Preparing in Hope MEMORY VERSE: “Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up” (Hosea 6:1).
Suggested Reading:
The Ministry of Healing, pp. 177–182.
“In the gathering, when God has set His hand to gather His people, efforts to spread the truth will have their designed effect. All should be united and zealous in the work.”—Early Writings, p. 74.
1. MISGUIDED ZEAL Sun, Jan 11
a. If our actions betray God, what is the fearful result? Hosea 5:4–7; Isaiah 1:11, 15.“If the truth of God has not transformed our character into the likeness of Christ, all our professed knowledge of Him and the truth is but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. [Isaiah 1:10–20 quoted.]“Let all who claim to keep the commandments of God, look well to this matter, and see if there are not reasons why they do not have more of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. How many have lifted up their souls unto vanity! They think themselves exalted in the favor of God, but they neglect the needy, they turn a deaf ear to the calls of the oppressed, and speak sharp, cutting words to those who need altogether different treatment. Thus they offend God daily by their hardness of heart. . . . Let every member of the church closely examine his heart, and investigate his course of action, to see if these are in harmony with the spirit and work of Jesus; for if not, what can he say when he stands before the Judge of all the earth? . . .“Christ has identified His interest with that of suffering humanity; and while He is neglected in the person of His afflicted ones, all our assemblies, all our appointed meetings, all the machinery that is set in operation to advance the cause of God, will be of little avail. ‘This ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.’ ‘Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.’ ”—The Review and Herald, August 4, 1891.
2. HOPE AMID CRISIS Mon, Jan 12
a. What serious warning did God give to Ephaim and Judah—and what mistake did they make in crisis? Hosea 5:8–14.“The closing years of the ill-fated kingdom of Israel were marked with violence and bloodshed such as had never been witnessed even in the worst periods of strife and unrest under the house of Ahab. For two centuries and more the rulers of the ten tribes had been sowing the wind; now they were reaping the whirlwind. . . . Those who should have stood before the nations of earth as the depositaries of divine grace, ‘dealt treacherously against the Lord’ and with one another. Hosea 5:7. . . .“Some of the leaders in Israel felt keenly their loss of prestige and wished that this might be regained. But instead of turning away from those practices which had brought weakness to the kingdom, they continued in iniquity, flattering themselves that when occasion arose, they would attain to the political power they desired by allying themselves with the heathen.”—Prophets and Kings, pp. 279, 280.b. In this crisis hour, what words of hope and entreaty did God direct the prophet to declare? Hosea 5:15; 6:1, 2. How does this apply to us right now?“The transgressors were given many opportunities to repent. In their hour of deepest apostasy and greatest need, God’s message to them was one of forgiveness and hope.”—Ibid., p. 283.“I appeal to our brethren to wake up. The spiritual faculties will grow weak and die if they are not exercised in winning souls to Christ. What excuse can be offered for the neglect of the great, grand work that Christ gave His life to accomplish?“We cannot afford in the few days we have here on earth to spend our time in trifling and nothingness. We need to humble our souls before God, that every heart may drink in the truth, and let it work in the life a reformation that will convince the world that this is indeed the truth of God. Let the life be hid with Christ in God. Only when we seek the Lord as little children, when we cease picking flaws in our brethren and sisters, and in those who are seeking to carry faithfully the responsibilities of the work, and seek to get our own hearts right with God, can He use us to the glory of His name.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, pp. 105, 106.
3. CHERISHING THE PROMISE Tue, Jan 13
a. What is God’s special promise to His church in the last days and why is it needed? Hosea 6:3.“In the time of the end, when God’s work in the earth is closing, the earnest efforts put forth by consecrated believers under the guidance of the Holy Spirit are to be accompanied by special tokens of divine favor. Under the figure of the early and the latter rain, that falls in Eastern lands at seedtime and harvest, the Hebrew prophets foretold the bestowal of spiritual grace in extraordinary measure upon God’s church. The outpouring of the Spirit in the days of the apostles was the beginning of the early, or former, rain, and glorious was the result. To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.“But near the close of earth’s harvest, a special bestowal of spiritual grace is promised to prepare the church for the coming of the Son of man. This outpouring of the Spirit is likened to the falling of the latter rain; and it is for this added power that Christians are to send their petitions to the Lord of the harvest ‘in the time of the latter rain.’ —The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 54, 55.b. What prevents us from receiving this blessing in fullness? Hosea 6:4–6.“Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.“I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation; therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. . . . [Revelation 22:11 quoted.] I saw that none could share the ‘refreshing’ unless they obtain the victory over every besetment, over pride, selfishness, love of the world, and over every wrong word and action.”—Early Writings, p. 71.
4. CORRUPTED WORSHIP Wed, Jan 14
a. How is the instability of God’s professed people depicted? Hosea 7:2, 7–11, 15.b. What conditions in Hosea’s day parallel spiritual dangers in the church today? Hosea 8:1–3; Jeremiah 23:1.“There are professedly pious men who screen the sinner by their own transgression. They disregard the commandments of God, choosing the traditions of men, making void the law of God, and promoting apostasy. The excuses they make are feeble and weak and will bring destruction to their own souls and the souls of others. . . .“Upon those who have taken upon them the work of shepherds of the flock, will be visited the heaviest judgments, because they have presented to the people fables instead of truth. Children will rise up and curse their parents. Church members, who have seen the light and been convicted, but who have trusted the salvation of their souls to the minister, will learn in the day of God that no other soul can pay the ransom for their transgression. A terrible cry will be raised, ‘I am lost, eternally lost.’ Men will feel as though they could rend in pieces the ministers who have preached falsehoods and condemned the truth. The pure truth for this time requires a reformation in the life, but they separate themselves from the love of the truth, and of them it can be said, ‘O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself.’ The Lord sends a message to the people, ‘Set a trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant and trespassed against my law.’ ”—The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. White Comments], vol. 4, p. 1157.c. How did idolatry and counterfeit worship undermine Israel—and what was the result? Hosea 8:5, 6.“The ten tribes of Israel were now to reap the fruitage of the apostasy that had taken form with the setting up of the strange altars at Bethel and at Dan.”—Prophets and Kings, p. 285.
5. PERILOUS TIMES Thu, Jan 15
a. What lesson is taught by the principle of sowing and reaping? Hosea 8:7; Galatians 6:7, 8.“The unbelieving world . . . have despised and trampled upon the truths of God’s word. They have indulged in extravagant dress, and have spent their lives in hilarity and glee. They have sown to the wind; they must reap the whirlwind. In the time of distress and perplexity of nations there will be many who have not given themselves wholly to the corrupting influences of the world and the service of Satan, who will humble themselves before God and turn to Him with their whole heart and find acceptance and pardon.“Those among Sabbathkeepers who have been unwilling to make any sacrifice, but have yielded to the influence of the world, are to be tested and proved. The perils of the last days are upon us, and a trial is before the young which they have not anticipated. They are to be brought into most distressing perplexity. The genuineness of their faith will be proved. They profess to be looking for the coming of the Son of man, yet some of them have been a miserable example to unbelievers. . . .“A day of heart-rending anguish is before us. I was shown that pointed testimonies should be borne, and that those who will come up to the help of the Lord will receive His blessing.”—Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, pp. 268–270.b. Why is it time for us to pay closer attention to God’s will? Hosea 8:12.“Shall the warnings from God be passed by unheeded? Shall the opportunities for service be unimproved? Shall the world’s scorn, the pride of reason, conformity to human customs and traditions, hold the professed followers of Christ from service to Him? Will they reject God’s word as the Jewish leaders rejected Christ? The result of Israel’s sin is before us. Will the church of today take warning?”—Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 306.
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS Fri, Jan 16
1. Why is it essential to live up to all the light we have in these last days?2. Just as in ancient times, what may be distracting us from our mission?3. What precious end-time promise can change my life—and why?4. When and why does God come as an eagle against the house of the Lord?5. In what areas of life do I need to sever some lingering ties with the world?