Bible Study

Wednesday - 10:00 a.m.

Check here for Part 2 of the Sunday studies.

The Legacy Standard Bible

Beginning on Sunday, December 8, 2024, our Pastor began using the LSB version of the Bible in all of his teaching and preaching. This is the newly updated version of the NASB, which he has been using for a number of years. Here is some information on the LSB for those who would like to learn more. It also explains why Pastor Alan is now using this version of the English Bible.

The Legacy Standard Bible has been produced with the conviction that the words of Scripture as originally penned in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek are the eternal Word of God. The Holy Scriptures speak with authority to each generation, giving wisdom that leads to salvation, that people may serve Christ to the glory of God. Because it is God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), every word of it is inspired, every word is true, and every word must be conveyed to every nation, tribe, people, and tongue (Rev. 7:9), so that every word can be taught and obeyed (Josh. 23:14; Mt. 28:20; Jn. 17:17).

THE FOURFOLD AIM OF THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION

1. These publications shall be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

2. They shall be grammatically correct.

3. They shall be understandable.

4. They shall give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place, the place which the Word gives Him; therefore, no work will ever be personalized.

PREFACE TO THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE
In the history of the English Bible translations, the King James Version is the most well-known. This time-honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishops’ Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English Revised Version, which appeared in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). Its American counterpart, a product of both British and American scholarship, was published in 1901. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, The Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to preserve the ASV while incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and rendering it into more current English. This resulted in the New American Standard Bible, a translation based upon the time-honored principles of translation of the ASV and KJV, along with other linguistic tools and biblical scholarship.

The Legacy Standard Bible reflects another iteration of such preservation and refinement. Worked on by a core translation team in conjunction with pastors and educators from different countries, it is designed to honor, maintain, and advance the tradition represented by the NASB.

PRINCIPLES OF TRANSLATION
Key Principles: The Legacy Standard Bible has worked to uphold the style and translational choices of the NASB as much as possible. Even more, it has endeavored to follow through on the NASB’s stated intent to be true to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. While the interpreter, teacher, and pastor have the goal of understanding what the text means, the translator is to provide them with what the text says. Consistently, the goal of this translation is to be a window into the original text. Within that goal, this revision has focused upon accuracy and consistency. It has checked that words and grammar have been carried over properly. It also established rules for the consistent translation of terms within their various nuances. This allows the reader to more easily reconstruct what the original texts said. It also helps the reader more easily trace the flow of argument within a text, identify when the same word is used in another passage, and make connections between texts.

There are limits to the application of this philosophy. In this edition, a word might not be translated consistently in order to maintain a highly familiar rendering of a text or to preserve a wordplay in the text that advances the inspired author’s message. Moreover, because Scripture is a literary masterpiece, some linguistic features could not be transferred to this translation, not even by a note. Nevertheless, ensuring that the original languages are precisely rendered paves the way for careful readers to discover these insights for themselves.

In this way, the LSB upholds the philosophy that a translation does not replace pastors or teachers but rather depends upon faithful believers and the church to study and live out what has been written (Acts 8:30-31). Translation is a tool for the church and must be done in that context so that each word of Scripture may be taught and lived.

Modern English Usage: The attempt has been made to render the grammar and terminology in contemporary English. When word-for-word literalness was determined unacceptable to the modern reader; a change was made in the direction of a more current English idiom. In the instances where this has been done, the more literal rendering has been indicated in the notes. There are a few exceptions to this procedure. Of note, while an effort has been made to incorporate conjunctions as much as possible, the conjunction “and” is occasionally not translated at the beginning of sentences because of differences in style between ancient and modern writing. Punctuation is a relatively modern invention, and ancient writers often linked most of their sentences with “and” or other connectives.

Alternate Readings: In addition to the more literal renderings, notations have been made to include readings of variant manuscripts, explanatory equivalents of the text, and alternate translations that may bring out a play on words difficult to maintain in the text. These notations have been used specifically to assist the reader in comprehending the terms used by the original author.

THE COMMITMENTS OF THE LEGACY STANDARD BIBLE

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy preserved – to uphold the work and tradition that is found in translations from the KJV, ASV, to NASB.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy performed – to advance the commitments of past translations by bringing forth features of the original text relative to accuracy and consistency.

The Legacy Standard Bible aspires to be a legacy passed on – to equip generations to study Scripture and continue the philosophy of being a window.
~ The Lockman Foundation

For additional information we recommend you contact The Lockman Foundation -- https://www.lockman.org/legacy-standard-bible-l

HOSEA (767-753 BC)

Acrostic:


Gomer’s marriage and children (ch. 1)

Offenses of Gomer condemned (ch. 2)

Message of second marriage (ch. 3)

Error of Israel’s ways (ch. 4)

Rebuke of Israel’s leaders (ch. 5)


Testimony of God’s love (ch. 6)

Hopelessness of Israel’s desertion (ch. 7)

Exile unavoidable for Israel (ch. 8)


Harlotry will be punished (ch. 9)

Assyria will enslave Israel (ch. 10)

Rebellion against God’s love (ch. 11)

Legal case against Israel (ch. 12)

Overthrow of Ephraim certain (ch. 13)

Transformation if Israel repents (ch. 14)


[READ Hosea 1:1]


1 The word of Yahweh which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.


Here the prophet identified the kings that ruled during his prophetic ministry. The first four -- Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah -- reigned over the southern kingdom of Judah from 790 BC to 686 BC, while Jeroboam II ruled the northern kingdom of Israel from 782 BC to 753 BC. This indicates that Hosea lived in the middle to late eighth century BC (755-715 BC), making him a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah and Micah.


Additional clues within the book help clarify its date. For instance, the prophet refers to historical circumstances that place his ministry during the reign of Jeroboam II. At that time, Israel suffered from political instability, unwise alliances, and widespread moral and spiritual decay. Hosea, who often refers to Israel as “Ephraim,” criticizes the nation’s shifting alliances with Egypt and Assyria.


[READ Hos. 7:11] He writes,


11 So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without a heart of wisdom;
They call to Egypt; they go to Assyria.


References like this show that Hosea ministered before the northern kingdom fell to Assyria in 722 BC.

Geographic references in Hosea offer further evidence of the book’s date. His descriptions of the northern territory suggest a firsthand account. For example:


[READ Hos. 4:15]


15 Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Do not let Judah become guilty;
Also do not go to Gilgal
Nor go up to Beth-aven
And swear the oath:
“As Yahweh lives!”


Beth Aven means “house of wickedness” and is a derogatory term for Bethel, which meant “house of God.” The places Hosea mentions, along with cities like Samaria and Gilead, were active in the northern kingdom. Such references indicate Hosea was describing a functioning nation rather than one already conquered. These details indicate that the book was written before the Assyrian deportations.


Hosea directed the early portion of his prophetic warnings to Jeroboam II, a descendant of the house of Jehu whose son, Zechariah, would soon come to ruin.


[READ Hos. 1:4]


4 And Yahweh said to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.


Because this prophecy against the descendants of Jeroboam involved the birth of Hosea’s children, we can conclude that he lived in the northern kingdom, where the names of his children would have had the greatest impact.


  1. WHO WROTE THE BOOK?

Hosea revealed very little about his background, though his book of prophecy offers a few glimpses into his life. Following the command of God, Hosea married Gomer, a bride God described as “a wife of harlotry” (Hos. 1:2) and a woman who bore Hosea three children, two sons and a daughter (1:4, 6, 9). God used the names of Hosea’s children, along with his wife’s unfaithfulness, to send specific messages to the people of Israel.

During the long reign of King Jeroboam II, Israel’s victory in several military campaigns led the nation into a period of unprecedented prosperity and independence. But as Israel’s fortune soared, the moral fabric of its society collapsed. Corruption and spiritual depravity ran rampant. Israel began to worship pagan deities and attribute the works of God to Baal (Hos. 4:1-13). The people broke their covenant with God and no longer obeyed His laws.

[READ Hos. 6:7]

7  But like Adam they have trespassed against the covenant;
There they have dealt treacherously against Me.

[READ Hos. 8:1]

8  Put the trumpet to your mouth!
Like an eagle the enemy comes against the house of Yahweh
Because they have trespassed against My covenant
And transgressed against My law.

They stopped trusting in God and sought foreign alliances.

[READ Hos. 5:13]

13 Then Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his sore,
So Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb.
But he is unable to heal you
Or to cure you of your sore.

In the eyes of the Lord, Israel’s idol worship and unfaithfulness were equivalent to spiritual adultery. Throughout Hosea’s ministry, the prophet expounded on the adultery metaphor, calling Israel to account for its idolatry and apostasy, laying out God’s charges against the people, and foretelling judgment.

Hosea’s wife, Gomer, practiced unfaithfulness as a lifestyle. When she conceived and bore children, God told Hosea to give them prophetic names symbolizing the Lord’s judgment on Israel: Jezreel foretold a great massacre that would happen in that valley; Lo-Ammi means “not my people,” signaling God’s rejection of Israel; and Lo-Ruhamah means “not favored,” a reversal of God’s earlier description of Israel. Hosea’s message was clear -- sin brings judgment. Hosea warned of painful consequences, invasion, and slavery.

Not satisfied with her relationship with Hosea, Gomer sought other lovers, just as Israel had pursued other gods.

[READ Hos. 2:2-5]

2 “Contend with your mother, contend,
For she is not my wife, and I am not her husband;
And let her remove her harlotry from her face
And her adultery from between her breasts,

3 Lest I strip her naked
And set her forth as on the day when she was born
And make her like a wilderness
And make her like dry land
And put her to death with thirst. 4 Also, I will have no compassion on her children
Because they are children of harlotry.

5 For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’

Just as God promised to call Israel back, he told Hosea to redeem Gomer from slavery and welcome her home.

[READ Hos. 3:1-5]

1 Then Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her companion and is an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” 2 So I bargained for her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley. 3 Then I said to her, “You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you.” 4 For the sons of Israel will remain for many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king; and they will come in dread to Yahweh and to His goodness in the last days.

While God’s punishment was severe, His grace was far more extraordinary. Even while the people worshiped idols and descended into depravity, God never stopped loving them.

Hosea’s bold-faced depiction of Israel as an adulterous wife reveals both the extent of God’s anguish over the betrayal and His love for His people. More than anything, God longs for intimate fellowship with us, even when we repeatedly reject Him. The metaphor also reveals God’s enduring faithfulness toward us. Ultimately, His goal is for us to return to a fulfilling life marked by dedication and devotion.

Yahweh’s love is eternal. His enduring faithfulness is not like human love that can make a solemn vow and then break it. The definitive message of Hosea is the promise of God’s enduring love. Even when we are unfaithful, God continues to love and cherish us and provide a way for our restoration.

[READ 2 Tim. 2:13]

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

It’s no surprise, then, that Hosea means “Yahweh has rescued” or “salvation.” In Hebrew, it is the same name as Joshua. Both Hosea and Joshua are related to the name Yeshua (meaning “to save”), which in English is Jesus.

II. WHY IS HOSEA SO IMPORTANT?

More than any other prophet, Hosea’s message was linked closely with his personal life. By marrying a woman, he knew would eventually betray his trust and by giving his children names that sent messages of judgment on Israel, Hosea’s prophetic word flowed out of the life of his family. The cycle of repentance, redemption, and restoration evident in Hosea’s prophecy and even his marriage (Hos. 1:2, 3:1-3), remains intimately connected to our lives. This sequence plays itself out in the lives of real people, reminding us that the Scriptures are far from a mere collection of abstract statements with no relation to real life. No, they work their way into our day-to-day existence, commenting on issues that impact all our actions and relationships.

III. WHAT’S THE BIG PICTURE?

Structured around five cycles of judgment and restoration, the book of Hosea makes clear its repetitious theme: though God will bring judgment on sin, He will always bring His people back to Himself. God’s love for Israel, a nation of people more interested in themselves than in God’s direction for their lives, shines through clearly against the darkness of their idolatry and injustice.

[READ Hos. 14:4]

4 I will heal their turning away from Me;
I will love them freely,
For My anger has turned away from them.

Throughout the book, Hosea pictured the people turning away from the Lord and turning toward other gods.

[READ Hos. 4:12-13]

12 My people ask their wooden idol, and their diviner’s wand declares to them;
For a spirit of harlotry has led them astray,
And they have played the harlot, departing from their God.

13 They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountains
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oak, poplar, and terebinth
Because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the harlot,
And your brides commit adultery.

[READ Hos. 8:5-6]

5 He has rejected your calf, O Samaria, saying,
“My anger burns against them!”
How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6 For from Israel is even this!
A craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be smashed to splinters.

This propensity for idolatry meant that the Israelites lived as if they were not God’s people. And though God told them as much through the birth of Hosea’s third child, Lo-ammi, He also reminded them that He would ultimately restore their relationship with Him, using the intimate and personal language of “sons” to describe His wayward people.

[READ Hos. 1:9-10]

9  And Yahweh said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.”

10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel
Will be like the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered;
And it will be that in the place
Where it is said to them,
“You are not My people,”
It will be said to them,
“You are the sons of the living God.”

[READ Hos. 11:1] 

1 When Israel was a youth I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called My son.

IV. HOW DO I APPLY THIS?

Knowing the saving power of God, offered to us through His Son, Jesus, as His redeemed child have you offered redemption or forgiveness to those in your life who were once under your judgment? Not only does the book of Hosea provide an example of God’s love to people who have left God behind, but it also shows us what forgiveness and restoration look like in a close relationship. The book of Hosea illustrates that no one is beyond the offer of our forgiveness because no one sits outside of God’s offer of forgiveness. Certainly, God brings judgment on those who turn from Him, but Hosea’s powerful act of restoration within his own marriage set the bar high for those of us seeking godliness in our lives.



Trivia Question: Hosea is quoted in the NT. Who quoted him and where? Answer: Jesus, Mt. 9:13 (Hosea 12:7)