The Beloved

And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”~Hosea 1:9-10

    I transitioned from writing about pastoral leadership amid the great hunker down of April and May 2020. I was compelled to focus more energy than ever upon caring for the flock. So, each week, I prepared a note written early on Wednesday morning and immediately delivered. That is still true to this day. The idea was that it would be fresh and relevant to the general morale of the Shiloh family. Some days are more challenging than others because I cannot sense a specific area for encouragement. That’s when I ask the LORD to reveal a Scripture passage that He would have me interpret. After all, the Spirit knows what you, dear one, need even when I don’t. 
    The prophet Hosea had a strange and challenging mission. He married a prostitute who bore children in the marriage that God gave specific names for an eternal purpose. His life was the prophetic message, and it was a hard life to live. The LORD’s unmistakable message through Hosea was, “I have a covenant relationship with Israel, and she is acting like a prostitute.” The less apparent but far more significant reality is that LORD views the covenant relationship as a marriage. The biblical interpretation of marriage leaves no escape clauses; it is a sacred, life-long covenant. Therefore, Hosea’s illustration of Israel’s unfaithfulness expresses the LORD’s deep pain and sense of betrayal and His unfailing love. 
     God’s people have never been able to maintain a perfect commitment to the relationship. It is the same in our lives too. It turns out that we were born with a sin condition - Thank you, Adam & Eve! So, what is the point of God’s message through Hosea? Perhaps the LORD is expressing more than anger with Israel’s folly. What if God wants His people to know that, despite their unfaithfulness, they will be redeemed and restored to a flourishing covenant relationship. 
     Hosea’s prophecy is about a new covenant. It is a word for future generations. It is helpful to recall that biblical prophecy is not fortune telling or future predicting as we see in the tabloids by the checkout lane. Biblical prophecy serves as signs of God’s faithfulness. The LORD uses the prophet to tell us what to look for when God’s promises are nearing fulfillment. Biblical prophecy is like a resident giving directions to an outsider; he says something like, “you will travel in that direction for three miles, and then you will see a red barn and a silver-domed silo. Then, you will know that the crossroads is just ahead.” Hosea demonstrated God’s plan to restore the marriage covenant that Adam broke by providing a new Adam, who is Jesus Christ. 
     The former Adam planted the seed of sin in each of us, but the new Adam canceled its consequence so that we can be called “Children of the living God.” We become God the Father’s children by marriage to God the Son. We are cut away from the tree of death and grafted to the tree of life. God is our Father through Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the world and even many Christians and Jews mutter condescendingly like Hosea’s wife Gomar, “You’re a fool.” Convinced of the LORD’s folly, they sin against Him all the more. Yet, even in the depths of the most incredible agony ever known, He said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
     Think for a moment about that inconceivable love. What if it turns out that one only needs to turn and face it? What if the daily pursuit of feelings and things (sensuality) always leaves one empty and unsatisfied? Consider our ongoing study of Ecclesiastes and the plight of Solomon. Is he not another Gomer? If you had the chance to repent of the wrongs you’d visited upon a lost loved one or desired to offer him/her forgiveness and restoration, what would it mean to you to have another opportunity?
     Christ gives us all that second chance. There is peace with our past through Him and with those with whom we shared so much pain. It starts with stopping. Stop running toward sensuality (things of the flesh; feelings, sensations, things). Stop ignoring our Lover’s voice. Stop, just stop. Then, turn and face Him. Look into His wonderful face and believe that He loves you enough to die for you. Watch Him reach toward you with an open hand. Walk slowly toward Him and feel His compassion and grace.