”They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they will become wanderers among the nations.“
Hosea 9:9, 17 CSB
I hate to ruin the punchline, but this passage is such a stark contrast to the Gospel. Hosea’s message is intended to shock Israel from the path they are on, to get them to come to their senses and return to God! The Good News of God is these terrible consequences are immediately reversed when they begin to seek Him.
Even more exciting is the opportunity we have to seek God through Jesus! Jesus has paid the penalty for all of our sin; past, present and even future. Not only does He take on the responsibility of our sin, but God begins changing us into people who LOVE to seek Him…who want to obey, who are blessed to spend time with His people, who are energized when they are self sacrificing, who experience peace even in stressful times and are filled with joy in hard times.
Lord I am so thankful that because of Jesus, I am not like the Israelites in this passage! I could not stand to be rejected by you or have to take on the punishment my sin deserves…I would be crushed. What a joy to know that you made a way for me, help me to know you more and live confidently in your peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment