Wednesday, August 10, 2022

           Hosea was an Old Testament prophet who preached and prophesied about the same time as two other biblical prophets—Isaiah and Micah.  He spoke primarily to the northern kingdom also known as Israel.  God called Hosea to act out a prophecy in real life and in real time.  It was a matter of not just declaring God’s Word to people but actually modeling the message itself.  God’s command came to Hosea in this way, “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.’ So, he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hosea 1:2-3).  This marriage was to symbolize Israel’s betrayal of the Lord and turning away from the Lord to pursue idols and false gods.  The betrayal that Hosea experienced at the hands of his wife Gomer would symbolize the betrayal that God had experienced at the hands of His people Israel.   
            We often do not think much about idolatry today but it is real and remains a temptation or sin for us today.  We can easily transfer the love and loyalty that belong to the Lord to something else.  We can allow something else to claim our mind and heart.  Possessions, money, jobs, hobbies and life goals can all become idolatrous and take the place of God in our thinking, devotion and worship.  God is the giver of every good gift and blessing.  But it can be easy, often too easy, to love the gifts and blessings more than we love the Giver of such things.  Satan often works in subtle ways—even ways that are hard to sense or detect.  He can often turn our heads and hearts away from the Giver to the gifts and blessings that we enjoy.
            Hosea gave a stern warning near the end of his prophecy.  We read, “Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.  Your sins have been your downfall” (Hosea 14:1).  Two things stand out for us to see.  First, there are times where we simply must return to the Lord.  We have wandered and roamed away.  We have chosen courses and pathways that lead us away from the Lord and toward a thousand other things.  These things may not be inherently bad but they become sinful because they draw us away from the Lord.  The enemy does not particularly care about whatever pathway may lead you away from the Lord so long as you choose one of them.  He will gladly give you a thousand options.  Second, sin is a downfall.  Sin is always wrong.  Adam and Eve lost their place in the world’s first and only perfect garden because of their disobedience to the Lord.  We deserve death and judgment based upon how we have lived.  When we return to the Lord, Hosea tells us what happens.  “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.  I will be like the dew to Israel; they will blossom like a lily” (Hosea 14:4-5a).  Restoration comes to those who repent.  God does offer a second or third chance for those who come back to Him and leave their love for sin behind so they can embrace Him again.
            As a preemptive warning against sin, Hosea ended his prophecy with this message for us to consider, “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).  Each day, we have to decide that the ways of the Lord are right and good.  God’s ways lead to life and well-being both here and in the world to come.  Perhaps today you would hear the words of Hosea in a new way.  The prophet bids us, “Come, let us return to the Lord” (Hosea 6:1a).    Have a great Wednesday!  Remember that Sunday is our communal lunch Sunday.  Bring a couple of dishes to share and we will enjoy conversation and good times.  And remember you can always share our worship at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.