Promises (Hosea 14)

When you read a book, are you one of those people who, like me, love to be kept in suspense until the very last moment? Or are you tempted to go straight to the last few pages so that you know how it ends even before you start reading? Either way, the ending of the book is very important and should wrap up all the loose ends that have accumulated along the way.

We have now come to the end of the book of Hosea; and how will all the loose ends be tied up? The book started with Hosea rescuing his wife from the disastrous situation into which she had brought herself; and the Lord uses this powerful image to warn his people, Israel, how disastrous it will be for them too if they do not allow him to rescue them from danger which they are not fully aware of. How does the book finish? Rather surprisingly, after all the threatenings of judgment and punishment, it ends with a 14th chapter that is an unmitigated collection of promises of good things which God wants to give to his people. As James tells us in the New Testament, Mercy triumphs over judgment.

I have observed that if we want to encourage people to change, it is far more effective to hold out something positive before them, rather than the threat of punishment or failure. I well remember having a vigorous argument with one of my children’s teachers who insisted that the way to motivate a child to try harder was to tell him how badly he had done and give him a fail grade. It’s just not true for children at school; and it’s not true either for us in our relationship with God.

The very last verse of Hosea says, If you want to live well, make sure you understand all of these things. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll learn this inside out.

God’s paths get you where you want to go. And here are five of the good things which they will lead you into:

1. Forgiveness (verse 2). It is no surprise that, even in the Old Testament, before Jesus came to earth, David says, Blessed is the person whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered (Psalm 32:1). I can still clearly recall, when I first met Jesus, the immense relief of a great weight being lifted from me. It was only later that I understood that this was the burden of my sin being taken away from me. I did not need to carry it any longer; nor do you.

2. Wholehearted devotion to God (verse 3). Nothing to distract us from worshipping him, which enables us to discover his compassion  - for we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

3. Healing (verse 4). Whether it is physical, emotional or psychological healing which you feel you need, it is available in Jesus Christ. Surely he took up our weaknesses, and carried our pains (Isaiah 53:4). I would love to see myself and my church, and lots of other churches, demonstrating much more of this healing power of Jesus Christ, especially to those who do not yet know Jesus.

4. Love (verse 4). John says, Let us love one another, for love comes from God (1 John 4:17). So wherever we find love, we find God, whether the people who are loving acknowledge him or not. And as we move closer to God we will open up our capacity to receive more of his love and so be able to better love him and the people around us.

5. Fruitfulness (verses 5-8). Earlier in the book the Lord had lamented the miserable state of his disobedient people: They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. the stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up (8:7). But the path of following the Lord is completely different. It speaks of dew (very important in a dry climate like Israel’s), of blossom, of growth, of being rooted, and of flourishing. The Lord wants us to do well, and is waiting for us to go his way, so that he can bless us.

Hosea leaves us with a choice and a challenge. The ways of the Lord are right, he says. The righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Will we be rebellious and never quite mange to wholeheartedly follow Jesus? Or will we accept his gift of righteousness and walk in his ways with delight, and so have the benefit of all these wonderful things that he offers us?