Jeremiah 30:23 KJV
"Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked."
"Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked."
The whirlwind indicates the power and move of God and is a symbol of heaven touching earth. There have been people caught up in a whirlwind both in the Bible and yes, in the Wizard of Oz--which is a very good book about how our mind tries to figure out things in dreams. But look what happened to Elijah, as they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elisha saw this and cried out, "My father! My father!
Let me share a teaching with you today that I believe is very pertinent for the day we are living.
Reaping the Whirlwind“They sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” ( Hosea 8:7a).
Much of the old covenant prophet’s task consisted in reminding God’s people of the curses the Lord promised for flagrant, impenitent covenant violation (Lev. 26:14–39; Deut. 28:15–68). The goal was the people’s repentance, but even the prophets reached points when they knew Israel as a whole was so far gone that the majority would not see its evil. Hosea 8 records a speech that Hosea gave when he reached such a point.
Hosea announces that “One like a vulture” is “over the house of the LORD” (v. 1, ESV). Other English translations such as the NIV, NASB, and NKJV identify the bird as an eagle. In reality, this verse is exceptionally difficult to translate from the Hebrew, so let us consider what each animal signifies. A vulture appears on the scene when an animal dies. Eagles are known for their swift flight. No matter the translation we choose, the basic point is the same. Israel’s death in exile was certain and swiftly approaching.
By the time the Israelites saw the enemy at their borders, it was too late. Fervently they cried to God, claiming to know Him. These were faithless cries, for the people had shown their lack of a proper relationship with the Lord by transgressing the covenant and spurning the good (vv. 1–2). A mere profession of faith saves nobody—one must possess faith to be in a right relationship with God (Mark 7:1–13). All the enthusiastic worship in the world could not save Israel because the people had no faith in the Lord.
Hosea then lists Israel’s sins, beginning with the fact that “they made kings, but not through me” (Hos. 4:4a). The northern kingdom was conceived in sin, but God had still promised Jeroboam I, Israel’s first king, and the ten tribes of Israel who served him, a lasting kingdom if the king would serve the Lord faithfully (1 Kings 11). Among other things, this meant God was to be consulted when appointing kings in the north. But the last king in the north who had any kind of divine confirmation was Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II and the fourth generation promised to King Jehu (2 Kings 10:30; 15:8–12).
Additionally, Israel showed its failure to trust God through its idol worship and reliance on foreign powers for its security (Hos. 8:5, 8–9). Therefore, the Lord chose to give Israel what it wanted. The people had sown the wind, a metaphor for Assyria’s military might, so God would allow them to reap the whirlwind (v. 7a). The power they trusted for salvation, Assyria, would be the very means of the kingdom’s destruction.
Many of us don't trust anyone. When your trust has been violated as a young child or even on into adulthood it becomes difficult to trust a God you can't see. This makes us need great faith and since faith only comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, we need to be in the word a lot! and the Word of God needs to be in us.
Some people can not even remember their childhood. That was me. I had like two or three memories but big blank spaces. I spent most of my adult performing for others to keep peace at all cost. There is a good book called, "A Child Called It," by David Pelzer that I just finished that made sense to me. We survivors can become thrivers! Victims can become victors.
Let me share a teaching with you today that I believe is very pertinent for the day we are living.
Reaping the Whirlwind“They sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” ( Hosea 8:7a).
Much of the old covenant prophet’s task consisted in reminding God’s people of the curses the Lord promised for flagrant, impenitent covenant violation (Lev. 26:14–39; Deut. 28:15–68). The goal was the people’s repentance, but even the prophets reached points when they knew Israel as a whole was so far gone that the majority would not see its evil. Hosea 8 records a speech that Hosea gave when he reached such a point.
Hosea announces that “One like a vulture” is “over the house of the LORD” (v. 1, ESV). Other English translations such as the NIV, NASB, and NKJV identify the bird as an eagle. In reality, this verse is exceptionally difficult to translate from the Hebrew, so let us consider what each animal signifies. A vulture appears on the scene when an animal dies. Eagles are known for their swift flight. No matter the translation we choose, the basic point is the same. Israel’s death in exile was certain and swiftly approaching.
By the time the Israelites saw the enemy at their borders, it was too late. Fervently they cried to God, claiming to know Him. These were faithless cries, for the people had shown their lack of a proper relationship with the Lord by transgressing the covenant and spurning the good (vv. 1–2). A mere profession of faith saves nobody—one must possess faith to be in a right relationship with God (Mark 7:1–13). All the enthusiastic worship in the world could not save Israel because the people had no faith in the Lord.
Hosea then lists Israel’s sins, beginning with the fact that “they made kings, but not through me” (Hos. 4:4a). The northern kingdom was conceived in sin, but God had still promised Jeroboam I, Israel’s first king, and the ten tribes of Israel who served him, a lasting kingdom if the king would serve the Lord faithfully (1 Kings 11). Among other things, this meant God was to be consulted when appointing kings in the north. But the last king in the north who had any kind of divine confirmation was Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II and the fourth generation promised to King Jehu (2 Kings 10:30; 15:8–12).
Additionally, Israel showed its failure to trust God through its idol worship and reliance on foreign powers for its security (Hos. 8:5, 8–9). Therefore, the Lord chose to give Israel what it wanted. The people had sown the wind, a metaphor for Assyria’s military might, so God would allow them to reap the whirlwind (v. 7a). The power they trusted for salvation, Assyria, would be the very means of the kingdom’s destruction.
Many of us don't trust anyone. When your trust has been violated as a young child or even on into adulthood it becomes difficult to trust a God you can't see. This makes us need great faith and since faith only comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, we need to be in the word a lot! and the Word of God needs to be in us.
Some people can not even remember their childhood. That was me. I had like two or three memories but big blank spaces. I spent most of my adult performing for others to keep peace at all cost. There is a good book called, "A Child Called It," by David Pelzer that I just finished that made sense to me. We survivors can become thrivers! Victims can become victors.
ACTION STEP: Let God have His way in the Whirlwind. It is the time for God to blow away all that is not of Him and expose everything that needs exposed. Trust God.
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