Hosea
13 reminds me of a friend of mine that is going through a divorce.
Somewhere after the civil conversation about “amicable separation”
the legal maneuvers become painful. Things turn vicious over custody
of the children as raw emotion and selfish posturing begins. Often
the judge makes decisions with imperfect information creating
unfairness and more hurt feelings. In today’s chapter, we have a
perfect judge with perfect knowledge making perfect rulings knowing
the children must be protected. The chapter begins “When
Ephraim spoke, people trembled; he was exalted in Israel“.
People in authority often have responsibility to be morally pure
because they lead other. Hosea says simply, “But
he became guilty of Baal worship and died“.
There is a linking of sin and death. Sin always separates and
separation from God leads to spiritual death first. Hosea describes
the result, “Now they sin more
and more“, and finally, “They
offer human sacrifices!” My
friend sees his once beloved spouse using the children as weapons.
He watches his home and family and love and possessions disappear
before his eyes “like smoke
escaping through a window“.
In
the lonely moments of solitude the question is asked again and again,
“How did this happen to me? What went wrong?” God, speaking
through the prophet answers the underlying cause. “You
shall acknowledge no God but Me, no Savior except Me“.
Every one of us gets into trouble when we forget that. Some idolize
work, or a shiny new status symbol, or themselves; and then things
crumble. God reminds them, “I
cared for you in the wilderness“.
In desperation we cling to anything, but He continues, “When
I fed them, they were satisfied;
when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot Me“.
Friend, are you facing the wilderness without hope?
God
always protects the remnant from annihilation even if it takes
destroying the guilty. “Like a
bear robbed of her cubs, I will attack them and rip them open. You
are destroyed, Israel, because
you are against Me, against your Helper.”
Listen to how the judge rules against those that would corrupt and
wipe out His remnant, “The
guilt… stored up, his sins are kept on record… I will have no
compassion… his spring will fail and his well dry up.
His storehouse will be plundered
of all its treasures… The people… must bear their guilt, because
they have rebelled against their God“.
The final verse graphically details the outcome of the nation after
God removed His hand of protection. The enemy will attack with
unrestrained violence, “They
will fall by the sword; their little ones will be dashed to the
ground, their pregnant women ripped open“.
God created marriage as a symbol of the unity we can have with Him.
“So they are no longer two, but
one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one
separate” (Matthew 19:6).
After the legalist asked Jesus about divorce they pointed to Moses
allowing it in the Law. Jesus taught, “Moses
permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard”
(Matthew 19:8). Certainly God allowed it, but it is painful to tear
apart a union. Have you been dealing with a hard heart? Perhaps
pride has kept you from reconciling? Here is the solution, “Humble
yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”
(James 4:10). My friend, only God can mend a broken heart.