Hosea is a lengthy description of how His people’s unfaithfulness makes God feel like they are worse than unfaithful wives – they are like prostitutes – , to His role of faithful, loving husband. The poetry gives a long version of their wrongs. We could be wearied by the repetition, or we could mine it for a better understanding of what His people were doing and why it made God feel cuckolded. Do you wonder why God preserved the miserable account for us, His New Testament people? Why do you think He did so?
If God’s Old Testament people offer examples and warnings to us, we are wise to heed those warnings. As I have said before, I don’t believe that many of these people had deliberately chosen to be unfaithful to God. Note what they were doing, and compare it to our practices today. Are we causing God to feel the same way that His Old Testament people made Him feel? He probably would not have preserved the book for us if that weren’t the case. For example, despite the exclusive nature of worship that God established in the Law, His people were worshiping other gods in addition to worshiping Him. Influenced by our tolerance-loving culture, do we do the same without realizing it? The in-depth, nuanced descriptions of His people’s unfaithfulness may give us a deeper insight into our own choices, if we consider them.
One of the reasons the people failed to conform to God’s standards is that they didn’t know them. They didn’t read the Law; the priests didn’t even know the Law! God said their ignorance was no excuse for their unfaithfulness. We needn’t think ignorance is an excuse for our not knowing what God wants, either. That’s one of the reasons we’re reading through the Bible! Isn’t it nice to have a clean conscience about that?
So God felt cheated by His unfaithful people. He has the power to wipe them from the face of the earth, and He did do that to a large portion of Israel – to accomplish His purpose. That purpose was to restore the remnant in loving relationship with Him. Isn’t that an amazing love? This is how He loves you, too. The varied descriptions in Hosea of what God’s love for His people looks like are worth considering, and perhaps sharing with your own loved ones.
Thus, although Hosea tells much about the unfaithfulness of God’s Old Testament people, it also tells how God felt about His people. His love is all the more wonderful once we understand their unfaithfulness. Some of the descriptions of how God longed to show His love for His people are quite tender. If you are prepared to make a list of anything in this book, make a list of the ways God said He longed to be able to treat His people with love, and one day will in fact do so. Know that this is how He feels about you, desires to share that kind of loving relationship with you.
Day 200 is a milestone, and it’s good to observe and celebrate milestones. You’re doing well to be in God’s Word on a systematic basis!