More Hosea…
We are still in Chapter 1, venturing into verses 8 & 9.
“After Gomer had weaned Not Loved, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son.
And the LORD said,
‘Name him Lo-Ammi – ‘Not My People’ – for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.”
This one makes me shiver. To hear Covenant Yahweh declare to His chosen people they are no longer His people is devastating. This generation would be sent into captivity and chastised because of their disobedience. Only then could a repentant people once again enjoy the benefits of covenant relation with God.
Do you ever think about things like this being unfair? Like, say, they didn’t know any better? Or, they are only human and of course they make mistakes?
One of my favorite things about God is He is Perfectly Just. Even when it isn’t obvious to us in a certain passage in the Holy Scriptures or a specific situation in life, He knows absolutely everything involved: everyone’s motives, heart conditions, actions. He is, as Psalm 116:5 says, gracious and righteous.
Honestly, we wouldn’t want to serve any other kind of God. One we could walk all over? Nah. One Whose Throne we couldn’t approach boldly to find mercy in our time of need? No thanks. I don’t have a good enough track record for that kind of god.
But One who is perfectly gracious and perfectly righteous?
I want to, as we sang on Sunday, fall at His feet.
But if you want a little Scriptural incentive, as a Good Parent He had already outlined consequences to His Children:
“But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands…and so violate my covenant, then I will do this to you:
…I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you…
If in spite of these things you do not accept my correction…I will bring the sword upon you to avenge the breaking of the covenant…
If you still do not listen to me…I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars…
I will scatter you among the nations..”
(Leviticus 26:14a, 17, 23, 27, 30, 33 a)
And so it happened. 2 Kings 17:7-23 records it. Here are some snippets:
“All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God…
The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns…
They did wicked things that provoked the LORD to anger…
They followed worthless idols…They imitated the nations around them…
They forsook all the commands of the LORD…
Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel…the LORD removed them from His presence, as he had warned them…
So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria…”
So heavy.
If you read ahead in Leviticus 26, the next section starts with “But…”
If we continued in Hosea, the next verse starts with, “Yet…”
Oh, thank You Jesus, that because of You we have a Yet. This is not the end of the Story!
But that’s for next time. For today, can we stay in the devastation?
Sometimes I think in our self-focused culture we can easily forget He is holy. Our pastor said on Sunday we can sometimes start to think of ourselves as His peer.
He is God. We are humans.
He is the Potter. We are the clay.
He is the Shepherd. We are the sheep.
Praise Him, yes, He is the Father and we are His children.
He is the Groom and we are His beloved Bride.
Intimacy grows in our covenant relationship with Him. But He is and always will be so very holy.
I truly want deep conviction, godly sorrow for the things in my life that break His heart.
How often do you think of Him as holy?
What are some ways He has shown Himself as Completely Other? Perfectly Pure? Absolutely Righteous?
Do some of those things make you even more grateful that He’s Incarnational? Was tempted in every way just as we are? Is remarkably gracious?
He is so Wonderful.