God is Faithful

Hosea 11:1-9

Who are your closest relationships?  Your parents?  Your children?  Your spouse?  It's often those closest to us who have the power to hurt us the most.....and to bring us the most joy.

Hosea was a prophet who lived at the time of the evil kings we have been studying in the books of I and 2 Kings.  We don't know anything more about him than what we learn in this book.  Honestly, I would love NOT to write about him!  Why on earth did God order him to marry Gomer the prostitute? (Hosea 1:2).  I will save that for another blog post.....Hosea obeys God, and Gomer bears three children (probably only one of whom is Hosea's biological child).  Hosea names these children, and I will loosely translate what their names mean:

1.  Jezreel - a name that would bring to mind a national disaster.  Like naming a child Hiroshima or Little Big Horn.
2.  Ruhamah - not loved
3.  Lo-Ammi - not my people.

These are terrible names.  They reflect God's anger toward the nation of Israel, who refused to obey and walk in his ways.  God is frustrated beyond belief that his people reject his love and his laws.

Does he give up on them?  No.  God's faithfulness is stronger than the nation's faithlessness.  In fact, in due time, Hosea renames his children:

1.  Jezreel becomes Hope
2.  Ruhamah becomes beloved
3.  Lo-Ammi becomes My People.

And look at the ways that Hosea describes how God cares for Israel/how God cares for us:

verses 3 and 4:

It was I who taught Ephraim (Israel) to walk, taking them by the arms; but they did not realize it was I who healed them.  I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.  

This is the deep love of a parent for a child.  These are the images we hold onto in our hearts as our children grow.  We share photos with our friends of our children, holding them, loving them, caring for them.  This kind of love is deep and lasting.

And yet - and yet, Israel spurns God's love.  Thanks be to God he does not respond in kind.  I will claim verse 9 every day as I ask God for forgiveness for the many times I choose self over serving him:

I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.  For I am God, and not man- the Holy One among you.  I will not come in wrath. 

I repeat, for myself as well as for Bible Blog readers, God's  faithfulness is stronger than my unfaithfulness.  The children's song says it well:  Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.  Amen!