From: Soyoung Kim
Out of all the prophets in the Bible, Hosea has always stuck out from the rest for me. He doesn’t see mysterious visions, nor do we hear of him having heroic moments like getting thrown into a fiery furnace or a lion’s den. Instead, God calls him to go and take a prostitute as his wife and have children with her. I put myself in Hosea’s shoes, whether I’m meant to or not. What, become one with someone who doesn’t love me back? Love someone who constantly leaves me? And keep loving this filthy person to the point of buying her back??
Poor Hosea! And yet, by making us identify with Hosea, God shows us the true extent of Israel’s sins, and the true extent of our sins.
“What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? For your loyalty is like a morning cloud, And like the dew which goes away early.”
Contrasted with Israel’s/our inconstancy is God’s faithfulness:
“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.”
But this love of God that is “as certain as the dawn” is not an easy love. “For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.” No, this is a love that requires an acknowledgement of guilt and a love that can’t be realized by the blind recipient without affliction. And yet, in the midst of this terrifying picture of love, there is always the hope of the resurrection, God’s greatest gift of love: “He will revive us after two days;/ He will raise us up on the third day/ That we may live before Him.”
I like to make art and write stories.