Newsletter November 2022 Part 2
God’s voice in the desert place
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.
I will give her her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
(Hosea 2:14-15)
When God calls Hosea he tells him to marry. However, this is not a love marriage to a woman of his choice. Hosea has to take a harlot as his wife so he can experience that pain God feels at the harlotry His people are committing by serving other gods. Hosea’s wife gives birth to three children: a son whom Hosea is to call Jezreel (God shall sow), a daughter Lo-Ruhamah (no mercy) and another son Lo-Ammi (not my people). These names represent three aspects of the message that God would give to His prophet.
God’s mercy seems to be exhausted; those who were once His chosen people will no longer be His people. Yet the divine Husband’s love for His adulterous wife is too potent; He cannot put her away forever. Mercy triumphs over judgment. God still loves His people; He will restore them.
God does everything to keep His wife from her lovers. He locks her in, prevents her from going out to chase after her lovers (v.6). He takes everything from her – all the gifts she received from her true Husband but wrongly attributes to her lovers. God will punish His people for worshiping idols while forgetting Him who brought them out of bondage into a land of blessing to reflect the light of His glory.
When all is going well, when we are blessed and successful, we easily take things for granted. We believe that it is through our efforts and our abilities that we have achieved what we have. Instead of thanking the One who made us what we are and gave us what we have, we begin to worship the idol of self. We create platforms to present ourselves. We despise those who are not like us instead of reaching out to them with the same compassion that God showed us when we ourselves were nothing.
As Christians it is easy to become self-indulgent, critical and judgmental of those around us. We feel that we are on a moral high ground and thank God that we are not like those other people (Luke 18:11). We boast about our possessions, our achievements (Rev. 3:17) and our standards of morality. We are only too happy to watch God judge the world in righteousness. We think judgment will pass us by because we are God’s righteous ones, forgetting that we all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23).
As we find ourselves affected by the present economic and societal crises, one thing becomes clear: when trouble comes it can affect us all. We discover that we are as needy as those whom we have ignored for so long. The harvest has been waiting in the fields for the labourers, but the labourers have enjoyed the comfort and security of their homes and church fellowships. Much of this is being shaken so we will turn our focus on God’s purpose and depend on His grace.
Like Israel we have not really understood our calling as a light to the world. Too often, we have used the gifts and resources God has given us on ourselves and we have limited our prayers to our own needs and desires. We forget that God has blessed us so we can bring blessing to the less fortunate by sharing with them what God has given us – both materially and spiritually.
As we continue on this journey, let us allow God’s word to cleanse and transform our hearts so that we may love Him and others as He has loved us, and show compassion as He has shown compassion to us. If we will listen to the words from His heart in the desert place, He will give us vineyards from there (v.15). God is able to do a new thing right where it seems impossible. He sows seed and gives rain in dry places; He will bring about a great revival, not by our effort and ability but by His mercy and grace. God, by His Spirit, is creating a people for Himself who will reflect His justice and compassion and will bring His love and hope to those who know only fear and distress. His kingdom alone, manifested through His people, can bring peace to this desperate world.