Page 1033 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

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OCTOBER 9
2 “Lift up your eyes to the desolate 14 “Return, O backsliding children,” says the
heights and see: LORD; “for I am married to you. I will take you,
Where have you not lain with men? one from a city and two from a family, and I
By the road you have sat for them will bring you to Zion. And I will give you
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Like an Arabian in the wilderness;
And you have polluted the land
With your harlotries and your
wickedness.
3 Therefore the showers have been 3:14 I am married to you. God pictured His
covenant relationship with Israel as a marriage
withheld, and pleaded with mercy for Judah to repent
And there has been no latter rain. and return. He will take her back. Hosea’s
You have had a harlot’s forehead; restoration of Gomer was a picture of God tak-
You refuse to be ashamed. ing back His wicked, adulterous people.
4 Will you not from this time cry to Me,
‘My Father, You are the guide of my
youth? shepherds according to My heart, who will
5 Will He remain angry forever? feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Will He keep it to the end?’ 16 “Then it shall come to pass, when you are
Behold, you have spoken and done evil multiplied and increased in the land in those
things, days,” says the LORD, “that they will say no
As you were able.” more, ‘The ark of the covenant of the LORD.’ It
shall not come to mind, nor shall they remem-
6 The LORD said also to me in the days of
Josiah the king: “Have you seen what backslid- ber it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be
made anymore.
ing Israel has done? She has gone up on every 17 “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The
high mountain and under every green tree, Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall
and there played the harlot. And I said, after be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to
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she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dic-
But she did not return. And her treacherous tates of their evil hearts.
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sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the 18 “In those days the house of Judah shall
causes for which backsliding Israel had com- walk with the house of Israel, and they shall
mitted adultery, I had put her away and given come together out of the land of the north to
her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacher- the land that I have given as an inheritance to
ous sister Judah did not fear, but went and your fathers.
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played the harlot also. So it came to pass, 19 “But I said:
through her casual harlotry, that she defiled
the land and committed adultery with stones ‘How can I put you among the children
and trees. And yet for all this her treacherous And give you a pleasant land,
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sister Judah has not turned to Me with her A beautiful heritage of the hosts of
whole heart, but in pretense,” says the LORD. nations?’
11 Then the LORD said to me, “Backsliding Is-
rael has shown herself more righteous than “And I said:
treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these ‘You shall call Me, “My Father,”
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words toward the north, and say: And not turn away from Me.’
20 Surely, as a wife treacherously departs
‘Return, backsliding Israel,’ says the
LORD; from her husband,
‘I will not cause My anger to fall on So have you dealt treacherously with
you. Me,
For I am merciful,’ says the LORD; O house of Israel,” says the LORD.
‘I will not remain angry forever. 21 A voice was heard on the desolate
13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, heights,
That you have transgressed against the Weeping and supplications of the
LORD your God, children of Israel.
And have scattered your charms For they have perverted their way;
To alien deities under every green They have forgotten the LORD their God.
tree,
And you have not obeyed My voice,’ 22 “Return, you backsliding children,
says the LORD. And I will heal your backslidings.”

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