BH Bulletin - Monday 13 September 2021

Thought for the Day by Stephen Demetriou
​(Youth Minister)

                                                            Hosea 1:10-2:1
 
I don’t know if those words from Hosea have been sitting with you over the last few weeks like they’ve been sitting heavy with me.
And for anyone reading Hosea 1:1-9 you’d think that those words mark the end of God’s people, like the point of no return…
 
10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.
 
“Say of your brothers, ‘My people,’ and of your sisters, ‘My loved one.’
 
Don’t miss the weight of grace laden in these words! WOW!!!
Can you see how those 3 disastrous judgement messages are TOTALLY and UTTERLY REVERSED!?
Can you see how there’s a family reunion of Judah and Israel thrown in on top of that for good measure?!
Can you see how EVEN despite the spiritual adultery of God’s people v10 the promise made to Abraham (Gen 22:17) is not stopped?!
Can you see how EVEN with the failings of leadership of God’s people v11 the Messiah (2 Samuel 7) is STILL on His way??!
 
Can you see the sheer grace of God?
This is the Gospel. God taking an unworthy, adulterous people and reconciling them to each other and to themselves WOW! I love the book of Hosea!
 
And how has this all happened?
v11 is a clue – For great will be the day of Jezreel.
Jezreel, yes is a reminder of the massacre of the royal house of Israel BUT if you look at your Bible footnotes for Hosea 2:22 Jezreel means God sows it has to do with harvest.
Hosea is pointing us to one day. A day of MASSACRE of God’s people AND a great day of HARVEST for God’s people.
The day of the cross.
 
Judgement and harvest in one beautiful picture.
And it’s here at the cross that things become clear. On the day of Jezreel; Jesus was shown no pity (Lo-Ruhamah), Jesus was abandoned (Lo-Ammi) so that anyone who trusts in Him can be shown forever love, compassion and pity and be counted as His people.
I mean isn’t this EXACTLY what Peter says to Christians in 1 Peter 2:9-10?
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
I am convinced that Peter had Hosea in mind as he wrote those words.
This is who you are if you are a Christian.
 
So much to rejoice in.
And I want to leave you with one more thing. No doubt we’ve all had times when someone has said to us “you’re not my people” or “you’re not loved”, maybe not in those terms, but I’m sure we can all hear those words spoken over us.
I want to draw your eyes to 2:1. This is what the Lord Jesus writes over you in His very own blood on the day of Jezreel; My people, my loved one.
​Stephen

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Fran Ward

Many of you will have heard that Fran Ward, a former much loved member of BH, died suddenly on 4th August. If you would like to attend Fran’s service of celebration, details below, Sue and the family would love you to be there.

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​We continue to remember and pray for Sue and the family at this sad time

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