“The word of the Lord…” These words are not Hosea’s words, but those given him to say. As God has spoken through Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, and Samuel, God speaks through Hosea. Did Hosea really marry a harlot? Who knows. The point is that he heard God’s words through personal grief and tragedy. Hosea is another Job whose suffering is not the consequence of sin. Hosea uses the story of his personal life to reflect on the nature of God. Since his nature is to grant unmerited mercy and forgiving love it must be God’s nature to grant that same kind of mercy and love to the unfaithful Israel. “I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them…” It seems that God’s judgment and mercy are always redemptive acts. Yet, human judgment often speaks of revenge. “I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.” It is clear that God will not use the methods of men. “She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil…” It seems that ours is a patient God who continues to provide even when we are pursuing other lovers. Is it always ignorance? How many times do we insist on doing it our way, not God’s way? “I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” In the quiet of the wilderness God’s voice is more probably heard. Hopelessly lost in the wilderness, eventually, we have to ask for directions. “I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.” Is God suggesting security in disarmament? God, of course is talking to all the nations. Who is going to go first? Hosea refers to God as divine Husband and divine Father. How have we lost the image of God as divine Husband? “Go,…love a woman,…an adulteress” ,the gospel according to Hosea, shows us the God of unconditional love. “The lying, killing, stealing, adultery,…there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God. Knowledge of God here is more than intellectual knowledge. It is that inner sense of knowing in our heart that we really never “get away with it”. Our continual pursuit of false idols leads to an eventual crisis. “The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.” The Hebrews know these words all too well. The wind brings in the violence of conquerors who sweep them into exile.
“The word of the Lord…” These words are not Hosea’s words, but those given him to say. As God has spoken through Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, and Samuel, God speaks through Hosea. Did Hosea really marry a harlot? Who knows. The point is that he heard God’s words through personal grief and tragedy. Hosea is another Job whose suffering is not the consequence of sin. Hosea uses the story of his personal life to reflect on the nature of God. Since his nature is to grant unmerited mercy and forgiving love it must be God’s nature to grant that same kind of mercy and love to the unfaithful Israel. “I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them…” It seems that God’s judgment and mercy are always redemptive acts. Yet, human judgment often speaks of revenge. “I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.” It is clear that God will not use the methods of men. “She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil…” It seems that ours is a patient God who continues to provide even when we are pursuing other lovers. Is it always ignorance? How many times do we insist on doing it our way, not God’s way? “I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.” In the quiet of the wilderness God’s voice is more probably heard. Hopelessly lost in the wilderness, eventually, we have to ask for directions. “I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.” Is God suggesting security in disarmament? God, of course is talking to all the nations. Who is going to go first? Hosea refers to God as divine Husband and divine Father. How have we lost the image of God as divine Husband? “Go,…love a woman,…an adulteress” ,the gospel according to Hosea, shows us the God of unconditional love. “The lying, killing, stealing, adultery,…there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God. Knowledge of God here is more than intellectual knowledge. It is that inner sense of knowing in our heart that we really never “get away with it”. Our continual pursuit of false idols leads to an eventual crisis. “The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.” The Hebrews know these words all too well. The wind brings in the violence of conquerors who sweep them into exile.
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