Reflections on Hosea 14

Hosea 14 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Israel, return! Come back to the LORD, your God. Sin has made you fall.
   
2. Return to the LORD and say, "Please forgive our sins. Accept our good sacrifices of praise instead of bulls.
   
3. Assyria can't save us, and chariots can't help. So we will no longer worship the idols we have made. Our LORD, you show mercy to orphans."
   
4. Israel, you have rejected me, but my anger is gone; I will heal you and love you without limit.
   
5. I will be like the dew-- then you will blossom like lilies and have roots like a tree.
   
6. Your branches will spread with the beauty of an olive tree and with the aroma of Lebanon Forest.
   
7. You will rest in my shade, and your grain will grow. You will blossom like a vineyard and be famous as the wine from Lebanon.
   
8. Israel, give up your idols! I will answer your prayers and take care of you. I am that glorious tree, the source of your fruit.
   
9. If you are wise, you will know and understand what I mean. I am the LORD, and I lead you along the right path. If you obey me, we will walk together, but if you are wicked, you will stumble.
   

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Hosea concludes with one last appeal for Israel to repent and return to the Lord. In doing so, it provides a summary of Israel's sin. "Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses." (v. 2) Both turning to Assyria and riding horses are indicators of Israel's dependence on other things rather than the Lord. "We will no longer proclaim: Our gods! to the work of our hands." (v. 2) A reference to Israel's worship of idols that they had made themselves. How is it that an intelligent people - any people, not just these people - can consider what they have made themselves to be a god with powers greater than they have? I know it is difficult for some people to accept that there is a God out there who has created the universe and all that is in it and who has powers beyond our understanding. But I believe this is only a part of the issue. The part they are willing to admit both to others and to themselves.

What is the other part? This other part, I believe, is that if they accept that there is a Creator God with such unfathomable powers one must logically submit themselves to serve this God. The god one has made themselves is an object that they can themselves manipulate and not be manipulated by it. They can make up the rules of engagement with what is comfortable to them and then satisfy themselves that they are doing what they can to satisfy this god they have made. When stated this way it really sounds rather illogical. But is not this what they do? They cannot control the rules of engagement with an all-powerful Creator God. That is not comfortable for them. They do not want to turn lose of that much control. How many others, who acknowledge the Creator God, do so in much the same way that idol worshipers worship their gods? They form a religion of their own making with rituals of their own making that prescribe the rules of engagement according to what makes them comfortable and keeps them in control.

But this God who has made all that is and has made even us does not work in this way nor does He accept our man-made religions. He desires that we turn lose of control and submit ourselves fully to Him, trusting Him for everything. But He wants us to know that if we will do this, He will give us a better life than we can have if we control it ourselves. This is the message He was trying to get across to Israel through Hosea. We are no more trusting of God than were they. We may be willing to accept that God can do anything, but we are not trusting that what He does for us will be good. We are afraid that if we allow Him to direct our lives He will have us doing something we don't want to do or something that we hate. It is true that He will have us doing something different than we would choose because much of what we would choose will not bring us the best life. It will only bring us problems and suffering. But we are too prideful to accept that He knows better than do we.

Notice the tone of verses 4 and following. Do these come from a God of wrath or a God of love? He does not want to bring judgment upon Israel even though for centuries she has turned away from Him and credited His blessings for them to other gods. What He wants is for Israel to return to Him and repent and then He "will heal their apostasy; I will freely love them." (v. 4) Then Israel will flourish and "blossom like the lily and take root like the cedars of Lebanon." (v. 5) God only wants good for His people. So here is the call to both Israel and to us: "Let whoever is wise understand these things, and whoever is insightful recognize them. For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them." (v. 9) May we walk in the ways of the Lord and not stumble in rebellion. Therein lies the good life!