Category: Hosea

Father, Forgive Them for They Know Not What They Do

Nehemiah 8

5 Ezra was up on the high platform, where he could be seen by everyone, and when he opened the book, they all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the great Lord God, and the people shouted, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord.

Hosea 12

6 So return to your God.
Patiently trust him,
    and show love and justice.

Jesus

12. The Agony of Christ’s Passion and Crucifixion

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me; for you are not on the side of God, but of men.”
    Matthew 16.21-23

And he came out, and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”…
    There came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of man with a kiss?” And when those who were about him saw what would follow, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
    Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house…
    Now the men who were holding Jesus mocked him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and asked him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” And they spoke many other words against him, reviling him.
    When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people gathered together, both chief priests and scribes; and they led him away to their council, and they said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.” But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” And they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?” And he said to them, “You say that I am.” And they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips.”
    Then the whole company of them arose, and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding us to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ a king. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”…
    And as they led him away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it behind Jesus. And there followed him a great multitude of the people, and of women who bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning to them said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never gave suck!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us’; and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?” Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.
    And when they came to the place which is called The Skull [Calvary], there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He has saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
    One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
    It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into Thy hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
    Luke 22.39-23.46

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27.46

The Fundamental Core Issue of Society is the Breakdown of Sexual Morality

Ezekiel 16

23 Now I, the Lord God, say you are doomed! Not only did you do these evil things, 24 but you also built places on every street corner 25 where you disgraced yourself by having sex with anyone who walked by. And you did that more and more every day! 26 To make me angry, you even offered yourself to Egyptians, who were always ready to sleep with you.

Richard: The fundamental core issue of society is the breakdown of sexual morality. It’s really simple; don’t have sex before marriage. Keep faithful in marriage. Center your marriage on God. Teach this to the next generation. But, by and large, we are not doing that. Join us as we work to change this and make a movement of good sexual ethics.

Hosea 12

3 Even before Jacob was born,
    he cheated his brother,
and when he grew up,
    he fought against God.

4 At Bethel, Jacob wrestled
    with an angel and won;
then with tears in his eyes,
he asked for a blessing,
    and God spoke to us there.

Richard: This indicates the importance of the human portion of responsibility. Jacob knew the value of his birthright, his brother Essau did not. God sent an angel to test Jacob, and he prevailed. As I mentioned above, it is our responsibility to promote good sexual ethics. If we do not, we will continue to reap the fruits of the breakdown of society.

Jesus

1. Jesus Came to Save Sinful Humankind

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Jesus spent his whole life fulfilling his responsibility and mission. What he completed on earth during his 33 years of life secured an eternal and inviolable accomplishment. His Gospel of faith, and the example of his life, will remain for eternity.
    Jesus took responsibility, not only for his own generation but also for all of history. Jesus single-handedly took responsibility to complete the providential will that God had been striving to fulfill for 4,000 years. (1:37, May 16, 1956)

Jesus came to answer the universal questions, resolve humanity’s sins, and solve the problem of death. Jesus was the only person who could provide solutions to these problems. 
    Moreover, more than anyone else, Jesus lived a truthful life for the sake of God. Disregarding his personal life, he sought to elucidate the fundamental questions of the universe. Disregarding his own glory, he labored and sacrificed endlessly to fulfill the will of God. By virtue of his consistent heart and life, he was elevated before Heaven as the foremost torchbearer, representing all of history. That is why he could confidently cry out, “Believe in me.” (3:14, September 8, 1957)

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” What a bold statement! Was his way a treacherous mountain trail? No, it was a firm and solid road. Was his truth dim and obscure? No, he clearly knew everything that he spoke. He intended that his truth should be welcomed by all peoples, and it should become the measure of all truth. Was his life one of dying or thriving? He lowered himself to serve others, yet as he said, those who humble themselves will be lifted up. (106:13, November 4, 1979)

People in a state of imperfection cannot establish the ideal world. People ignorant of the truth cannot lay its foundations. Therefore, God promised to send to Israel the Messiah—the one perfected person with complete knowledge. Jesus would be the beginning of the God-centered sovereignty and nation; this would be possible once the Israelites united absolutely with him.
    That is, by attending38 the Messiah, immature people were to proceed on the path to individual perfection and establish families, communities and a nation united with Jesus. They had to obey Jesus’ will in its entirety. However, the Israelites who met the Messiah did not understand that God had sent him. Neither did they know that God’s work for Jesus was to save not only his own people but also the world. (54:41, March 10, 1972)

When We Get Sick It Means that Something is Lacking

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1 Chronicles 13

13 David consulted with the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, with every leader. 2 And David said to all the assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you, and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send abroad to our brethren who remain in all the land of Israel, and with them to the priests and Levites in the cities that have pasture lands, that they may come together to us. 3 Then let us bring again the ark of our God to us; for we neglected it in the days of Saul.” 4 All the assembly agreed to do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

Richard: It is interesting that at this stage of history, the ark of the covenant, also called the sacred chest, where the tablets of stone given to Moses with the ten commandments are stored, was at the home of Abin’adab. The ark had been neglected, and King David was trying to restore the reverence for the Word of God.
Similarly, today we see that the Eight Sacred Texts or Cheon Bok Ark, that Rev. Sun Myung Moon bequeathed to all of God’s people is now resting in the homes of Tribal Messiahs, those who have inherited the mission of being true parents and building God’s Kingdom on earth.

Hosea 9

14 Give them, O Lord—
    what wilt thou give?
Give them a miscarrying womb
    and dry breasts.

Richard: Here, God’s people had been worshiping Baal, a fertility god. Ironically, as a result, all fertility will be taken away.
Today we see a decline in fertility in the western world. Some don’t want to have children, but others struggle to become pregnant, partially as a result of the heavy use of birth control, which can retard fertility when stopped. Another reason for infertility is contracting a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia which can cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. 10,000 sexually active teens contract a sexually transmitted disease every day in the United States.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 4

Health and Disease

  1. The Healing Power of the Body

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

Truly, the human body is a treasure house of truth, a microcosm of the vast universe, and a palace of mysteries. (203:327, June 28, 1990)

The human body is like a comprehensive kingdom of heaven, where all the parts interact with one another in harmonious subject-object relationships. Therefore the universe protects the body, and you do not get sick. People do not realize that air pressure of one kilogram per square centimeter is squeezing every cell. Yet everything is in balance.
When we get sick, it means that something is lacking in a particular part of the body. Some subject and object partners have lost their ideal relationship, and the universe tries to pull these failed ones down. An expelling force pushes them out; this is expressed as sickness. (204:112, July 1, 1990)

Why do you get sick?… In order for the body to sustain its life, all its parts engage in good interactions, with each part performing its function well. Then the body functions smoothly, and its life continues. However, what happens if there is a blockage somewhere?
This universe protects anything whose elements engage in give and take in accord with God’s ideal pattern. However, should an opposing element appear, something becomes lacking, or there is a blockage someplace, those elements no longer move within the realm that the universe is protecting. Hence, there is a reaction to expel the offending elements. This reaction is not a bad thing; it happens for the universe to protect itself. People mainly view sickness as something bad, but it is a natural function to protect the greater organism. So we should change the way we view sickness.
Therefore, if you have a stomach-ache, this means that there is a blockage in a circuit of give-and-take action between some subject and object partner. Your body tries to expel it to the same degree as it is blocked. An expelling force is acting on that place, and so it hurts. Once you release the blockage, you will recover. (165:176, May 20, 1987)

When you get sick, why do you feel pain? It is because the balance in your body has broken down. Once the balance is out of kilter, a universal force acts to expel. Even if you did not feel pain, since you have a conflict within your system, the universal force would still act to repel, and you could die. The pain warns you of your condition.

Likewise, the reason you feel a pang of conscience is because of the action of this same universal force. Therefore, you should not do or even think of anything that can cause such a result. (400:113, December 28, 2002)

Misuse of Love Is the Sin God Abhors the Most

Join us for the Urban Life Training Chapter Workshop, online or in-person on July 3rd 2020. Learn materials that teach about the physical, intellectual, emotional and long term benefits of sexual abstinence before marriage. Learn about setting up a Chapter of Urban Life Training to teach this material to middle and high school youth: https://www.urbanlifetraining.org/index.php/109-training/351-urban-life-training-chapter-workshop .

Matthew 6

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Psalm 24

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.

Hosea 7

2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.

World Scripture and the Teachings of
Sun Myung Moon

Chapter 2

Cause and Effect

Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon

In order for life to be sustained centering on this body, all the different parts must engage in give and take action as subject and object partners. If everything engaged in this action does what it is sup-posed to do, then the physical body will function smoothly, and existence will continue. But what happens when this is blocked somewhere?
This universe protects anything that engages in give and take in accord with God’s ideal. If an opposing element appears, something becomes lacking, or there is a blockage, there will be a failure within that realm of interaction. Hence, in order to protect the universe, there will be a reaction to expel it. This reaction is not a bad thing. It may be seen as something bad, but it truly functions to protect the larger realm.

For example, if your stomach hurts, it means there is a blockage in a circuit of give and take action between some subject and object partner. The blockage causes it to be pushed away to the same extent as it is blocked. A cosmic force to push it out acts on the stomach, and it hurts. All you need to do is open the place that is blocked, and you will feel fine.
Likewise, the world of our conscience and the entire human world are in pain. Why? There are elements that do not meet the standards of the cosmic force, and the universe is trying to push them out. Hence, we feel pain in our conscience. While the conscience was going in the proper direction, something stood opposing it and blocked the conscience’s function. We experience a reaction, resulting in pain. If the problem is not solved, that reaction will send the person into hell. (165:176-77, May 20, 1987)

The law of cause and effect cannot be avoided in history. America is an extension of Great Britain… thus America is in a position to indemnify what Britain did wrong in history. What did Britain do when she colonized Asia, especially China? She killed countless Asians through pushing the opium trade. Britain adopted that policy to dominate the Chinese and profit off of them, while totally unconcerned that whole populations became helpless addicts. Someone today has to indemnify that sin. Americans, especially American youth, should indemnify that historical debt; otherwise young people here will be plagued by drugs as a result. (105:134, October 4, 1979)

God abhors sin, and misuse of love is the sin God abhors the most. God regards sinners who com-mit such transgressions and do not repent as His enemies, and He visits them with destruction. It is the Principle that whoever indulges in illicit love will perish. In Italy, the lustful and immoral city of Pompeii was destroyed by instant calamity. Sodom and Gomorrah perished under the same law. The Roman Empire once prevailed in the world with unparalleled power, but it collapsed for the same reason. From the vantage point of history, America today is on the same path. Unless it repents for its violations of the law of God’s love, it too will perish. (104:141, April 29, 1979)

I was involved in the underground resistance movement against Japanese imperial rule, and from that perspective the Japanese were my enemies. They were the enemies of the Korean people in gen-eral and my enemies in particular. Yet, after Japan was defeated at the end of World War II, I loved the Japanese. Some time earlier, certain Japanese policemen had arrested me for my activities in the resistance and tortured me severely. When the war ended I could have reported them, and they all would have been executed. Yet, when I came across those same policemen running for their lives, I helped them escape to safety.
Do you know why so many young people in Japan place their eternal lives in my hands and pledge their loyalty to me? It is because there is a principle of cause and effect, which dictates that they must return what was given. (True Family and World Peace, February 10, 2000)

If the Jewish People Had Believed in Jesus, the Foundation for the Messiah Would have Been Laid

2 Thessolonians 1

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church in Thessalonica, the people of God our Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 I pray that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

3 My dear friends, we always have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love for each other keep growing all the time. 4 That’s why we brag about you to all of God’s churches. We tell them how patient you are and how you keep on having faith, even though you are going through a lot of trouble and suffering.

Hosea 2

I, the Lord, will build
a fence of thorns
    to block her path.
7 She will run after her lovers,
    but not catch them;
she will search,
    but not find them.
Then she will say, “I’ll return
to my first husband.
    Life was better then.”
8 She didn’t know that her grain,
wine, and olive oil
    were gifts from me,
as were the gold and silver
    she used in worshiping Baal.

Exposition of the Divine Principle
3 Color Edition-The Red part

3.2 THE SECOND WORLDWIDE COURSE TO RESTORE CANAAN

3.2.1 THE FOUNDATION OF FAITH

3.2.1.1 JESUS TAKES ON THE MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

 The foundation of faith which John had laid for the first worldwide course to restore Canaan was invaded by Satan. Jesus himself now had to take on John’s mission and restore through indemnity the foundation of faith in order to set out on the second worldwide course to restore Canaan. When Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness, it was to separate Satan for the very purpose of restoring the foundation of faith; however, for this he lowered himself to assume the position of John the Baptist.

 Jesus enjoined Peter not to reveal to the Jewish people that he was the Messiah192 because, although he was the Messiah, he had assumed John’s role for the purpose of beginning this phase of the providence.

3.2.1.3 THE RESULT OF THE FORTY-DAY FAST AND THE THREE TEMPTATIONS

 First, in the position of John the Baptist, Jesus restored through indemnity the foundation of faith for the second worldwide course to restore Canaan. In so doing, Jesus restored all that had been offered to God over the course of the providence for the purpose of laying the foundation of faith. Furthermore, Jesus restored through indemnity, all at once, all the dispensations of forty for the separation of Satan conducted during the four thousand years since Adam, lost despite the best efforts of central figures to lay the foundation of faith.

 Second, by rising from John the Baptist’s position to the position of the Messiah, Jesus paved the way for the fulfillment of God’s three great blessings and the restoration of the four position foundation.

3.2.2 THE FOUNDATION OF SUBSTANCE

 Jesus came as the True Parent of humanity, yet he restored through indemnity the dispensation of forty for the separation of Satan while standing in the position of John the Baptist. Therefore, after he restored the foundation of faith (and rose to the position of Messiah and True Parent) he stood in the position of a parent. At the same time, when he secured the position of Abel for fulfilling the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature, he stood in the position of a child (still in the role of John the Baptist with respect to that condition).

 Jesus was the fulfillment of the three manifestations of grace and the Ten Commandments. Therefore, God conducted the dispensation to start the second worldwide course to restore Canaan based on Jesus’ own words and miraculous deeds. If the Jewish people (Cain) had been moved to believe in and follow Jesus, who was in the position of John the Baptist (Abel), they would have fulfilled the indemnity condition to remove the fallen nature and restored the foundation of substance. The foundation for the Messiah would thus have been laid. Standing upon this foundation, Jesus would have risen from the position of John the Baptist to the position of the Messiah. Then, by engrafting all people with himself, humankind would have been reborn, cleansed of the original sin, and would have become one with God in heart. They would have restored their original, God-given nature and built the Kingdom of Heaven on earth in Jesus’ day.

3.2.3 THE FAILURE OF THE SECOND WORLDWIDE COURSE TO RESTORE CANAAN

 Satan confronted Jesus through Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed him. Due to the faithlessness of such people, Jesus could lay neither the foundation of substance nor the foundation for the Messiah for the second worldwide course to restore Canaan. The second worldwide course thus ended in tragic failure.

View slides 13 to 24 below for an illustrated presentation of the above content:

2007p2-CHAPT-2-S3-Jesus_revised-4-28-2014