do? I haven’t enough room for all my crops.’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and I’ll store all my wheat and other goods there. 19 Then I’ll say to myself, “You’re a lucky man! You have a big supply of goods laid up that will last many years. Start taking it easy! Eat! Drink! Enjoy yourself!”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will die! And the things you prepared — whose will they be?’ 21 That’s how it is with anyone who stores up wealth for himself without being rich toward God.”
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John Wesley's Note-Commentary: Hosea 11:1-11
Verse 1
[1] When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Was a child — In the infancy of Israel.
I loved him — Manifested my tender and paternal affection to him.
Called my son — Adopted him to be my son, and as my son, provided for him, and brought him out of servitude.
Out of Egypt — But Israel, the first adopted son was a type of Christ the first-born. And the history of Israel's coming out was a type of Christ's future coming out of Egypt.
Verse 2
[2] As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
They — Moses and Aaron, and other prophets.
Called — Persuaded, intreated, and urged by exhortations, the whole house of Israel.
From them — From the prophets counsel and commands.
Baalim — In the desert they began this apostacy, and held on with obstinacy in it.
Verse 3
[3] I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them.
I taught — As a mother or nurse helps the child.
Taking them — Supporting and bearing them up.
They knew not — They would not see nor acknowledge me in it.
Verse 4
[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.
Cords of man — With such kindness as best fits and most prevails with a man.
I was to them — As a careful husband-man in due season takes the yoke from his labouring oxen, and takes off the muzzle with which they were kept from eating, when at work.
I laid meat unto them — Brought them provision in their wants.
Verse 5
[5] He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
He — Ephraim.
Shall be king — Shall rule them with rigour and cruelty.
They refused — The reason of all is, their obstinacy in idolatry.
Verse 6
[6] And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.
His branches — The lesser towns and villages.
Their own counsels — Which they have followed in opposition to all the good counsels the prophets gave them from time to time.
Verse 7
[7] And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
They — The prophets.
None at all — Scarce any one would hearken and obey.
Verse 8
[8] How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
Give thee up — To utter destruction. Admah and Zeboim were two of the four cities which were destroyed with fire from heaven.
My repentings — Not that God is ever fluctuating or unresolved; but these are expressions after the manner of men, to shew what severity Israel had deserved, and yet how divine grace would be glorified in sparing them.
Verse 9
[9] I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
Return — Conquerors that plunder the conquered city, carry away the wealth of it, and after some time return to burn it; God will not do so.
Not man — Therefore my compassions fail not.
The holy One — A holy God, and in covenant, though not with all, yet with many among you.
Enter into the city — Utterly to destroy thee, as I did Sodom.
Verse 10
[10] They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
They — The remnant shall hear and obey the Lord.
Like a lion — The word of the Lord, so saith the Chaldee, shall roar as a lion. Christ is called, The lion of the tribe of Judah: and when he cried with a loud voice, it was as when a lion roared. The voice of the gospel was heard far, as the roaring of a lion; and it was a mighty voice.
Tremble — The spirit by its power awakening them to a sight of sin, shall make them fear and tremble.
From the west — From the ends of the earth.
Verse 11
[11] They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.
They shall tremble — At their return into their own land, some shall hasten, yet with solicitude, out of Egypt, whither they fled for shelter; others like doves shall hasten out of Assyria, but with fear and trembling.
I will place them — A seasonable and comfortable promise.
Colossians 3:1-11
Verse 1
[1] If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
If ye are risen, seek the things above — As Christ being risen, immediately went to heaven.
Verse 3
[3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
For ye are dead — To the things on earth. And your real, spiritual life is hid from the world, and laid up in God, with Christ - Who hath merited, promised, prepared it for us, and gives us the earnest and foretaste of it in our hearts.
Verse 4
[4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
When Christ — The abruptness of the sentence surrounds us with sudden light.
Our life — The fountain of holiness and glory.
Shall appear — In the clouds of heaven.
Verse 5
[5] Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Mortify therefore — Put to death, slay with a continued stroke.
Your members — Which together make up the body of sin.
Which are upon the earth — Where they find their nourishment.
Uncleanness — In act, word, or thought.
Inordinate affection — Every passion which does not flow from and lead to the love of God.
Evil desire — The desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, and the pride of life.
Covetousness — According to the derivation of the word, means the desire of having more, or of any thing independent on God.
Which is idolatry — Properly and directly; for it is giving the heart to a creature.
Verse 6
[6] For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
For which — Though the heathens lightly regarded them.
Verse 7
[7] In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Living denotes the inward principle; walking, the outward acts.
Verse 8
[8] But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Wrath — Is lasting anger.
Filthy discourse — And was there need to warn even these saints of God against so gross and palpable a sin as this? O what is man, till perfect love casts out both fear and sin.
Verse 10
[10] And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
In knowledge — The knowledge of God, his will, his word.
Verse 11
[11] Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
Where — In which case, it matters not what a man is externally, whether Jew or gentile, circumcised, or uncircumcised, barbarian, void of all the advantages of education, yea, Scythian, of all barbarians most barbarous. But Christ is in all that are thus renewed, and is all things in them and to them.
In the beginning, in our original unwoundedness ("innocence"), we live in an unconscious but real state of full connection. Perhaps you've sensed that babies are still in immediate connection with pure being. That's probably why we can't take our eyes off of them. But, I am afraid, we must "leave the garden"; and usually around the age of seven, we increasingly "think" of ourselves as separate. This idea of ourselves as separate is the "false self." This is the essential illusion that spirituality seeks to overcome: "How do I get back to the garden of union and innocence?" Objectively I have never left, but it feels like I have.
Then comes the journey of finding connection and losing it. Picture the small "me" circle being totally outside of the large "God" circle, but hopefully still on the axis of loss and return. This is how we grow. We think we're separate from God for many compelling reasons and we usually search for the correct rituals and moral responses in order to get God to like us again, and for us to learn to trust and know God. This is the dance of life and death.
But of course, it's not about being correct; it's about being connected. It's not about requirements or pre-requisites; it's about pure relationship. It's not so much about what we do; it's about what God does. And what God does--what life does--is gradually destabilize the supposed boundaries of the small self so we can awaken inside of the Large Self, which we call God. This usually happens through experiences of great love or great suffering or inner prayer journeys that allow the private ego to collapse back into the True Self, who we are in God.
