Hosea

Hosea himself finds out firsthand what a damaged relationship is like and the feelings of dealing with an unfaithful wife.  Hosea can deliver his message with understanding and passion because he is living through it.   His life becomes a living message of God dealing with his unfaithful people.  Hosea shows us several things about the nature of God. 

1. God suffers when his people are unfaithful.
   1. He is a good, good Father who has gone to great lengths to draw us to him.
   2. This deep love causes deep pain as God's heart breaks over the damaged relationship.
2. God does not condone sin.
   1. While God is loving, he is also just.  He cannot and will not condone sin.
   2. By faith, God's people can find forgiveness of sins
   3. God is long-suffering, holding back the wrath that is deserved; all the while correcting and guiding His people to Himself.
3. God will never cease to love us.
   1. God's love never fails.
   2. He chastens and corrects.
   3. His anger is just and righteous.
   4. God's love still hasn't failed and never will.
4. He always seeks to win back those who forsake him.
   1. We run away, we fall and falter; we sin and find our self so far away from our heavenly Father.  How could he ever have us back?
   2. He not only allows us to come back, He actively seeks to win back those who have forsaken Him. 

There are so many parallels with the culture of Hosea's time and our culture. 

1. We have forgotten the things that made us great. 
2. We take for granted our material wealth as if we deserve it or earned in some way.  Yet, we see others in the world that are without the basic needs in life.  We'll do our part to help out as long as it isn't too much of an inconvenience. 
3. The people who built this land were men who feared God.  They were men who were willing to die for their beliefs.  Our freedom has been preserved by those willing to lay down their life to preserve it.  In this day, we just demand that the government fix it.  We throw money at the problem or we rewrite the rules so that it is no longer a problem. Test scores low in schools?  Lower the standards.  Teenage pregnancy rates are high?  Offer abortion.  On and on it goes.  We offer mans answer to the sin that is our affliction.

The book of Hosea is relevant to us in our day in a very special way.