Today’s Meditation

Today's post was written by our Seminary Field Education Student, Ben Little.

Read Hosea 11:1-11

11 “When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.
² But the more they were called,
    the more they went away from me.^[a]
They sacrificed to the Baals
    and they burned incense to images.
³ It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
    taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
    it was I who healed them.
⁴ 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.

⁵ “Will they not return to Egypt
    and will not Assyria rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?
⁶ A sword will flash in their cities;
    it will devour their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
⁷ My people are determined to turn from me.
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

⁸ “How can I give you up, Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion is aroused.
⁹ I will not carry out my fierce anger,
    nor will I devastate Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man—
    the Holy One among you.
    I will not come against their cities.
¹⁰ They will follow the Lord;
    he will roar like a lion.
When he roars,
    his children will come trembling from the west.
¹¹ They will come from Egypt,
    trembling like sparrows,
    from Assyria, fluttering like doves.
I will settle them in their homes,”
    declares the Lord.

Hosea is writing to the people of Israel from the perspective of God. God has called His people to come back to him from Egypt, but they have turned from Him. Much of Hosea is talking to the Israelites about the way in which they have turned from God and they have “cheated” on Him with other gods and other cultural experiences. Much of the other chapters speak of the frustration and anger of God over His people actively running away from Him, but chapter 11 is where we see how God is going to respond ultimately.

First God speaks again on His people turning from Him, and as a result, they are conquered and taken over. At this point God could turn from His people, but does He? “How can I give you up… My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.” Instead of letting His people stay conquered and alone, God has compassion for them and He carries them back and settles them in their homes.

These are strange times and the idea of being carried to our physical homes seems almost unbearable if you have been sitting there for the last 5 weeks. But I want to challenge you today to pray for God’s restoration to a different home, our spiritual homes. We have been swept away from one another and from our spiritual homes by an enemy that is unseen and hard to define, but God is still here with us, is still guiding us and is still holding us in the palm of His hand.

My prayer for us all today is that we might be restored to our spiritual homes soon and that we would not lose sight of God and His work in the midst of these trying times.

Kyrie Eleison - a beautiful, Gregorian Chant, which means "Lord, Have Mercy"