8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9
Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
10
But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
Hosea Chapter 9 paints a sobering picture of a nation once fruitful now facing emptiness because they turned from God. You might say Israel celebrated their harvests but forgot the Lord who gave them. Yet through Hosea, God warned of the consequences...