From Hosea

Early Wednesday morning, I was led to the book of Hosea. Not exactly a well-known book, but its central theme seemed to address some things that happened on Tuesday and the days before. Amidst tears a few hours later, that message stood out all the more clearly, and it still does.

Generally, it's about the prophet Hosea who is told by God to marry an adulterous woman, Gomer, and keep on loving her. In doing so, Hosea would demonstrate God's unwavering love for his people Israel.


Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them. Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God."

After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

"Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

--Hosea 1:6-10 (NIV)

These verses reminded me of God's words in Genesis...

[God] took [Abraham] outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."... "I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore."

--Genesis 15:5, 22:17a (NIV)

...and in the Garden of Gethsemane.

"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to [Peter], "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"

--Matthew 26:52-53 (NIV)


I know the method of randomly opening the Bible, expecting a passage that will speak to you, is generally unreliable. But it happened on Wednesday morning. I knew I wanted to read from Hosea, but I had no idea that I would open to the exact page whose message would resonate strongly with me.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
How can I make you like Zeboiim?
My heart is changed within me;
all my compassion is aroused.

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.

--Hosea 11:8-9 (NIV)

I am man, and not God. But neither will I give you up, even if you need 50 cents when we can only afford 47. ;-P


Here's a thought: Gravity claims us all, and though it's a long way down, it's always easier to fall than it is to fly.