Daily Bread for Sep 21, Hos 8-14.

Today’s readings are Hos 8-14.

Hos 8 starts out with a chilling proclamation. Israel is in crisis because they have disobeyed God. They've made kings and idols and have chosen not to trust in God for their protection and provision. Now, they have been taken captive and carried away.

Even as the description of Israel’s former fruitfulness and productivity are mentioned, Hos 9-10 clarifies their infractions and wickedness. Not only had Israel been successful and prosperous, but they also maintained their religious practices. Their difficulty came from the selfish nature of why they did most of what they did. Their primary motivation was self-advancement. None of the things they practiced were to honor the Father. They stumbled by placing themselves above God in their priorities.

Hos 11 details God's love for Israel despite their failings. Even so, there is a price to pay for their falling away.

We see that Israel and Judah will pay for their blatant rebellion in Hos 12. Although there are consequences, Hos 13-14 shows hope and grace. God will ultimately preserve and bless His people and bring them back to their home. 

By now, God's grace and mercy have become a familiar lesson in the Scriptures. God's people are loved by Him still need refining. He will impose a consequence for their willful disobedience, but He will neither destroy them nor abandon them. Indeed, His discipline is designed to turn them back toward Him where He will shower His grace upon their repentant hearts.

Hosea shows us that sin, rebellion and idolatry earn God’s wrath. That wrath must be satisfied. God’s justice must be executed on those who violate it. God’s holiness and purity will not allow anything associated with Him to be tainted. Hosea delivers a harsh lesson in that reality.

Yet, God is gracious and loving. The final chapter of Hosea shows us His compassion and His willingness to forgive if His people repent.

How do His justice and wrath harmonize with His mercy and love? His justice must be satisfied (Heb 2:2), and His wrath must be appeased (Rom 1:18). For Israel, they paid a horrific price for their lack of faithfulness. For us as believers, Jesus paid that price. He took on God’s wrath, became the subject of His justice so that, in Him, God could exercise His mercy and love (Rom 8:32). Jesus Christ is the only way to escape the wrath of God (John 3:36).