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The Compassion of A Loving Father
Hosea
Today we start our journey through the minor prophets. I remember registering for my Old Testament prophets class in seminary. In my immaturity, I was skeptical of how useful the class would be as I prepared for ministry. I had no idea that at the end of the class the books of the prophets would become some of my favorite in all of the Old Testament. In some research, for an assignment, I stumbled upon an author, Philip Yancey, who wrote an article that painted quite a picture of the prophets. Yancey called them the “The Bible’s ‘Fusty Old Men.’”1 My journey through the prophets that semester with Ronald Allen was one of the greatest experiences I have ever had in studying God’s word.
Today we start our journey through the minor prophets focusing on Hosea. Swindoll splits the book into two major sections: The Agony of an Unfaithful Mate and the Tragedy of an Unfaithful People. Swindoll writes, “In Hosea’s redemption of Gomer from the slave market, Christ is pictured as the loving, faithful redeemer of sinful humanity.”2 Hosea provides an incredible picture of God’s unending love for us. In spite of our sin, He pursues us with His loyal love. The whole story points to the unfaithfulness of God’s chosen people, and God’s faithfulness in His promise to Abraham.
I have had the privilege of walking through many marriages and relationships that are broken and devastated by sin. It is amazing to see what God does in his faithfulness to two believers wanting to make their marriage whole again in the wreckage of sinful decisions. The first thing I do with couples who are suffering over marital issues is try to unearth the core issue. Our God is the God of peace, and the chaos in our relationships occur when we step outside his boundaries in our relationships and make choices contrary to His calling on our lives. Once the issue surfaces and sin is confessed, I ask the couple to pray with me. They confess their sin to the Lord, and then we pray about forgiveness. After we’re done praying, and most of the time crying, it’s time to rebuild. In these moments I remind them of the redemption that is found in Jesus Christ – the only hope they have in this redemptive process. Those moments always remind me of God’s faithfulness, even we are not faithful. Paul reminded Timothy of this truth when he wrote, ” . . . if we are faithless, He remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13) When Paul tells Timothy that God “cannot deny Himself,” what he is saying is that God’s character is unchanging. How reassuring is that!
In the last part of Hosea 13, God promises to restore Israel. The nation is in such a hopeless situation, but then God with incomprehensible compassion declares, “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.” (Hosea 13:14 – NIV) In the next and final chapter God urges them to repent, and promises blessing, then ends the book with a few words of wisdom in the final verse, “Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.” (Hosea 14:9)
Hosea bears the eternal message that God always extends his forgiveness to His people. This book teaches us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. It reminds us of our calling to walk in righteousness as fully devoted followers of Christ. Philip Yancey wrote, “In a nutshell, the Bible from Genesis 3 to Revelation 22 tells the story of a God reckless with a desire to get his family back.”1 Wherever you are in your faith journey God is walking beside you, and will never give up on you. What a great truth to think about today!
– Pastor Chuck Reed
1. The Bible's 'Fusty Old Men'by Philip Yancey (CHRISTIANITY TODAY, November 1987, 9 printed pages). I would 1 also encourage you to read his book “The Bible Jesus Read” 2. Found at Insight for Living website, https://www.insight.org/resources/bible/the-minor-prophets/hosea (accessed 2 6/28/2020)