Hosea 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:
The book of Hosea was written between 755-710 BC, and David ruled between 1010-950 BC. The next verse says they are seeking King David; they are seeking a dead king!
This prophecy of Hosea speaks of people without a leader, a headless people, and people without purpose, having no spiritual authority, whose sins drown them. The prophecy of Hosea was not for that era, but it seems even more apt for the era we are in now.
Most of the evangelism we have seen until 2017 (after which evangelism has taken the back seat) and even the little that happens now is focused on adding people to Churches and not to the Kingdom of God. Preachers are selling healings and miracles to get people into Churches to worship Baal (an unknown god) and not the Divine God. There are a minuscule number who are making disciples for Christ and not of themselves/man.
The brighter side is that this phase will soon end, and a phase will come where people will know God and be well rooted in the Word. The word ‘David’ means ‘beloved’, so the prophecy speaks of them seeking their Beloved King, which is Christ. We are moving into a phase where people will want God more than healings, miracles and blessings. They will seek Him more than things from Him.
[Prayer Starter]
Lord, You are Almighty God. You, Lord, are Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent. Your Word is a lamp to our feet and light to our path. It instructs us about our lives and also about the times. Lord, we pray we seek to know Your Word and know You. We pray we do not grope in darkness but be children of light, knowing and acting in time…
We make this prayer in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
[Reference Scriptures]
Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
Deuteronomy 8:5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, [so] the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.
Psalms 94:12-13
12 Blessed [is] the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.