The prophet Hosea was active during the darkest period of the Northe…

The prophet Hosea was active during the darkest period of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (8th century BC).

...This was a time of great fear of the Assyrian Empire (Syria), and ultimately, Israel was captured and exiled to Assyria.
...It must have been incredibly difficult to be called as a prophet and preach during a time when people were morally and spiritually corrupt, engaging in idolatry, and receiving no blessing from God...🤔.
...The most painful thing for an evangelist is when people ignore the word of God they have preached, or when the tracts they have distributed are trampled upon.
...And it must have been truly painful to have to prophesie that God's judgment would befall one's own people...
..."Let us know!"
When we know the fate of those who do not believe in the Lord...
...we are compelled to share the Gospel!

… "Like a heavy rain…"
Israel only has two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season.
During the dry season, when there is no rain, the land becomes parched, making it impossible to sow seeds.
This dry land is then nourished by the rain.
This rain is necessary for sowing the next crop; without this rain, sowing is impossible.
There is also rain that falls in spring, around March or April.
This is called the "later rain," and because it falls in spring, it is also called the "spring rain."
This rain is absolutely essential for the harvest.
Without this rain, a harvest cannot be expected.
From the perspective of faith…🧐
It is called revival (harvest)❗️.
…May the parched hearts of the Japanese people be nourished by the Gospel.

Shalom 😃

This page archives a Morning Word message shared by Pastor Peter Sunagawa on LINE. The English prose is a translation of the Japanese source message. For Scripture wording, use the BSB link above.