20151230 Wednesday, December 30 2015
Hosea 07: The Light That Shines Through All Darkness

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you"

Those who do evil tend to be lovers of darkness - which, as we will read, can exist as much in bright daylight as in the dead of night. Those who live in spiritual darkness are at home in physical darkness.

"24:13 "There are those who rebel against the light, who are not acquainted with its ways, and do not stay in its paths. 24:14 The murderer rises before it is light, that he may kill the poor and needy, and in the night he is like a thief. 24:15 The eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, saying, 'No eye will see me'; and he veils his face. 24:16 In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves up; they do not know the light. 24:17 For deep darkness is morning to all of them; for they are friends with the terrors of deep darkness." (Job 24:13-17 KJV)

"4:19 The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble." (Proverbs 4:19 KJV)

In contrast, those who live in the Light of the LORD's Truth are never in darkness - it cannot contain them any more (see Strait And Straight and Which Way Is Right And Left?).

"8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12 KJV)

"11:17 And your life will be brighter than the noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. 11:18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security." (Job 11:17-18 KJV)

"139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." (Psalm 139:12 KJV)

"22:29 For you are my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness." (2 Samuel 22:29 KJV)

"9:2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone." (Isaiah 9:2 KJV)

"5:5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness." (1 Thessalonians 5:5 KJV)

Satan was once a righteous angel, a "light bringer" (see What Is Satan's Real Name?), but he became a perverted rebel through his deeds, not his appearance. He still appears bright (see How Does Satan Impersonate Jesus Christ?), even though his deeds are evil - the very definition of iniquity (see Iniquity In History And Prophecy).

"11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 11:14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 11:15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 KJV)

"5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!" (Isaiah 5:20-21 KJV)

1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 1:5-7 KJV)

By virtue of their purpose, the true prophets of the LORD (see The Identity Of The LORD God and The LORD God Our Saviour) were sent as messengers of the Light when their nation had descended into the darkness. The prophets were most-often ignored or hated (see Why Were The Prophets Of Truth Hated?), but their message included how the Light will shine for anyone, at time, who wants to come out of the darkness - and stay that way (see Why Can't Light Be Hidden?).

"7:1 When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is revealed, and the evil deeds of Samaria; for they deal falsely; the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside. 7:2 But they do not consider that I remember all their evil. Now their deeds surround them; they are before my face.

7:3 By their evil they make the king glad, and the princes by their treachery. 7:4 They are all adulterers; they are like a heated oven whose baker ceases to stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. 7:5 On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; he stretched out his hand with mockers. 7:6 For with hearts like an oven they approach their intrigue; all night their anger smolders; in the morning it blazes like a flaming fire. 7:7 All of them are hot as an oven, and they devour their rulers. All their kings have fallen, and none of them calls upon me.

7:8 Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned. 7:9 Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not; gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not. 7:10 The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him, for all this.

7:11 Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense, calling to Egypt, going to Assyria. 7:12 As they go, I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation. 7:13 Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. 7:14 They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me. 7:15 Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against me. 7:16 They return, but not upward; they are like a treacherous bow; their princes shall fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This shall be their derision in the land of Egypt." (Hosea 7:1-16 KJV)

Fact Finder: What is the difference between the way that lawless humans cover their sins and the Way that the LORD truly covers sin?
See How Are Your Sins Covered?