Road Warriors: Hosea—A Message of Grace - Tuesday
Romans 12:2
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (NLT)
Today as we continue in the book of Hosea, we learn more about what Hosea has been equipped to tell Israel. Let’s pick back up in chapters 4-11.
By all accounts, the Israelites in Hosea’s time were totally failing at what Paul would later write in our verse today. It’s borderline appalling how far the Israelites have strayed at this point. Many of them are making sacrifices to the altar of a false god (Baal) but are also doing a kind of split, cover-all-the-bases type sacrifice by paying tribute to God later. The Israelites have basically made the 10 Commandments into a mere checklist and have broken their covenant with the Lord. They’ve also replaced trust in the Lord with trust in their political allies, believing their alliances make them stronger despite a forewarning they’ve received about their allies actually plotting against them. Meanwhile social injustice, broken families, and general depravity are rampant.
Hosea attributes their behavior to a lack of knowledge of God. He’s aware Israel knows about God, but it’s apparent that they no longer have a relationship with Him or know Him personally at all.
Chapter 11 brings renewed hope. Hosea describes again a prodigal son type scenario where God the Father loves His children, but they balk at His generosity and take advantage of Him and rebel. Hosea details God’s emotions about this, which relates back to why Hosea had to experience what he did with Gomer—he couldn’t have done justice to articulating this if it weren’t for his own personal experience. And then, God makes a new promise with His people despite their rebellion!
The behavior of the Israelites may be easy to look down upon, but it feels awfully familiar to me. Extreme faith in or idolatry of political figures or parties, virtue signaling to the point of blasphemy, normalized sinful behavior. Hosea proves there is still redemption for us and our culture—God still loves His children and is still in the business of redemption. Today’s a perfect day to start really getting to know God the Father.
Tuesday’s Reflection
In what areas of your life do you need to realign your trust away from your own understanding and toward God? Spend time this week learning who God is and who He says you are.
