I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Hosea 8-14.

Hosea writes here about those who reject God and that which is good, then cry out to God for help.  He tells us that those who plant the wind will reap the whirlwind.  I find that an interesting metaphor because almost everyone can understand it even though it does not reference something which is physically possible.  For any of my readers who do not know what it means, it references when people encourage rules or laws to be ignored when those rules or laws interfere with their goals.  When you do that rules and laws will not be able to protect your interests later.  If you encourage chaos and confusion to further your own ends at the expense of others (and ultimately, that is the only reason to do so), do not be surprised when everything becomes confused and chaotic.

Later Hosea writes that God calls for us to plant the good seeds of righteousness.  Initially I viewed that as a separate message from his reference to sewing the wind and reaping the whirlwind, but as I started to compose my thoughts on this part I realized they are closely connected.  In fact, Hosea holds planting the seeds of righteousness in direct contrast to cultivating wickedness and sewing the wind.  Now is the time to plow up the hard ground of our hearts and seek the Lord.  If we plant the seeds of righteousness we will harvest a crop of love.  Using lies and power to get your way will not generate anything good.  Let us do what is right so that we can spread God’s love to all and sundry.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Hosea 1-7.

There are two ways to read the account of Hosea marrying a prostitute.  One way is to believe that God told Hosea to find a prostitute who would marry him.  The other is to believe that Hosea sought God’s guidance in choosing a wife and the woman he thus chose became a prostitute (or, maybe was a prostitute but Hosea was unaware of it when he married her).  The second makes more sense to me, and fits with the way I have seen God communicate his message to people.  Hosea’s experience in his marriage thus influenced his ministry.  Hosea separated from his wife because of her infidelity.  Then at some time later, he bought her back and made her his wife once more.  But he did not just buy her back, he won her back, just as God wishes to do with us. This suggests that she had fallen on hard times and been sold into slavery.  I believe that Hosea truly loved his wife and God used the pain he felt over her unfaithfulness to show people how God felt about their unfaithfulness.

The whole of today’s passage is a condemnation of society.  Hosea condemns a society where people break their vows, kill, steal, and commit adultery.  Instead of leading the people to do what is right and good, the leaders, both religious and secular, encourage them to be selfish and do wrong because they, the leaders, profit from the wrongdoing of the people.  This reminds me of today where most, if not all, of our political and religious leaders encourage people to focus their attention on their own desires rather than on the good of all, dividing people rather than uniting.  However, the most important part of Hosea’s lesson in today’s passage is in chapter four, verse four: 

Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame!

All too many of us try to blame what we see as wrong with society as someone else’s fault.  Don’t blame someone else for what is wrong in your life, not your parents, not your pastor, not the governor, not the president, nor anyone else.  Recognize that what is wrong in your life is a result of your sins and turn to God for forgiveness and change.