Hosea & the Doctrine of God
Following on from my previous post, I want to explore a another of these lessons from the book of Hosea.
The book of Hosea, I believe, adds an important contribution to the doctrine of God. The prophets in general highlight a God who is holy (he affirms the covenant stipulations and punishes accordingly) and a God who is merciful (throughout the prophets announce restoration even if it is through judgment).
Only in Hosea (to my knowledge) do we see ‘behind the scenes’ as it were to how God’s mercy flows forth. When we think of God being merciful we can think of it in a detached theological way. Of course God is merciful. That is part of his nature for which we give thanks. But in Hosea, we see God’s mercy in high definition. Because in Hosea we have someone, Gomer and Israel, who not only do not deserve mercy but who are actively running away from it!
Imagine with me a loving person who sacrifices and provides for their spouse only to be met with cold, calculated, indifference. Theirspouse runs away to find other lovers in hopes of finding a better place. They not only commits adultery but do so publicly and without shame. They spit in the hand of their spouse and toss the wedding ring into the garbage.
How should the wronged spouse respond? How would you respond? In Hosea, God responds in judgment (his holiness is never in question), but He also responds in mercy. In chapter 2, vv 14 and 15 we have some of the most tender words God ever speaks to wayward sinners. He will ‘allure’ Israel to the wilderness, and ‘speak tenderly’ to her. He will restore to her all that she has lost. In a sense, he will remarry her! He will have her again. And as the rest of the Bible bears out he will actually cleanse her from all unrighteousness.
Imagine again the scene: the wronged spouse welcoming back the one who so deeply hurt them. Not living with a grudge, holding their sins over them the rest of their marriage, but with an attitude of freedom and restoration. An attitude of forgiveness and mercy leading to restored joy! It’s hardly to be believed that this is the way God acts towards us.
We do not grasp God’s mercy as deeply as we ought because we generally view our selves in a better light than we deserve. Hosea carefully deconstructs us, helping us to sit for awhile in our sin. It helps us to see that our sin is spiritual adultery and cosmic treason. In many ways Hosea helps us to *feel* what God feels towards our sin. But Hosea also helps us to *feel* what true mercy feels like, also.
Come to Jesus. His burden is light, his yoke is easy. Come to Jesus because there is real and true mercy. Come to Jesus because he is the bridegroom who loves with an eternal love. Come, because Jesus is even now preparing a place for us.
