Tearing Down and Building Up

Hosea 5:14-6:3: "For I (God) will be like a lion to Ephraim, like a great lion to Judah. I will tear them to pieces and go away; I will carry them off, with no one to rescue them. Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." . . . . (Hosea replied) "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds . . . . Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

In chapter 5 of Hosea, we find the Israelites engrossed in arrogant rebellion against the LORD; in fact, the Lord refers to them as "rebels who were deep in slaughter" They were prostituting themselves by forsaking their covenant marriage relationship with the Lord and by following after their impassioned lusts. Although they were participating in ritual worship practices, they were an arrogant people, who ultimately worshipped themselves.

In response, God decreed that He would "pour out (His) wrath upon them like a flood of water . . . like rot to the people of Judah." God continued His proclamation of judgment by saying that He would be like a lion that would "tear them to pieces . . . (and) carry them off, (so that) no one would rescue them." Although God knew that the rebellious people would first seek relief from the dominant world powers of the day (e.g. the Assyrians), God proclaimed that no one would be able to save them from His wrath. God then said that He would remove Himself until the point was reached that the people admitted their guilt and "in their misery, earnestly would seek Him" (5:15).

Hosea initiated a response to God's punishment by encouraging his fellow Israelites to respond to God in repentance and acknowledgement (i.e. submission). Hosea was wise enough to know that if his fellowmen would confess their sin of rebellion to the Lord and seek His face above all other persons and things (including themselves), then God would come with a downpour of His abundant grace and mercy. God would be true and faithful . . . He would restore His people, "binding up their wounds (so that) they could once again live in His presence" (6:1-2). Hosea then reinforced God's promise to His people by using the analogy of the rising sun to the guaranteed provision of God's healing for His repentant people.

The old adage, "those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it" is so true. We would do well to learn from the wayward Israelites of the Old Testament that sinful rebellion against the Lord will draw Him from His throne to pour out His wrath. God will never permit sin to go unpunished, for it treats with contempt His holiness.

Still, God is merciful . . . abounding in love and grace. He will heal us if we will simply turn from our wickedness and surrender to Him as the One truly worthy of our worship. If we are looking for the downpour of His abundant blessing, we must start with ourselves and seek the Lord with unadulterated allegiance.