Thursday 07 February 2013

Background

Today's passage begins with a reminder that God is faithful andholy. Why is this important? It is because it reiterates why Godwants right behaviour and righteousness to flow out of people'slives in the first place. We are instructed elsewhere in Scripture:"You shall be holy for I am holy" (1Peter 1:16) and that is so true. God wants us to live pure,holy and righteous lives, and to mirror God.

Hosea now breaks down what has been going on in the tribes andin the regions that God does not like. This begins with Ephraimfeeding on the wind: this means taking a cavalier attitude to lifeand the curious phrase "pursues the east wind all day long" isabout taking an interest in what is foolish and what is vanity.When people are said to be fickle or easily led we tend to say theyare like the wind. I presume this phrase originally comes from theprophet Isaiah who likens people to grass and says they blow thisway and that like the wind (Isaiah40:6-8). If this attitude and behaviour wasn't bad enough,gossip and wickedness of the tongue are also mentioned, finishingoff with violence. So you can see the charge against Ephraim isserious.

As for Jacob, the charge is no better! It starts with the claimhe was causing problems before he was even born (verse 3). That isa cruel indictment if ever there was one! The prophet thendescribes how he wrestled with an angel and begged for favour(verse 4), giving the impression of desperation (see Genesis 32:24-32). But he came to his sense byfinding and talking to God at Bethel (Genesis 35). Then comes the plea from theprophet to the people, "return to your God" and "wait continuallyfor your God" (v. 6). Notice the pronoun "your" before God,indicating that God is on their side, therefore imploring thepeople to return to their senses and return to God.

To Ponder

• Do you feel at times you are carried along with the prevailingmood of the crowd? What were the occasions?

• Do you sometimes feel that God is not on your side? What was itlike?

• In what ways do you talk to God?