Hosea Revisited
by David E. Howell
June 12, 2011
Blow the trumpet! Wake-Up! (Hosea 8)
Sound the alarm!
Vultures are circling over God's people.
The people have broken God's contract.
They have defied God's revelation.
The People say: 'but my God, we know you!"
God replies, "But they don't act like it, or live like it.
They don't choose what is really good.
They marry, raise children, and buy homes and land -
without letting me in on it.
They choose schools, jobs, friends and even churches
without asking me about it.
They worship time, money, movie stars and cars.
They don't trust me, depend on me, walk with me.
They offer sacrifices to me, but they are really there
to feast on the meat."
God is not pleased!
God says: "I wrote out my Revelation for them and they don't read it,
or pretend they don't understand it,
or think they'll get to it later,
or trust someone else to read it for them.
(You will be judged by the Revelation itself, not by what someone tells you it is. Don't you worry that they might have a hidden agenda?)
I wrote it for you!
When birth pangs signaled that it was time to be born, (Hosea 13, 11)
I was too stupid to come out of the womb.
When the passage to life opened up – I didn't show…
God created me.
Searched for me when I was lost.
Stuck with me.
Rescued me from slavery.
Do I acknowledge His help?
Do I admit that God is pushing my carriage? …Pulling my wagon?
He lifted me, like a baby, to His cheek.
He bent down to feed me.
And me?
What do I do?
Do I not walk away from Him at the drop of a hat?
Am I not always staring out the window,
looking over my shoulder,
desiring a 'greener' pasture?
When the passage to life opened – I didn't show.
Will God not intervene and pull us into life?
Will God not simply snatch us from the clutches of death?
(sarcastic) Who is afraid of you death?
Who cares about the threats of the tomb?
God's storm is on its way.
It roars even now in the desert.
His hurricane grows over the sea.
Tornadoes march over the land.
They will devastate and destroy.
Ruin and wreckage will mark their paths.
Will His patience outlast my self-imposed poverty? (Hosea 3)
Stripped of security and protection.
Without real religion and peace.
No comfort – even in sleep.
My conscience speaks and pleads with me – but I will not listen.
LIFEless HOPEless PRAYERless GODless
I let the hunger pangs of my soul go unnoticed and so… unfed.
The wanderings of my spirit go unheeded –
Though help is near
and rescue is standing buy.
I've listened to the world,
and sense no danger.
I'm satisfied to follow the anorexic wisdom of my fellowman, like…
'A little evil isn't so bad – we are human, after all.'
'Take care of yourself first – if you don't, who will?'
'Physical needs & pleasures come first. Somebody/God will take care of the spiritual stuff. If spiritual things ever really need to be attended to?'
'As long as you are busy… it doesn't really matter what your doing.'
and 'You've got plenty of time yet to get serious about God.'
You don't have to buy the lie.
It's free… but we're still willing to pay for it. Weird.
You know, I'm not even faithful to myself. (Hosea 4)
If you think that I'm faithful to God… then you don't know what being faithful to God even means.
No one knows much about God… Although much about Him has been revealed.
It's not just about reading about Him, or talking about Him.
Knowing about God means living like He lives, loving like and what He loves, and well – liking what He likes.
It's obedience moving toward the minds understanding, but coming from the hearts emotion, attitude and passion.
Our lack of knowledge, lack of listening, lack of hearing, lack of obedience, lack of love, lack of caring, lack of humility, lack of holiness, purity, selflessness, lack of whole-heart mind – soul – spirit searching to the exclusion of ALL else… is why "The land weeps and all that is in it is grief-stricken. All living things in the sea, on the land, in the sky – all animals, birds, fish and even plants are listless.
The joy of creation that once was, and then was lost, has been made available again by the will, the work, the sacrifice, the life of Christ… but we won't have it!
The meaning, the purpose, the richness and the marvels of life are all within our grasp – but we refuse to drop all the mundane stuff already in our hands so that we might take hold of it.
I tell you this. Satan laughs, not so loud that you might hear him, and he would deny it. But he laughs and he calls you fool!
Truly "We stare into the trash fire and miss the glow of dawn." *
We stumble in bright daylight… and those of us who should know better – who do know better – close our eyes and stumble in the darkness. "My people are ruined!" God cries for his children. "My people are ruined because they don't know what's right and true."
God continues: "If you continue to refuse to recognize the importance and place of my Revelation – You will think that I have turned my back on you… when it is you who have turned your back on me.!" He sighs.
"The more accessible evil has become, the more you call evil good, and the more evil you do. You have traded your glory for shame."
"You may argue that you at least have avoided the 'big' sins. Meaningless… For you still avoid Me!"
"Put yourself in My place. Observe as I observe. Now… I ask you, Can you tell the Christians from the pagans?" Even the pagans say, 'God bless you!' when someone sneezes.
There's a game called 'Life.' This isn't it. (Hosea 5)
In 'real' life you lose to win.
You lose by helping others win.
You come in last, to be first.
You don't insist on your turn.
You are fair even if you're the only one who is.
The rules you are keeping are meaningless,
If your heart is not in all you do.
And...There are no dice – no chance of chance.
You are all in charge of something.
You have an important part to play,
but not to exploit
or to use for yourself.
You have influence and dominion over events and lives, over emotions, feelings and attitudes, but not for your own pleasure, purpose or gain.
You are to dispense grace, not justice.
You are empowered to rain down a deluge of forgiveness, not the fire and brimstone of revenge.
You have the means to extinguish the flames of hatred and meanness. You carry a blanket of peace to smother the flames at their source.
Salvation is not a treasure for you to hoard like some smoldering dragon on a mountain of gems and gold.
Salvation is a treasure that you give away in order to keep.
God, do not give up on me, or turn me loose, or let me go – (Hosea 11, 14)
even if I struggle…or I will be undone.
God answers. "I cannot leave you to be ruined. My insides churn in protest, and so, I'm not going to act on my anger.
Return to Me and I will not let you be destroyed.
Walk with Me and I will bless you.
Honor Me and I will honor you.
Depend on Me and I will never fail you.
Remember Me and I will forget your sin.
Worship Me and I will welcome you to where you belong."
We ask. "Thank You, Lord. But Why?"
He answers. "Because I am God and not a human. I'm he Holy One and I am here in your very midst.'
I will heal your waywardness.
I will love you lavishly.
I am like a luxuriant fruit tree
Everything you need
is to be found
in Me…
If you want to live well (Hosea 14:9 to end)
Make sure you understand all this.
If you know what's good for you
You'll learn this inside and out.
Gods path gets you to where you want to go.
Right-living people walk them easily.
Wrong –living people are always
tripping and falling.
- END -
* quote written by former student Bonnie Iben in a poetry writing class.
Posted in Sermons by David E. Howell on (edited on by David E. Howell)