(Part Two)
The book of Hosea relies heavily on word pictures, metaphors, to get its message across. The metaphor of Gomer, for example, her harlotry, and Hosea’s unconditional love are tangible representations of how, even when we offend God, God unconditionally loves us. Although God has accused Israel of infidelity and made a case for her punishment in the most graphic of terms, He has also made it clear that, in the end, she will be restored. He will welcome her back as the wife of His youth. Other metaphors are the dew, the lily, the great cedars of Lebanon, and an olive tree. Like Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, each of these images was hand-picked by God because of their unique ability to portray His message.
God promises to be like the dew to Israel and comes in response to Hosea’s plea in chapter six that He come to Israel as the rain. Both dew and rain are considered great divine blessings, but of the two, the dew is considered the greater. The rain, although necessary and a boon to the land, is not constant. At times there are droughts; at other times, the rain comes accompanied by thunder, lightning, hail, and floods, sometimes causing more damage than blessing. The dew, on the other hand, is constant, consistent, and dependable. Every morning it is there.
Further, in Scripture, the rain is dependent on human behavior. Many times, the rains were withheld because of disobedience, and the amount of rain received was commensurate with the behavior of the people. The Talmud points out that when the shepherds of Lot and Abraham fought over pastures, the men decided to separate. Lot chose the easy way, the well-watered plains of the Jordan River; Abraham chose Canaan, a land dependent on rainfall, forever linking his people to the Lord in a land whose sustenance depended on obedience.
Dew, however, is not dependent on behavior. It is always there, a constant and gentle blessing from the Lord. Even Elijah, when declaring a drought on the land because of the immoral behavior of the people, was able to stop the rain, but not the dew. Not contingent on our actions, the dew represents God’s unconditional love, His unmerited favor, His mercy.
The lilies of the Middle East appear in a variety of colors, mostly white or dark red. (I have a variety of different color lilies in my garden) The hillsides of the Judean wilderness can be stark and barren for years until the plentiful rains come. Overnight, those same hillsides come alive with the vibrant color of the lily whose roots have lain dormant, seemingly dead, waiting for the rain. Scripture says that the lily “toils not” for its beauty but is cared for by God Himself. God will draw Israel to repentance. Then will Israel, lifeless and without value, spring to life and flourish like the lily, illuminating the world with her beauty.
The lily can lie dormant for long periods of time because it has a very short root, but the cedars of Lebanon are just the opposite. Some of the tallest trees in the world, their root systems go nearly as deep as they are tall. Those same roots are so strong that they become firmly implanted, even in the mountainous hillsides. The trees are remarkably stable, able to withstand whatever winds or tempests might come. Though they lack the brilliant beauty of the lily, they are majestic and immovable. They are also famed for their magnificent aroma, used for millennia to line closets and chests for storage.
The olive with its delicate silver-toned leaves is one of the most beautiful of all trees. It is also known for its longevity—one of the three longest-lived trees on earth—and for its indestructibility. Its roots are so strong that the tree is virtually impossible to destroy.
Each of these images adds a layer of clarity to God’s loving intentions for Israel, then and now. At the end of chapter one, Hosea foretells the re-gathering of the Jewish people to their Land with the northern and southern kingdoms united as one and alludes to the coming of the Messiah. In chapter three, he again speaks of the dispersion and then the re-gathering, this time clearly anticipating the coming of the Messiah. Israel will fear the Lord and dwell in His goodness in the latter days, he tells us, and we are witnessing the fulfillment of these prophecies today.
Although Hosea’s words were aimed directly at the people of his day, bringing a frightful warning as well as the promise of redemption, his prophecies were addressed to generations to come as well. They are as relevant today as they were when they were first spoken.
Hosea was looking at the entire vista of history and all that it would mean for the nation of Israel. His world was much like ours, filled with evil and violence, lacking knowledge of the Lord with true goodness and mercy being hard to find. His warning to Israel rings true for us today, even as Christians: if we are called by His name, Hosea’s plea for repentance and obedience should convict us as it did the ancients.
In these latter days, God is calling His people to a relationship of deep intimacy and trust with complete dependence on Him, hearing His voice, walking with Him in the cool of the evening, and comparing every teaching or word of prophecy to the proven Word He has already given us.
We are not to trust in governments, rely on our own strength, fall victim to idol worship, or even depend on the rain. We are to trust Him and Him alone. And to prove His faithfulness, we are to watch as Israel rises from the dust of history, nurtured by the dew of His love, radiant like the lily in her beauty, and impervious like the cedar to the world that would try to destroy her. Hosea prophesied it, and if we are wise, we will understand it. Then, like the thick branches of the olive tree, the ways of Lord will shield us, and our fruit will be found in Him.
Hosea, Gregory Norbert , OSB https://youtu.be/WzJ5mTqzcJw
Come back to me with all your heart
Don’t let fear keep us apart
Trees do bend though straight and tall
So must we to others’ call
Long have I waited for
Your coming home to Me
And living deeply our new life.
The wilderness will lead you
To your heart where I will speak
Integrity and justice
With tenderness
You shall know
Long have I waited for
Your coming home to Me
And living deeply our new life.
You shall sleep, Secure with peace
Faithfulness will be your joy
Long have I waited for
Your coming home to Me
And living deeply our new life.
Long have I waited for
Your coming home to Me
And living deeply our new life.
Come back to me with all your heart
Don’t let fear keep us apart
Trees do bend, though straight and tall
So must we to others’ call
Long have I waited for
Your coming home to Me
And living deeply our new life.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!