Studies in Hosea
13 - There Is a Future
What a glorious God shines through this seldom read minor prophetic book. Here’s the wonder of the infinite God, torn with an agony of longing for a people who have forsaken Him and who have no awareness of His pain caused by their desertion. Yahweh is torn apart by years of unrequited love, pulled one way by His anger and another way by His love. In every direction His people have played Him false– in religion (by flirting with other gods), in politics (relying on other nations), in morals (engaging in unbridled sex and violence). Through it all, God refused to write them off.
Without God, they will continue to stumble every step of the journey. “You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you” (4:5) and “Israel’s arrogance testifies against them; the Israelites, even Ephraim, stumble in their sin; Judah also stumbles with them” (5:5). Hosea’s last verse asks, “Who is wise? He will realise these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them” (14:9). Hosea so desired the day when Ephraim might respond like David when the Philistines had seized him in Gath, “For You have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life” (Psalm 56:13).
Another key concept in Hosea is the importance of acknowledging the Lord. “She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold – which they used for Baal” (2:8): “I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord” (2:20); “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God in the land” (4:1): “A spirit of prostitution is in their heart; they do not acknowledge the Lord” (5:4): “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge him” (6:3): “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). To treat God as an irrelevance is very provocative.
We’ve reached the end of Hosea, a book about perverse human behaviour and the divine response to such disloyalty – a response of suffering love, outrage and compassion. It’s an incredible story how God’s own people can be pagan and promiscuous, stubborn and tainted as a harlot, so unconcerned about God and His feelings. It’s as if God says ‘Do you think you mean as little to Me as I mean to you?’ Gloom has dominated the prophet’s ministry, but the book ends on a note of love. There is a future. God’s love cannot die even if one day His ancient people worship Him and the next day they worship Baal.
Hosea has a disjointed style. It’s not a flowing book. This last prophet of the kingdom of Israel was one of the most radical, using striking language. He’s been called the ‘Jeremiah of Israel.’ But what a man of God! Imagine the turbulence of his own feelings. How did he grapple with his bewilderment, despair, rage, revulsion and jealousy regarding wanton Gomer? She had embarrassed him and abandoned him. Perhaps shame filled his soul as hot tears streamed down his cheeks.
Hosea was a very gracious man, pure and righteous. He denied himself, took up his cross daily and followed God’s call. He laid aside the small town gossip – “Where’s his wife? ….. You never see them together ….. Oh, don’t you know, she’s carrying on with so and so …. Well, I’ve heard men leave her house at all hours.” From the tragedy of a broken home and the stinging reality of a broken heart, Hosea gains great insights into God’s purposes and God’s heart-break.
One of the basic words in Hosea’s vocabulary was the word “Return.” “Afterwards the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God” (3:5): “Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God” (5:4): “Come let us return to the Lord” (6:1): “Israel’s arrogance testifies against him, but despite all this he does not return to the Lord his God or search for Him” (verse 7:10) : “But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always” (verse 12:6) : “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord” (14:1 - 2).
The Lord would be found by Israel only when she turned to Him with integrity of heart. The intimacy of the covenant relationship between God and Israel has been illustrated in the first part of the book by the husband / wife relationship and is later amplified by the father / child relationship. The message is crystal clear: unfaithful wife (Israel) and faithful husband (God): unfaithful nation (Israel) and still faithful God. His loyalty to the covenant is unshakeable.
Surely Hosea has a timely message for our day. National sin brings down national judgement. Kipling’s “Recessional” echoes in our ears: “Judge of the nations, spare us yet – lest we forget, lest we forget.” We still don’t acknowledge that the ruin that hurtles in our direction is directly connected to our rebellion against God. The deception that we can live godlessly without any consequences dominates our worldview. Today’s philosophy will tolerate anything, but God’s not like that.
Where are today’s intercessors? Do we not need prophets like Hosea whose pleading words reach heaven and whose fearless assault on sin is relentless because of his being sold-out-to God alone? A loud alarm needs to be sounded, giving notice of judgement to come.
This is a message not only to nations, but also to each individual. Where do you stand in your relationship to the living God? Have you turned to Him in true repentance for your sins. Have you accepted the provision for forgiveness that He has made through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ because of his love for you? Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.