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Here’s the thing, friends. These prophets, as much as I love them, are intimidating the heck out of me. They have me questioning if I should even attempt to write anything. I’m on the brink of quitting the goal I have set for this year: to write a summary about each book of the bible as well as a lesson the book teaches me about God.
I know I tell you time, and time again, that I’m not a scholar. I’m so not. But the point of this exercise is not to try to impress you with how much I know (which ain’t much) or how scholarly or brilliant I am because again, I’m not. My hope is to encourage you that if this nimrod can read through the bible in a year and pick up some nuggets here and there, then you can, too. I also hope to persuade you that being a one and done reader of the bible is not how you do it. The first year, I simply read to try to get through it. Ten years later I read because discipline has turned to desire. I look forward to its pages and what God may have to show me. He doesn’t necessarily show me something every day I read, or I don’t see it if He does, but it happens often enough to keep me coming back for more.
Reading the bible, especially the Old Testament, is hard. The New Testament is hard, too, but in a different way. Prophecy is hard. Attempting to understand the culture and the time in which the words were written is hard. Attempting to understand how these words spoke to them then, and how they continue to speak to us now is hard. It’s all hard.
But here’s the thing, it’s worth it. It’s so totally worth it. My faith has deepened because of this practice of reading through the bible in a year. I definitely understand more now than I did ten years ago while simultaneously fully realizing I still have so much more to learn.
Due to being in scripture repeatedly and frequently, my prayer life has flourished. I’m able to hear the Spirit’s voice a little bit clearer. When something happens…good or bad…often a scripture will pop in my head that completely aligns with whatever just happened. It’s truly an amazing experience that tends to build upon itself. Because I am currently experiencing it, and just the overall awesomeness that is God, I want you to experience it, and Him, as well. If we solely consider our faith in Christ a get out of jail free card, we are missing out on so, so much. I missed out for a long time. I don’t want anyone else to miss out for one minute more.
K. That was a lot and completely sincere, but it was also a slight bit of procrastination as I’m unsure what to write about Hosea. Just one last thought before talking about Hosea…I could be wrong in the things I write. If I am, you are welcome to correct me. Lead me to a resource I’ve missed. Teach me. My prayer is to honor God with my words and if I’m not doing that, I want to be corrected.
Aight…Hosea…let’s go.
Hosea was a contemporary to Amos as well as Isaiah and Micah. They all preached around the same time frame. Hosea preached mainly to Israel, but Judah didn’t escape his words or God’s judgment.
Honestly, Hosea echoes Amos to me with the exception of God instructing Hosea to marry a prostitute. Fun times, huh? The purpose of this instruction was to be used as an analogous illustration to Israel of their adulterous actions toward God. Hosea’s wife is unfaithful; so is God’s wife, His people. They have forgotten Him and prostituted themselves time and again to foreign gods. That’s one way to make a point.
Do you ever wonder what it was like for Hosea? Do you ever wonder how often he must have had to sit at God’s feet in prayer? Do you ever wonder how difficult it had to be for him to show Gomer love? To show the kids love? I purposefully said “the” instead of “Hosea’s” kids because if his wife is off being promiscuous, who’s to say they are his? Plus 1:3 says, “she bore him a son” whereas the following births simply say, “gave birth to a daughter/son” (1:6,8). Listen, I wasn’t there. I don’t know. I’m just saying, God bless Hosea. Or perhaps he was just inherently a really good, kind, understanding, loving husband. Honestly, if Hosea is portraying God in this analogy…that tracks.
Often, at least in my experience, the first two chapters of Hosea are all that are really discussed when it comes to teaching from this book. Israel prostitutes herself; God chases after her to speak tenderly to her (2:14). The end. Yet, there are a total of fourteen chapters in this book, so what gives?
Well, the rest are the really hardcore stuff…God’s case against Israel and Judah, God calling His people to repentance, God’s laments, Israel placing their hopes anywhere else but God, God’s love for His people, the coming judgment of exile, and another promise of restoration. As I stated before, aside from Hosea’s marriage, it doesn’t read, at least to me, all that differently from Amos.
For the second time, through a different prophet, we are witnessing God appeal to His people as we witness them be stiff-necked and refuse to repent. The more things change, the more they stay the same. And honestly, I don’t know what else to say.
The lessons learned about God in this book are much the same as Amos. The number one thing I will remind you is that God is no joke, and He will not be mocked.1 He is sovereign, and He is good. God asks repentance from His people in numerous ways. He sends numerous people to speak the same message with differing illustrations to attempt to get through to the ones He loves. Remember, it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.2 Time and again, I have seen the truth of that scripture in my own life. I hope that you have, too.
On this side of the cross, God’s Spirit speaks to our spirit to convict us of our sin. He stands ready and willing to receive our sincere confession and repentance. If we choose to harden our hearts, He may send others to convict us or attempt to open our eyes to our errors in other ways. In all of this, His goal is for us to return to Him, to experience His forgiveness and to feel the warmth of His loving embrace. He’s good like that.
Galatians 6:7
Romans 2:4