Hosea 13 - 14

     The Bible Study last night completed Hosea, chapters 13 and 14. These chapters includes some grim descriptions of war and trouble, as well as hopeful pointers at God’s love.  In fact, prophecy, no matter how grim, is always a matter of hope, because it means that God still cares.
     Hosea’s concerns are easy to spot as they come up again in these chapters. There is a sense of befuddlement that God’s people, with all the history of God’s loving care, could behave this way. In fact, when things were going well, they totally forgot who had brought them the blessings! They deserved nothing less than annihilation. They wanted kings (a bad idea, as they should have relied on God as their king) and now the kings would be taken away. They worshipped the work of their own hands and forgot God. Yet, God is unable to give them up as they deserve.

     As a class, we discussed the varying ways that God has been communicated to people. There is the “hell-fire and brimstone” message of instilling fear into people. And there is the message of God’s love. The transforming nature of God’s love is one we affirm, especially in the United Methodist Church, but recognize the danger that Hosea pinpointed. God’s love is powerful and awesome, yet people tend to take God for granted, especially when life is good. Hosea will not let us forget that God is awesome.
     The following is a sort of “paraphrase” of the last two Hosea chapters, as written by the class on February 1.


13
Self-centeredness is abundant
Self-worship with all disregard to God’s reality.
They’re not using what God gave them.
God is absent in their lives, for they take no regard of God.
They shall be like dust in the Dust Bowl – empty without meaning.
When you are in need, you know where to go,
but when all is abundant, you forget the supplier
God will take you by the collar and shake with ferocious energy!
I tried things your way and letting you have a ruler, but you trusted and worshipped him instead of me
God will be the one who will be there to help you
I (God) know what is best for you.
When you go your own way and do your own thing
you are setting yourself up for disaster
If you look at what God has for you and want to give
and when you do the right thing
then everything right will be yours
Even when bad things happen – we (God and you) can grow closer.
The sins of Ephraim will not be hidden from God
Like a child tooo eager to go his own way and to get what he wants
and not what he really needs – He leaves death in his path
Should I help him out of his fix?
Why should I?
Your destruction is your destruction
Your death is on your hands
You turned away and there will be nothing.


14
We will offer you our praises
People of Israel, turn your attention back to God
Change what comes out of your mouth
Change what you say to each other
and praise the Lord
We aren’t called to go to war or trust in its power
We will recognize you are our God
and not glorify our own work.
We will find comfort in your care
If we no longer look to our own works,
but to the one who is as a father to the child
God will be like rain after a drought--
The water of life
The tree will grow
Shade and food will be here.
The strength of the fir, it will
spread over you and cast shade.
With these blessings, why would
we go back to idols?
Those who know the Lord will walk with God
Those who don’t will fall
Don’t ever take God’s love for granted.