IJUMAA TAREHE 29 JULAI 2021
HOSEA 3:1-5
1 Bwana akaniambia, Enenda tena, mpende mwanamke apendwaye na rafiki yake, naye ni mzinzi; kama vile Bwana awapendavyo wana wa Israeli, ingawa wanaigeukia miungu mingine, na kupenda mikate ya zabibu kavu.
2 Basi nikajinunulia mwanamke huyo kwa vipande kumi na vitano vya fedha, na homeri moja ya shayiri, na nusu ya homeri ya shayiri;
3 nami nilimwambia, Utatawa kwa ajili yangu siku nyingi; hutafanya mambo ya ukahaba, wala hutakuwa mke wa mtu awaye yote; nami nitakuwa hali iyo hiyo kwa ajili yako.
4 Kwa maana wana wa Israeli watakaa siku nyingi bila mfalme, wala mtu mkuu, wala sadaka, wala nguzo, wala naivera, wala kinyago;
5 baada ya hayo wana wa Israeli watarejea, na kumtafuta Bwana, Mungu wao, na Daudi, mfalme wao; nao watamwendea Bwana na wema wake kwa kicho siku za mwisho.
Wema wa Mungu watuvuta tupate kutubu;
Sura ya tatu ya kitabu cha Nabii Hosea ni habari juu ya hakikisho la upendo wa Mungu kwa watu wake. Hosea anatumwa kumwendea mwanamke mzinzi, tena ampende kama Bwana apendavyo Israeli, japo Israeli yenyewe inageukia miungu.
Hapa tunapata picha ya upendo wa Mungu kwa wanadamu, na jinsi anavyotamani wamrudie. Hosea anaandika kulipa vipande kumi na tano vya fedha kumtwaa yule mwanamke. Kwa wakati ule hiyo ilikuwa kulipa mahari. Ni kama lilikuwa linatolewa ombi la kumtwaa mwanamke huyo.
Tafsiri ya ujumbe ni habari njema kwa Israeli kuwa pamoja na uovu wao, Mungu alikuwa nao. Aliwataka wamrudie. Mstari wa tano unatoa unabii wa Israeli kumrudia Bwana, maana ndiyo kiu yake, watu wamrudie yeye.
Nasi leo tunaitwa kumrudia Bwana. Tunamrudiaje? Tubu dhambi zako usamehewe, uyaache ya zamani, ubadilike.
Wema wake unakuita kutubu.
Siku njema.
THURSDAY 29TH JULY 2021
HOSEA 3:1-5
1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”
4 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.
Footnotes
- Hosea 3:2 That is, about 6 ounces or about 170 grams
- Hosea 3:2 A homer and a lethek possibly weighed about 430 pounds or about 195 kilograms.
God's goodness draws us to repentance;
The third chapter of the book of Hosea is about the assurance of God's love for his people. Hosea is sent to an adulterous woman, and to love her as the Lord loves Israel, even though Israel itself turns to the gods.
Here we find a picture of God's love for mankind, and how He desires them to return to Him. Hosea pays fifteen pieces of silver to take the woman. At the time that was to pay a dowry. It was as if a request was made to take the woman.
The interpretation of the message is good news for Israel that despite their wickedness, God was with them. He wanted them to come back to him. Verse 5 prophesies Israel to return to the Lord, for it is his thirst, the people to return to him.
And today we are called to return to the Lord. How do we return to him? Repent of your sins and be forgiven, leave the old, and change.
His goodness calls you to repentance.