Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Not me hanging onto the crazy by my fingernails of late...mayhap life will settle down a bit by June. Or July. Or Christmas, lol.
But we are back looking at 'Heart/ Hearts' in the NIV 84, and we have arrived at the minor prophets, which is going to be a VERY quick (relatively speaking) trip. Not every book has a reference, and some only have a few, so we're combining things.
There's a lot going on in the next month, so I don't expect to get a post up each week, but we are very close to finishing the Old Testament.
We have five passages to look at in Hosea, four of which are laments about the waywardness of God's people, so let's look at those in one group:
"I know all about Ephraim; Israel is not hidden from me. Ephraim, you have now turned to prostitution; Israel is corrupt. Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God. A spirit of prostitution ins in their heart; they do not acknowledge the LORD." -- Hos. 5:3 -4; 'heart' is Strong's H 7130, qereb - midst, among, inner part, middle.
"On the day of the festival of our king the princes become inflamed with wine, and he joins hands with the mockers. Their hearts are like an oven; they approach him with intrigue. Their passion smolders all night; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. "-- Hos. 7:5 - 6
"They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. " -- Hos. 7:14
Their heart is deceitful, and now they must bear their guilt. - Hos. 10:2; all instances of 'heart/ hearts' in the preceding three verses are H 3820. Leb - inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
Hosea's story is an interesting tale of marriage, infidelity and redemption as an analogy of the relationship of God and his people. This is not a series of please for the people to repent, this is a description of the apostasy of the people. It's not God who prevents the people from repenting...it's their own deeds. That's worth a ponder. The deeds they elected to do now keep them from returning to God. The deeds set the barriers up. But folks refuse to even acknowledge the mess and turn to God; even while lamenting their circumstances. They look for help everywhere but where the help is.
But there is yet hope.
"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man-- the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath." Hos. 11:8 - 9; 'Heart' is once again H 3820.
God knows where the descendants of each of the tribes of Israel are, even today. We know from the book of Revelation that there will be representatives from all the tribes . The end of the story is not yet.
We have one passage in Joel that contains the word 'heart'...
"Even now," declares the LORD, "Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity." - Joel 2:12-13; bot instances of 'Heart' in this passage are H 3824, lebab - inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding -- and, as we have learned from Hebrew scholar Chaim along this journey , this word carries an extra connotation of a heart joined to God.
Our sin is a barrier we can't overcome. It has hooks that we can't escape. But God can unhook us, untangle us, redeem our mess...and all it takes from us is a heart desire for him.
