THE NEVER-ENDING LOVE OF HOSEA (7) – LET ME SING TO MY BELOVED

Prophet Isaiah wrote a prophetic love song, a poetic expression of God’s love and care for His chosen people (Isa 5:1-12). The song is about His expectations for Isreal, His wife. It is a lament for her failure to produce good fruit. God is called “The Beloved”. This is an intimate name of love. God is not a distant landlord but One who lovingly watches over His own property and people. The Vineyard refers to Isreal. This song shows the deep covenant relationship between God and Isreal, a nation chosen and cultivated by God. In Israel, vineyards were valuable and required much caring to produce fruits. A vineyard speaks of intentional cultivation; vines do not thrive by accident. God is the owner, keeper and judge of His people. The vineyard was planted on “a very fruitful hill”, a high place of great potential, set apart by God for His purposes. Everything was perfect. Isreal had the best rich soil, proper drainage, and abundant sun, ideal conditions. God’s blessings and opportunities for Isreal were to thrive spiritually and physically. This is another picture of The Promised Land. God had high expectations of fruitfulness. When the expectations were cut off, God’s pain and disappointment was great. You can feel God’s pain!

God is the Lover of Isreal. “The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore, with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer 31:3). God is also the Owner of the vineyard. God never abandons what is His. “For the LORD will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance” (Ps 94:14). God, the Owner of the Vineyard, “dug it and clear out the stones”. This shows the great effort involved to plant the vines. The removal of stones means removal of obstacles, impurities, idolatry and foreign influence. God wanted Isreal to be a pure, holy nation. God planted the choicest, the best vines. God gave Isreal His Word, prophets and priests to teach them how to worship Him. God chose the best people so that they can be holy like Him, and His own special possession. God gave Isreal every blessing and advantage, to thrive spiritually and morally. He built a watch tower in the middle of the vineyard, to protect against thieves and wild animals. He then made a winepress in it. God waited and expected good grapes to produce weet wine, a symbol of joy. But He was disappointed at the harvest of wild grapes… His work was in vain…

There are at least 3 moral fruits God seeks: 1-personal holiness. “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev 19:2); 2- Social justice: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). 3- Covenant faithfulness: “Moses did everything just as the LORD had commanded him” (Exo 40:16). This shows God’s desire for His people to live in obedience to His commands, to be a light to the nations. The waiting period is a time when baby Christians mature spiritually. But God was disappointed. The good vines planted by God produced sour, wild grapes. Isreal failed to live up to God’s expectations. God wanted to see righteousness and holiness in His people, to show forth His character. What He found was sin, and moral corruption. The wild fruit points to the need for redemption through Christ, who enables believers to produce the fruit of righteousness. Jesus is the Vine; we are the branches (Jn 15:1). We are supposed to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22,23). Selah!

Like a pained husband, God is calling the inhabitants of Jerusalem to judge between Himself and His people (His wife). God wants them to examine His dealings with them, because His ways are always perfectly just. He expects an honest verdict that will expose Israel’s failure to bear good fruit, not a failure on His part to provide every blessing. Lesson: Examine God’s faithfulness against our commitment to Him!

GOD’S EXPECTATIONS FROM US:

*God expects spiritual fruit, not just empty religion. “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8).

*God expects us to be responsible as stewards of His gifts to us. “But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Lk 12:48). Covenant privileges never cancel accountability!

*God wants us to repent when we sin. God wants us to declare how good and just He is and how bad sin is. “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He” (Deut 32:4). Amen!

God looked for justice but saw oppression. God’s justice means fairness, right judgments in courts, and protection of the vulnerable (the poor, widows, fatherless and the foreigners); leaders refusing bribes, business deals free of fraud or oppression, fast correction of wrongs. But God’s people practiced spiritual adultery and became morally corrupt. Righteousness means living in right relationship with God and others, doing what is right even when nobody is watching, speaking the truth in love, clean hands and a pure heart; faithful obedience to God’s commands and generosity towards the needy. But instead of righteousness, God hears “a cry for help”. This is a picture the suffering, exploitation and oppression, like the cries God heard from the Israelites in Egypt (Exodus 3:7). The failure to produce righteousness shows the people’s rebellion against God’s covenant, leading to divine judgment. This is a warning against backsliding!  

GOD PUNISHES HIS REBELLIOUS PEOPLE

God is now ready to punish His people because of their unfruitfulness and spiritual adultery against Him. Due to unrepentant sin, God removes the hedge, His protection, leaving His people exposed and vulnerable. The enemies will trample and burn the vineyard, a sign of destruction and humiliation. God’s actions show His sovereignty and justice. God is patient but will not tolerate unfaithfulness indefinitely. In History, Assyria and Babylon conquered Isreal and Judah, burnt Jerusalem and carried God’s people into exile.

God Withdraws His blessings. This exposes how divine favour can be lost when fruit is absent! Selah!

*No Protection- God had “built a watchtower”. By removing the hedge, the field is left exposed.

*No pruning – No more loving discipline given to us so that the vine becomes more fruitful

*No cultivating – The soil of our hearts is no longer turned, softened, or enriched.

*No rain – Heaven’s refreshment is shut off; growth withers for lack of God-given supply.

*Accelerated Decay- “Briers and thorns” symbolize the curse on the ground (Gen 3:17-18). Man must work harder for his daily bread.

*Irreversible Barrenness – When God removes His favour, the vineyard cannot self-heal. Apart from God, no harvest emerges. Jesus said: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5)

Just as a vineyard requires pruning and care, our spiritual lives need regular attention through prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with other believers to prevent backsliding. The picture of a wasteland and the absence of rain show the serious consequences of turning away from God. Spiritual barrenness results from neglecting our relationship with God. The passage speaks of judgment but it also points to the possibility of restoration. God’s discipline is meant to bring His people back to Him, offering hope for revival and fruitfulness.

LESSONS FOR US:

*God’s Word is a warning against spiritual bareness. Jesus said: “Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down” (Matt 7:19)!!!

*God still owns the vineyard, our lives, families, churches. He still protects us with a “hedge” of grace: His Word, His Spirit, and fellowship.

*God still expects spiritual fruits from us. His detailed investment shows both His love and His right to expect fruit from us, holiness, justice and faithfulness, not just empty religion. Failure to produce fruits invites discipline and judgement. Obedience brings blessing and witness. When we are saved, God plants us in Christ, the chosen ground where we can bear fruits. The Holy Spirit supplies all we need for spiritual growth and fruitfulness. God is the Gardener. He prunes the branches thru discipline so that we become more fruitful (John 15).

*God inspects the quality of the fruits. This reminding us that grace and responsibility go together. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2Cor 5:10). Spiritual fruitfulness is very important. Christians are called to live lives that reflect God’s character and produce spiritual fruit.

*Regular self-examination prevents the drift that turned Israel’s vineyard to become wild. God has done everything necessary for us.

*Judgment begins “with the household of God” (1 Pet 4:17). Judgement is a present reality, not only a future event.

*Stay rooted in the Word. Study the Bible and pray daily. Submit to the Gardener’s care. Continually surrender to the Holy Spirit. Remove obstacles: confess sin promptly to prevent hard soil. Serve others: fruit ripens as we invest in people—acts of love, witness, generosity.

*There is hope with God, who loves to turn deserts into gardens. “The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail” (Is 58:11). Amen!

JESUS AND THE RICH YOUNG POWERFUL RELGIOUS MAN (Mark 10:17-31)

This is a story about salvation. Thers is a young, religious, rich man, a leader in the synagogue and his community. He has achieved great wealth by his wisdom. He is a self-made man, happy of his success in life. Many people who become rich and famous, become proud. Not this young man. He still desires to have a brighter future. He has achieved many of his dreams. But he has not stopped dreaming… He has been thinking, what else can I have to make myself happier? What new crown can I purchase to place on my head? Somehow, I thought of having a special place in heaven… He heard that Jesus teaches about Eternal Life. He may not have known Jesus well but he started looking for Jesus. When he saw Jesus from distance, he ran towards Him and bowed before Him. This running tells us that one of his strategies for success is to have a goal and to run towards it. He was not a lazy man. He was an achiever. He then flattered Jesus calling Him “Good teacher”. All these humble methods used to work for him in the past. No man rejected him. But Jesus corrected him saying: “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God”. Jesus corrected his idea that goodness can be achieved on earth, by becoming a teacher or a mentor. Jesus said that Goodness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and can only be received from God alone. No sinner is good!

Jesus then directs his attention to God’s Law: “Do now commit adultery, do not murder…”. The man was proud of his religious standing and answered: “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth!” He was confident that he has impressed Jesus. If this man gave his life to Christ, he could have been a candidate to replace Apostle Paul. But Jesus saw that the idol in this man’s heart is his wealth. Jesus does not say that all people should be poor to become saved. Abraham, Joseph of Arimathea, these were wealthy men. According to the idol in his heart, Jesus let him know the cost of Eternal Life. The cost is everything he has, his wealth, fame, position in the church and society. The man did not know that price and cost are not the same. If you want to buy an item, the price is written in Naira. But some things in this world, are priceless. Love is priceless. For this man to have eternal life, it cost God everything. He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sinners. As God gave everything, man must surrender everything. The young man must let go of all his money, power and fame. But when he calculated the cost, he decided to forget heaven. He chose money instead of Jesus. This is the worse business transaction he ever made. His mistake was to think that all things can be bought with money. He did not understand the value of Love and Grace. It is difficult for a rich man to be saved because wealth without Jesus is an idol, it is heavy bondage. It keeps man connected to the earth. The man cannot rise, cannot fly! He went away sorrowful towards hell.

The disciples were surprised. They asked: who then can be saved? Jesus answered: “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible”. This is the best definition of Grace Jesus gave to us. Man cannot save himself. Only God’s Grace can do it! Then Jesus told His disciples: “But many who are first will be last, and the last first”. Before the Cross, the ground is level. The rich men on earth, if they die without Jesus, are last on the list. The poor men on earth, if they become saved by Grace, they take the lead. Salvation is a mystery and God’s gift. It costs the Blood of Jesus for us to be saved. Salvation, treasures in heaven, spiritual rewards are all priceless. Can you give all you have to gain what money cannot buy? As for me: “take the world and give me Jesus! I am satisfied!” Worship the Lord!