There are two readings for today.
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 11
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. [Hosea 11:4]
Hosea describes the people of Israel like a small child, raised and cared for by a loving parent, embraced by “cords of human kindness, with ties of love.”
But he also describes their response like a rebellious child, refusing to be loved and led.
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. [Hosea 11:1]
God the Father is angry and hurt, but as He considers the punishment, His “ties of love” overcome Him: How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? … My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused. [Hosea 11:8]
God’s plan is to restore His rebellious children, and the key to this plan is Jesus.
Jesus is “God become on of us”; in other words He becomes the first perfectly faithful child of God – He is the beginning of a new Israel.
This is made clear by Matthew who quotes Hosea 11:1 when talking about Jesus being in Egypt as a child (Matthew 2:15].
As a faithful son of God, Jesus reveals the Father heart of God; His love is similar to that of a human parent, yet so much more [Hosea 11:9, Matthew 7:11].
And He demonstrates the special concern of God as parent when He welcomes and blesses the little children.
Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” [Matthew 19:13-14]
To these children, Jesus “was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.”
The point of all this is that God is still, and always will be, a loving Father Who cannot help but love His children even when they rebel.
Through Jesus we see that God’s intention – despite our resistance and rebellion – is to restore us to His kingdom blessing.
If He were human like us, His love would not endure – but He is God, not man, and His love is so much more than ours.
God still hates sin, and He still punishes sinners, with “cords of human kindness, with ties of love.”
This may seem hard to us, how can someone punish someone and still love them?
And yet if you are a parent, you do understand, a little.
See yourself as this child, imagine yourself squirming and resisting the Father’s love.
Then imagine His loving arms firmly pulling you close, and placing His hands on you and praying a blessing on you!
PRAYER:
Lord, bless me as I squirm, and do not let my resistance separate me from Your ties of love.