The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in Hosea 11:12,
"Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit. And Judah is unruly against God, even against the faithful Holy One."
Here is something of a summation of the sinfulness of Israel. Lies, deceit and unruliness against God. Israel, as a nation, displayed the sinfulness within her heart and the Lord will act. His judgment against Israel will be certain and severe. "Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans." Hosea 11:6.
However, as we see in the final chapter of Hosea's prophetic book, God's judgment is part of a plan that will ultimately bring restoration to the nation. "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon." Hosea 14:4-6.
As I read of Israel's sinfulness, I am reminded she is but a mirror of the sinfulness of all of mankind. Lies, deceit and unruliness against God is certainly the mark of mankind as a whole. In Jeremiah 17:9 we read, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Paul's perspective is as true today as it was in his day and in Hosea's day, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23. And, yet, as with Israel, in spite of sin, God seeks to redeem and to restore.
In light of this, here is the great mystery that I do not understand. To me, it is as astonishing as anything I have ever considered: in light of my sinfulness, in light of the sinfulness of all mankind, how is it that, "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
To me, it is a great mystery. I can't fathom it. All I can do is marvel at the boundless love and mercy of the great, kind and compassionate heart of our God! How he could do such a thing for someone such as me is bewildering! I know it. I believe it. I am astonished by it. I am bewildered by it. Most of all, I am eternally grateful for it!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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