Verse of the Day: V1 “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”
1. God Rebuilds (V1)
V1 “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”
Prophet Hosea pleaded with the people of Israel not to sin against God but to repent of their sins and return to Him. Subsequently, God allowed their enemies to attack and destroy their cities, houses and lives, so that the only way they could defeat their enemies, and rebuild their cities, houses and lives, was to repent of their sins and return to Him.
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” (Psalms 127:1)
2. God Revives (V2)
V2 “After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.”
God promised the people that He would revive them and blessed their lives if they would repent of their sins and return to Him. However, the people refused to repent and return to God. Hosea’s message was also a prophetic one as it prophesied of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, who would die on the cruel cross, and would be buried, and finally would rise again on the third day according to His Word.
“And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” (1 Corinthians 15:4)
3. God Rebukes (V3-11)
V5 “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.”
Time and again God sent prophets like Hosea to rebuke the people of Israel to repent of their sins and wickedness, and to return to Him. However, instead of taking heed of God’s rebukes, they continued in their sins and wickedness. They thought that they could get away with their sins and wickedness by their sacrifice and burnt offerings to God. They failed to realise that God desired them to be merciful to others, and to have the thirst and knowledge of His Word more than their sacrifices and burnt offerings to Him.
V6 “For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to return to You and to know You and Your Word.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 01:22 pm
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V15 “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”
1. God Knows (V1-5)
V3 “I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.”
Prophet Hosea warned the priests, the king and the nation of Israel that God knew their sins of immorality and pride. Ephraim was another name of Israel, and Hosea warned the people of Ephraim or Israel that God’s judgment shall be upon them if they rebelled against Him. The people of Ephraim and Israel and even Judah were so proud of themselves that they thought they could hide their sins from God. However they failed to realise that God was omnipresent or all present, and omniscient or all knowing, and they could never hide from Him. Indeed, God knows everything and He is everywhere.
V5 “And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.”
2. God Withdraws (V6-14)
V6 “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.”
God withdrew Himself from the people of Israel because they had grievously sinned against Him, even though the people tried to seek Him. Not only had the people sinned against God, but even their children had also sinned against God. Indeed, God withdraws Himself from us and even our children if we do not confess and forsake our sins.
V7 “They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.”
3. God Returns (V15)
V15 “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.”
Prophet Hosea reminded the priests, the king and the people of Israel to seek God early in their afflictions and sufferings, and to acknowledge their offence and sins, and not to wait until God’s judgment was upon them. Indeed, God shall return to us and be with us in all our afflictions and sufferings if we acknowledge our sins and seek His face early.
“O GOD, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;” (Psalms 63:1)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to seek You early and daily in all my sufferings.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 02:30 am
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
1. The People (V1-8)
V6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”
The people of Israel, God’s chosen people, God’s priests to all nations, had forgotten God. After all the miracles that God performed before them, such as the opening of the Red Sea and the River Jordan, the defeat of Jericho and Ai, the people soon forgot God and disobeyed His commandments. They were determined in their hearts to forget God and disobeyed His commandments, than to remember God and obeyed His commandments.
V8 “They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.”
2. The Priests (V9)
V9 “And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.”
When the priests realized that the people had forgotten God and disobeyed His commandments, they went along with them in order to please them. It was a sad day for the nation of Israel, God’s chosen nation, as the priests who were supposedly to warn the people to repent of their sins intentionally forgot God and disobeyed His commandments.
“For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)
3. The Punishment (V10-19)
V10 “For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.”
The people and the priests shall never be satisfied with their lives because they had forgotten God. They might enjoy the fun and pleasures of the lust of their eyes, the lust of their flesh and the pride of life for a season, but soon they shall reap the consequences of their deadly sins. Just a sip will eventually lead you to drunkenness, just a puff will eventually lead you to smoking and just a flirt will eventually lead you to immorality.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to remember You and obey Your commandments.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:20 pm
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V5 “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.”
1. God Loves You (V1)
V1 “Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.”
God commanded prophet Hosea to return to his wife and love her even though she was unfaithful to him. Just like Hosea’s wife, the children of Israel had been unfaithful to God, yet God still loved them and waited for them to repent of their unfaithfulness. Today, God loves us and He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins that whosoever believes in Christ shall never perish but have everlasting life with God in heaven one day.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
2. God Bought You (V2-4)
V2 “So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:”
It seemed that Hosea’s wife was sold to somebody and he had to buy her back for fifteen pieces of silver. It was not easy for Hosea to love his unfaithful wife, and to buy her back when she had done nothing to deserve his love. This is exactly what God did when He bought us with the price of the death of His only begotten Son to redeem us from the fiery pits of hell to the portals of heaven when we have done nothing to deserve His love.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20)
3. God Bless You (V5)
V5 “Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.”
One day, during the Millennium, all the children of Israel shall return to the Lord, seek their God and give God all the glory in the new city of Jerusalem. Indeed, whether we are Jews or non Jews, let us seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the things that we desire and need shall God bless and provide for us.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to seek You and Your goodness for Your glory.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 08:28 pm
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V20 “I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.”
1. God’s Pleading (V1-5)
V2 “Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;”
God commanded the children of prophet Hosea to plead with their mother to repent of her unfaithfulness, and returned to her family. Their mother had chosen to love her lovers and material possessions instead of her husband and children. God compared the unfaithfulness of the people of Israel to that of the unfaithfulness of prophet Hosea’s wife.
V5 “For their mother hath played the harlot; she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.”
2. God’s Punishment (V6-13)
V11 “I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.”
Despite the children’s pleading, their mother refused to repent of her unfaithfulness. Despite God’s pleading, the people of Israel refused to repent of her unfaithfulness. Subsequently, God punished them by putting an end to their happiness. Indeed, let us repent of our unfaithfulness towards God otherwise His punishment shall also be upon us.
V12 “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.”
3. God’s Promise (V14-23)
V20 “I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.”
In the future, during the time of the Millennium, all the people of Israel, shall know and believe in the true God, and remain faithful to Him. Today, God’s promise is for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and remains faithful to Him, shall never perish in the fiery pits of hell, but shall have everlasting life with God in the pearly gates of heaven.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to believe in You and remain faithful to You forever.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 06:24 am
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V2 “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.”
1. God’s Way Is Not Our Way (V1-3)
V2 “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom: departing from the LORD.”
Will you marry a prostitute? This was exactly what God commanded prophet Hosea to do. It must have puzzled Hosea as how could God command His holy and godly man to marry an unholy and ungodly woman. However, this was exactly what God commanded Hosea, and Hosea obeyed God and never questioned God even though he could not fully understand God’s way.
V3 “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”
2. God’s Mercy Is Not Our Mercy (V4-7)
V6 “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.”
God declared that He would have mercy on the people of Judah but not the people of Israel. Though Hosea could not fully understand why God’s mercy was to some, and not to others, he continued to obey God, and named his daughter, Lo-ruhamah or No Mercy.
V7 “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.”
3. God’s People Is Not Our People (V8-11)
V9 “Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”
Many people think that they are God’s people, but one day when they meet God, they shall be very disappointed as they are never God’s people. They profess to be Christians but they never possess the Holy Spirit, and are never obedient to God’s commandments.
“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23).
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to obey You even though I cannot fully understand.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:21 am
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
1. The Great Tribulation (V1)
V1 “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”
God gave Daniel a vision that there shall be a time of trouble, known as the Great Tribulation Period, which shall come after the Rapture or the moment when all Christians shall be caught up to heaven to meet the Lord. Those who live during the Great Tribulation will find it almost impossible to believe in Christ because the devil reigns during that time. This is why Christians are commanded to share the Gospel of Christ to their unbelieving loved ones and friends while there is still time before the Rapture.
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
2. The Great Judgment (V2-9)
V2 “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
There shall come a time of the Great Judgment where God shall sit on a great white throne and judge every person whether they have receive Christ as their personal Saviour.
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” (Revelation 20:11-12).
3. The Great Choice (V10-13)
V10 “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.”
Today, if you choose to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, you are the wise who understand.
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, I believe in You and I shall have everlasting life with You in heaven.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:30 am
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V32 “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
1. The Mighty King (V1-7)
V3 “And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.”
The mighty king was none other than Alexander the Great, the king of Grecian Empire. He not only defeated the great Persian Empire but almost conquered the entire world if not for his sudden death due to ill health. He never knew God, and was determined to do his own will or the devil’s will in destroying the Jews, God’s chosen people. However, he failed because God protected His chosen people.
2. The Vile Person (V21-29)
V21 “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.”
The vile person was none other than Antiochus Epiphanes. He became the king of Syria because of his flatteries. He never knew God and was against the holy covenant or the Jews. However, he failed to destroy them because God protected His chosen people.
V28 “Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.”
3. The Godly People (V30-45)
V30 “For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant.”
However, king Antiochus Epiphanes did not reign for long, as subsequently the ships of Chittim or the naval power of the Roman Empire defeated them. Indeed, no empire or kingdom except God’s kingdom shall last forever, and no matter how the devil used the mighty king or the vile person to destroy the nation of Israel, God shall always protect His chosen nation. Though many Jews refused to know God, there was still a remnant who knew God and continued to live godly lives. Today God’s people are both the Jews and the Gentiles who know the Lord Jesus Christ. These godly people shall always remain strong because they are God’s chosen people.
V32 “And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that I am strong because I know You.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 05:16 pm
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V19 “And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.”
1. Be Sorrowful (V1-7)
V1 “In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.”
The Almighty God revealed the spiritual condition of the people of Israel that they had become unholy and evil. This was why Prophet Daniel was sorrowful as he mourned for three weeks for his people to repent of their sins. It was sad and tragic that the people of Israel, who were supposedly to be the people of God, a godly example to the world, had become unholy and evil, and their lives were no different from the people of the world.
V2 “In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.”
2. Be Standing (V8-18)
V8 “Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.”
Daniel saw the great vision of not only the wickedness of the people of God but the intense spiritual warfare between the angels of God and the demons of Satan. However, God encouraged Daniel to continue to stand upright despite the wickedness of the people.
V11 “And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.”
3. Be Strong (V19-21)
V19 “And said, O man greatly beloved, fear not: peace be unto thee, be strong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened, and said, Let my lord speak; for thou hast strengthened me.”
God sent an angel to strengthen and encourage Daniel. Indeed, the Word of God promises that the Almighty God together with Michael, His prince or archangel and the rest of His angels shall certainly prevail against the Devil and his demons both now and forever.
V21 “But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please strengthen me so that I shall be strong in You and You alone.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:17 am
| Permalink
| Email
Verse of the Day: V3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”
1. The Resolution (V1-19)
V3 “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”
Daniel’s resolution was to seek God through prayer and fasting when he read in the book of Jeremiah of God’s judgment upon the people of Israel. Indeed, when we are faced with crises, the first priority is to pray, fast and seek God for His wisdom in dealing with them.
2. The Repentance (V20-23)
V20 “And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;”
The Bible did not record the sins of Daniel yet the fact that he confessed and repented his sin affirmed that all had sinned and came short of the glory and holiness of God.
3. The Reconciliation (V24-27)
V24 “Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”
The 70 weeks are divided into 69 weeks and the 70th week. The 69 weeks, which included the Messiah being cut off or the death of Christ at the 62nd week, had already passed. Today we are waiting for the 70th week, which is known as the Great Tribulation. The Great Tribulation, which will last for 7 years, will take place after the Rapture. The Rapture which can take place anytime from now is the time where we, Christians, who believe in Christ shall be called up to be with God forever. During the Great Tribulation, the people of the prince or the antichrist shall reign for 3 ½ years where he will promise peace to the people, then the next 3 ½ years he will torment the people who believes in Christ. After the Great Tribulation, all the people of Israel shall finally return to their land and thus fulfilling God’s great promise. This period of return or reconciliation is known as the Millennium where the Messiah, Jesus Christ, shall reign for a thousand years.
V26 “And after threescore and two (62) weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to repent my sins and believe in Your promises.
Posted by: Pastor Davy Sim AT 10:38 am
| Permalink
| Email
