Hosea

When I read the passage for today from the common lectionary I was struck at how applicable it still is. Politicians still need to be called to account for their actions. There are still cover-ups as in how many people knew and when did they know. But those cover-ups are not just in the news about Foley, but in news about authorizing torture, hiding information, and more.

I'm not sure that the steop of naming one's children to make a point would work these days. In Hosea's day I would still feel sorry for his children having to bear those sorts of hames. But... a point was made.

We need to consider how to make apoint today about what we expect from our politicians and from our country. Is it just a dictator who commands us for a time and we obey? Or do we want more. I think God calls all of us who are Christian to speak to the world about caring for each other. Whether it is protecting the least among us by actions within our communities such as shelters and food banks, hether it is protecting the least among us by actions towards the nations such as civil protests, hether it is protecting the least among us in some other fashion, we are called to do more than what we have done.

I'm not sure I would have liked Hosea if I'd met him. But he had the courage to live out his beliefs. Do we?

Hosea 1:1-2:1

[1] The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel.

[2] When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits reat whoredom by forsaking the LORD." [3] So he went and took Gomer daughter of iblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

[4] And the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. [5] On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

[6] She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the LORD said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. [7] But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen."

[8] When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. [9] Then the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God."

[10] Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God." [11] The people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head; and they shall take possession of the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

[2:1] Say to your brother, Ammi, and to your sister, Ruhamah.