Bible Reading

Hosea Chapter 4 - Truth, Mercy and Knowledge of God

Written by

Luke

|

2 min read

This chapter highlights the consequences of Israel’s disobedience and the depth of God’s sorrow over their actions. This chapter serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness, knowledge of God, and the dangers of turning away from His commandments.

As stated in Hosea 4:1, “There is no truth, no mercy, no knowledge of God in the land.” When people forsake the knowledge of God, truth and mercy vanish as well. True wisdom and understanding always begin with the fear of God and the knowledge of Him (Proverbs 9:10). The absence of these elements affects every aspect of life, leading to moral and spiritual corruption. However, turning back to God will bring healing and restoration.

Truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God are interconnected and essential for our spiritual lives. Truth without mercy can become harsh and judgmental, while mercy without truth can lead to indulgence. The knowledge of God binds them together, guiding us to live in a way that glorifies Him. 

As we reflect on this chapter, let us examine our lives and align them with God’s standards of truth, mercy, and knowledge. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations (Psalms 100:5).

May the Holy Spirit inspire us to grow in faithfulness, deepen our love for God, and increase our knowledge of Him, so we may understand The Truth of God and receive His mercy.

Related Topics

Hosea

See Also

2 Timothy Chapter 3 - Holding Fast to the Faith

2 Timothy Chapter 3 - Holding Fast to the Faith

Paul reminds Timothy of the behavior of those who do not fear God in the last days (3:1–9). They love pleasure rather than God, are self-centered, and oppose the truth. Ironically, they are always learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Their pride prevents them from learning, understanding, or carrying out God’s will. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  Today, these words are also spoken to us who believe in Jesus. We must stay alert and not imitate them, for such behaviors oppose and contradict the teachings of Jesus Christ. These serve as warnings and guidance for us, because we may unknowingly fall into these errors in our daily lives as well. When life becomes comfortable, we may love entertainment but dislike attending church services. When brothers and sisters in church face difficulties, we may stand by and care only for ourselves. We may become lovers of money, striving tirelessly for work and forgetting the work God has entrusted to us.  The Bible tells us that a person cannot serve two masters. They will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Mammon (Matthew 6:24). The greatest commandment is: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” The second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39).  In verse 10, Paul teaches us the attitude a God-fearing person should have: to follow sound teaching, have good conduct, steadfastness, faith, patience, love, endurance, and the ability to endure persecution. Verses 12–13 remind us: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution”, because evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse. Blessed are those who rely on God to overcome persecution and endure trials, for through testing they will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).  In the final verses (15–17), Paul mentions something crucial: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Therefore, we must search the Scriptures, for in them we find eternal life (John 5:39). The words of the true God are full of grace, and His promises will all be fulfilled. Let us hide God’s word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:9–11).  We pray that brothers and sisters will continually rely on the Holy Spirit to open our hearts, so that we may know the Lord more deeply, hold firmly to the truth we should follow, and remember that the way to the kingdom of heaven is narrow, not wide. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13–14). 

Jonah Chapter 3 - The Generous Mercy of God

Jonah Chapter 3 - The Generous Mercy of God

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim 2:3-4). Jonah Chapter 3 records a classic example of this exact sentiment. It records the story of prophet Jonah preaching to the people of Nineveh, and the repentance of Nineveh. When looking at the story of Nineveh’s repentance, there is a sense of comfort that we can find for ourselves. Just as God forgave the people of Nineveh when they were sincerely repentant, we also have confidence that God has the mercy to forgive us for our sins today if we repent with a sincere heart. We however should not grow complacent just because we think God will be merciful with us. Within this chapter, we see the lengths that the people went to in order to seek forgiveness from God. First, verse 6 records that the king himself mourned in sackcloth and sat in ashes. Verse 7 to 9 then record the decree made by the king, mandating fasting and mourning for all his people, driving them all to repentance before God. Take a moment to reflect on this, is this the state we want to reach before we finally turn to God? Although the people of Nineveh were ultimately spared, let us not be deceived, it was a sorry state that they were in. Furthermore, the Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:26 that “if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins”. God’s love abounds and His mercy is plentiful, but let us be careful never to take advantage of this love and mercy. Jonah’s story also teaches us about how we should treat others who we ourselves may deem as sinful. The narrative of the Book of Jonah centers around Jonah refusing to preach to Nineveh due to his hatred for the city and his skepticism that its people would change. When we read the story of Jonah, we are quick to say that Jonah’s attitude was not right. However, when we look at our peers around us, do we also unknowingly adopt Jonah’s mindset? Are we quick to judge people? To fit them into certain labels and refrain from helping them in their faith? Something we must remember is that God desires all men to be saved. Every soul is precious in the sight of God. If this is the case, as servants of God, we must fulfill his will and try to save every soul regardless of our perception of them. All in all, we have received this gift of love and mercy from God. We ought to share this wonderful gift with others.

Who We Are

We're the True Jesus Church, a global, non-denominational church built upon the teachings of Jesus and His apostles. Founded by the Holy Spirit, our mission is to spread the complete gospel of salvation to the ends of the earth.

Learn more about us

We have four places of worship, and we gather for Sabbath and night worship services. We welcome you to join us for any of our in-person services!

Worship with us

Follow us on social media

WhatsAppTelegramFacebook pageInstagramYouTubeTwitch