Hosea’s Warning, Hosea’s Hope
Many books in the Bible are tough reading. Like you, I struggle to read certain books of the Old Testament. There are 17 books in the Old Testament scriptures that fall under the category of the prophetic books or books of prophecy. Five are called the major prophets and 12 are called the minor prophets. The book of Isaiah is my favorite of the books of prophecy. The books of prophecy are especially hard because they are filled with so many descriptions of God's people failing and being warned of their coming exile and captivity. But if you endure the reading, you will find nuggets that reveal the heart and purposes of God.
In today's reading, there are two pictures that grabbed my attention this morning. The first is a vine. Hosea says that Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its fruit. Implied in the text is that God is the source of the vine’s success. We have the advantage of knowing the whole story and have the teaching of Jesus on this very topic when he tells us that He is the vine.
The problem Hosea is describing is that God's children began to see themselves as the success factor. Their work, their crops, their wealth. This faulty thinking led them to faulty worship. When you worship at the wrong altar, there are consequences. How easy it is when we experience a little or a lot of success to begin to think that it is because of our doing and our work, and soon we forget that God is the vine and the source of our prosperity.
The second picture is of God as a parent. Hosea talks of Israel as a child that God called his son. Hosea says, "Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, I bent down to them and fed them." What a tender picture of God's love. He bends down to fed us!
Israel's problem is our problem. Even with all of God's tender love and lavish provision, we forget, we take credit, we walk away, we do our thing, we rebel, we fail to be grateful.
Hosea calls God's children then and through the Holy Spirit even now, " So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."
Father, forgive us of our self-centered ways. Thank you for the reminder that you are the vine and only in and through you can we produce fruit that will last. Thank you for the reminder that you are our heavenly parent who loves us perfectly and reaches down to us daily to heal us and provide for our needs. We run to you today with thanksgiving in our hearts. Amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Hosea 10:1-2, 12-13, 11:1-4, 12:6, 14:9 ESV
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