Seventh In Ramah

The story of Hosea opens with “The word of the Lord that came to Hosea..”. A bit of genealogy, “in the days of” some pretty well known names. We’re getting settled for something big.

“When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: Go take yourself a wife of harlotry…” Hosea 1:2 NKJV

Oh.. got our attention. That is big! All distractions put away. A wife of harlotry? Why? A bit of playwright if you will.

A very clear facet of God is His masterful artistry. Not only in the fingerprint of creation, but His words of imagery, detailed symbolism, and metaphoric storytelling. Such intention laid out for His temple: Wood medleys, specific metals, incense recipes, even the floor plan. His words to Job are simply poetic. So many prophetic visions bursting with colorful gems and angelic presence. The parables of Jesus in the New Testament and actions preceding miracles are clearly authored by someone Divine. Our God and his limitless repertoire. There will never be another author and director that compares. No one with the same passion to get to our heart.

This time, it’s 8th century B.C. And He has watched His people depart from Him yet again. Parting the Red Sea and Jordan River, manna and quail galore, conquering land after land, prophecies and visions, supernatural events over and over again.. again they leave.

God places Hosea center stage, His own scripted renegade symbolic of the people. Homer, the wife of harlotry enters. Soon, beginning the children of harlotry, enters a son.

The Lord narrates: “…Call his name Jezreel, for in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. It shall come to pass in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” Hosea 1:45 NKJV

Then enters a daughter. “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, but I will utterly take them away. Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword or battle, by horses or horsemen.” Hosea 1:6-7 NKJV

Then enters another son. “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, And I will not be your God.” Hosea 1:9 NKJV

Focus leaves Hosea and his family as the Lord begins sharing His heart. Heartfelt poetic thoughts and feelings on display.

He speaks of unfaithfulness.. “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her in, so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not overtake them; yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.’ For she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold – which they prepared for Baal.” Hosea 2:6-8 NKJV

Restoration, mercy, the way back home… “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. And it shall be, in that day,” Says the LORD, “That you will call Me ‘My Husband, and no longer call Me ‘My Master’..” “It shall come to pass in that day That I will answer,’ says the LORD; ‘I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth. The earth shall answer with grain, with new wine, and with oil; They shall answer Jezreel. Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’” Hosea 2:15-16, 2:21-23 NKJV

Judgement.. Idolatry.. “Hear the word of the LORD, you children of Israel, for the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: there is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away.” “Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart. My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff informs them. For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God. They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops, and burn incense on the hills, under oaks, poplars, and terebinths, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters commit harlotry, and your brides commit adultery.” Hosea 4:1-3, 11-13 NKJV

A call to repentance, futile reliance, rebellion, captivity, but continuing love.. “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son. As they called them, so they went from them; they sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images. I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with gentle cords, with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them.” “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; my sympathy is stirred..” Hosea 11:1-4, 8 NKJV

Our attentions fully captivated, God calls for repentance once again. “O Israel, return to the LORD your God, For you have stumbled because of your iniquity; take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity, receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.” Hosea 14:1-2 NKJV

Then the most beautiful closing- “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall grow like the lily, and lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; his beauty shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall be revived like grain, and grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; your fruit is found in Me. Who is wise? Let him understand these things. Who is prudent? Let him know them. For the ways of the LORD are right; The righteous walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.” Hosea 14:4-9 NKJV

The curtains close, but we remain in our seats for a moment.. considering the feelings of God and letting it sink in how far He’s willing to go to get to into our hearts. To grab our attention. Through all the heartbreak His people caused Him, we can see the foreshadowing of the ultimate Grace. There’s no love like His love for us, and no distance too far to save us. There’s no sin too horrible for repentance. Nothing we can’t turn to Him from. May we remember how fiercely and divinely cared for we are when we hear the story of God’s instructed renegade.