Scripture Union Daily Guide 1 July 2025 (Tuesday) Devotional Message
Today’s Daily Guide 1st July 2025 Reading By Scripture Union
TOPIC: Heading for Desolation
OPENING PRAYER: Oh Lord, fill me with the power of the Holy Ghost as I study your word.
SCIPTURE READING – Hosea 5:1-15
1 Hear this, you priests!
Pay attention, house of Israel!
Listen, you of the house of the king!
For the judgment applies to you,
Because you have been a trap at Mizpah,
And a net spread out on Tabor.
2 And the rebels have gone deep in [a]depravity,
But I will discipline all of them.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me;
Because now, Ephraim, you have been unfaithful,
Israel has defiled itself.
4 Their deeds will not allow them
To return to their God.
For a spirit of [b]infidelity is within them,
And they do not know the Lord.
5 Moreover, the pride of Israel testifies against him,
And Israel and Ephraim stumble in their wrongdoing;
Judah also has stumbled with them.
6 They will go with their flocks and herds
To seek the Lord, but they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously with the Lord,
For they have given birth to [c]illegitimate children.
Now the new moon will devour them with their [d]land.
8 Blow the horn in Gibeah,
And the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound an alarm at Beth-aven:
“Behind you, Benjamin!”
9 Ephraim will become a desolation in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is trustworthy.
10 The leaders of Judah have become like those who displace a boundary marker;
On them I will pour out My anger like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, broken by judgment,
Because he was determined to follow [e]man’s command.
12 Therefore I am like a moth to Ephraim,
And like rottenness to the house of Judah.
13 When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah his [f]sore,
Ephraim then went to Assyria
And sent word to [g]King Jareb.
But he is unable to heal you,
Or to cure you of your [h]sore.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, yes I, will tear to pieces and go away,
I will carry away, and there will be no one to rescue.
15 I will go away and return to My place
Until they [i]acknowledge their guilt and seek My face;
In their distress they will search for Me.
Question(s) For Meditation:
► Q 1: What does the passage teach about God the Father, or God the Son or God the Holy Spirit?
► Q5: Is there any warning for me to heed?
► Q7: What truth is God revealing to me in this passage?
Scripture Union Daily Guide 1 July 2025 – OUTLINE
The people do not seem to heed the call to return to God. It is even more difficult when their priests are equally guilty. What are some of the atrocities the people are committing? They are accused of persecution (Hosea 5:1), spiritual prostitution (Hosea 5:3), pride (Hosea 5:5), Apostasy (Hosea 5:7), and tyranny (Hosea 5:10) among others. They move boundary stones (cheat) contrary to God’s instruction (Proverbs 22:28). The deeper they fall, the more difficult it is to return to God (Hosea 5:4).
Ephraim is obsessed with the intent of pursuing idols. Even when he knew he was in trouble, he still would not return to God. Instead, he turned to other kings who could not even save themselves. For trusting in man for protection instead of God, they will receive their judgment unless and until they repent.
Where do we go for help when it seems like things are so difficult and we are weighed down by our sins and challenges of life? The more we run away from our true source of help, the deeper we fall into trouble.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Lord, have mercy on me and help me seek you always no matter the situation.
One Year Bible Reading Guide:
1 Kings 22; Psalms 59-60.
One Year Bible Reading Guide, Hard Copy Version:
Obadiah 1; Psalms 82-83
Scripture Union is an international, interdenominational, evangelical Christian organization. It was founded in 1867, and works in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. The organization’s stated aim is to use the Bible to inspire children, young people and adults to know God. (Scripture Union Daily Guide 1 July 2025)