Friday 01 April 2011

Background

There is a flow in the readings for this week. We haveconsidered the way God calls each of us to obedience, and at howdisobedience can have brutal consequences. Today, we are looking atthe mercy and love of God.

Hosea is a difficult book to understand. It tells of unfaithfulwives, and the punishment meted out to them (chapters 1-2); itgives detailed accounts of the unfaithfulness of the nations andhow this destroys the covenant with God (chapters 4-10). Where isthe good news in this Scripture? It seems to go against everythingwe know of God.

But it is not that simple. Hosea prophecies that God will notabandon God's people, and that God will "come to us like theshowers, like the spring rains that water the earth" (verse 3). Nomatter how unrepentant we are, and how badly wrong we get it, Godwill not abandon us. There is nothing we can do that will drive Godaway. Again, we are presented with God who loves us unconditionallyand without restraint. All we need to do is acknowledge God andaccept the forgiveness we are being offered.

To Ponder

Sometimes we can feel abandoned because we feelno one could possibly love us. Take some time to acknowledge God'slove and allow yourself to be healed.

How do we continue to understand the good newseven when parts of the Bible are difficult and seem negative?

God accepts us back into relationship even whenwe are unfaithful. To what extent can we do the same to those wholet us down?