Hosea 6:1-10
You and I have the advantage of knowing John 3:16. God’s love compelled the Lord to send Jesus to us. The sacrifice of Jesus was and is the ultimate and final act of salvation we will ever need.
At some point, every preacher says something like, “If you want to know how far God was willing to go to prove to us how much we are loved, look at Jesus.” That’s what God planned to do with us and for us!
Before Christ, the Lord asked a question every parent has most likely asked of their children. What am I going to do with you (Hosea 6:4)? Now, that can be a warmhearted response to a bit of mischief. But it can also be a desperate plea.
Hosea’s marriage to Gomer is a living illustration. The people’s spurious affection stands in contrast to the steadfast love God has for them. That’s a lesson Christians of every generation must learn, right? As much as we may feel like we love God, our sense of love is the grain of sand found in the vastness of the universe.
And even that grain is shaky sometimes, isn’t it? How committed, how devoted did the Lord see the people? God says it this way, “Your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early” (Hosea 6:4).
Of course, the unfaithfulness of the Israelites teaches us something about ours. As such, let’s consider the simple question, Why did the people turn from God so much? And, seemingly, so easy?
I came across one explanation I’ve heard used to describe modern Christians, but never ancient people of God. James Montgomery Boice suggests what the people felt for God wasn’t love at all. Instead, it was an “emotional attachment to the ancient God of their fathers.”
Again, that has something to teach us today.
Are we in love with God or merely following tradition set before us? Do our religious affinities supersede our discipleship?
We see God’s true love in what the Lord did for us. God sees our true love as we love the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind and love our neighbor. So, what are you going to do now?
Stay blessed…john
