Thoughts for the Day

Israel’s Sin and Captivity

Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars,
and destroy their pillars.

For now they will say:
‘We have no king,
for we do not fear the Lord,
and a king—what could he do for us?’...

Samaria’s king shall perish
like a splinter on the face of the waters.
The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
shall be destroyed.
Thorn and thistle shall grow up
on their altars.
They shall say to the mountains, Cover us,
and to the hills, Fall on us...

Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

As you will see we are galloping through the book of Hosea. In the previous chapter (which the lectionary does not give us) we see that a terrible destiny for Israel is pronounced. The people may call Hosea a fool, but he knows he is God's Watchmen, and he will not hold his tongue, so he proclaims the fact that Israel will become a slave nation to Assyria, as she once was to Egypt. Sin has become habitual, ingrained, to the point where God finally withdraws His love.

Chapter 10 reminds us that Israel is outwardly affluent. She is a “luxuriant vine that yields its fruit”, and the more her wealth increases the more pagan “altars” appear making a great show of their religion. But inwardly the people move further and further away from God. They do not fear the Lord, thinking he could do nothing for them. The image at Bethel has become the nation's only king. They prefer to worship the golden calf, a ‘king’ marked by God for destruction. Hosea says at “The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed”, and “thorn and thistle shall grow up on their altars.” When the juggernaut that is Assyria invades all will be laid waste and its people killed or scattered around the Empire.

God’s people will reap what they have sown. Yet at the last moment there is a moment of hope. If they will only sow an altogether different crop Hosea says, continuing with the farming image, that is if they sow “righteousness” they may be able to reap a different harvest. The Hebrew word for righteousness, means “justice”, “virtue”, and “uprightness”, all key characteristics of God. It's time for the northern tribes to seek the Lord!

Father-God,
we know our own faults and weaknesses,
and the times we too sow a faulty crop in our life.
Help us to seek You
and to sow the seeds of righteousness
seeking the ways of virtue,
justice and peace
Amen.