She Reads Truth: HoseaSample

Hosea 7 + Romans 5:20

“Ephraim mingles with the pagans, dissipating himself.  Ephraim is half-baked. Strangers suck him dry but he doesn’t even notice.  His hair has turned gray - he doesn’t notice. Bloated by arrogance, big as a house, Israel’s a public disgrace. Israel lumbers along oblivious to God, despite all the signs, ignoring God.” (Hosea 7:8-10, MSG)

Have you noticed something here?

In the out-of-control, hot mess that Ephraim* has become - while the people of Israel are so crazed with self-indulgence that they can hardly tell what day it is - I can’t help but stand back a bit and notice that in all of Israel’s wayward mindlessness, going to Egypt and Assyria and every which way, God hasn’t changed.

Oh, He’s definitely watching. He sees the spiraling out of control, the reputation out the window, and the other nations all whispering to each other about ‘God’s Chosen People’ killing off their leaders, one by one, and getting ‘fresh starts’ from their God only to get all muddy again.

Israel is two-faced. Double-tongued.

But God - if we turn our attention off of the squeaky wheel for a moment, if we tune out all the noisy noise, we’ll notice - God hasn’t changed.

One face. One tongue. One undying, unrelenting love for His Bride.

We want this passage to be about the rogue Bride, or the prodigal son and how they just can’t seem to get it right. But it’s not. It’s about God.

God’s character never changes. His one face is righteousness. His one word is holiness. And His one undying, unrelenting call for His people is love.

And as the ever-faithful Groom, He waits. Even as His anger burns over the unfaithfulness of His Bride, He forgives her. He provides for her. He gives her a fresh start. And even, in His severe mercy, He withholds good things from her that she might return to Him.

While Israel hedges its bets with other gods, The Groom has all His money on His one, true love.

Maybe you don’t need me to spell it out for you today, Sisters, but maybe you do: YOU are His one, true love. Wherever you are, whatever you’ve done, whatever anyone else thinks of you, and however long it’s been since the last time you really just called Him your Groom - He hasn’t changed.

He wants to give you good things. He wants you to delight in Him, to come to Him to supply your needs, to come to Him when you are lonely or happy or angry. He wants relationship, and He wants it with you.

*Ephriam was the largest of the ten northern tribes, and sometimes used to refer to Israel as a whole.

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