The Prophet Hosea’s service extended from King Uzziah to King
Hezekiah. It is a book about unfaithfulness - Israel’s unfaithfulness and
Gomer’s unfaithfulness to her husband Hosea. However, both instances end in
messages of hope.
Both illustrate a problem that we have with our God: “Why
aren’t our lives easier? While we have been promised the world, we live in
despair. Where are your promised blessings?”
There are many possible reasons why our Lord withholds His
blessings until His return - to kindle within us a hatred of sin, a hunger for
the next life, and teaching us Christlikeness and dependence on Him alone!
However, the Book of Hosea also focuses on another reason for a blessing-lean
diet. We do not profit from a blessings-rich diet. When God would bless Israel,
they would become proud and seek greater pleasures:
·
“The more they increased, the more they sinned
against me; I will change their glory into shame.” (Hosea 4:7)
When Israel became unaware of their need, they also departed
from God in favor of pagan practice and their desires:
·
“Israel is a luxuriant vine that yields its
fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more [pagan] altars he built; as his
country improved, he improved his [pagan] pillars.” (Hosea 10:1)
When needs are satisfied, we turn to pleasures, and pride
jumps in to tell us, “You are entitled to your pleasures. You have worked hard
for them. Don’t let your conscience tell you otherwise.”
·
“but when they had grazed, they became full,
they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.”
(Hosea 13:6)
When things are going too well for us, we become proud,
self-satisfied, and forget the Lord. God had revealed to the Apostle Paul that
even his revelations would produce pride. Therefore, He allowed Satan to
afflict Paul to teach him that depending upon God would be his protection:
·
But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient
for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I [Paul] will
boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am
strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
When we are hurting and humbled, we want to stay close to
our Savior. We examine ourselves lest the slightest sin might be blocking us
from the Lord. However, Israel was too well-fed, and had little appetite for
their Lover:
·
“I will return again to my place, until they
acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek
me.” (Hosea 5:15)
However, Israel’s cries for mercy would only last as long as
her distress. God would have to intervene unilaterally:
·
“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them
freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he
shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his
shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance
like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall
flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be
like the wine of Lebanon.” (Hosea 14:4-7; 2:18-19)
This is Israel’s only hope. It is also ours.
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