Hosea 11:1-9

Hosea 11:1-9

Initial Thoughts

• Most of Hosea is a story (metaphor) of marriage and infidelity. Here, the metaphor shifts to wounded parent. Interpretation of this passage varies widely:

  • “And clearly, this metaphor too is full of poignancy and power. As Walter Brueggemann observes, Hosea 11 is "among the most remarkable oracles in the entire prophetic literature."1 But perhaps this assessment is too modest; according to H. D. Beeby, having arrived at Hosea 11, "we penetrate deeper into the heart and mind of God than anywhere in the Old Testament." In a word, what the prophet finds in God's innermost mind and heart is grace.” (Clint McCann, Working Preacher)

  • “Most may not receive this as “good news” at first in the traditional sense, but rather more along the lines of spinach and colonoscopies, things we need and which will improve us, but which we may not like.”  (Timothy Simpson, Politics of Scripture)

  • Carol Howard Merritt, who wishes it wasn’t in the Lectionary (Christian Century)

    • “The backstory of Hosea is that he is a prophet who wants to illustrate God’s love. He marries Gomer, a sex worker. She is unfaithful, so he buys her back. The prophet Hosea is concerned with loyalty, particularly in this passage….

The hardest questions for me are: How do we lift up the reality that our scriptures are filled with proprietary notions regarding women? Is it ever good to preach texts in which humans are bought and sold? How do we speak of “redemption” with our history of slavery and human trafficking? How can we preach Hosea and struggle faithfully with the larger framework of the book?” (Carol Howard Merritt, The Hardest Question)

• Direct connection to last couple weeks - despite Jeroboam being the wise and tempered king, he still falls into unfaithfulness and golden calf worship, despite Elijah’s miraculous throw down with the prophets of Baal, the people still find time to worship Baal.

Bible Study

• Hosea context

  • Prophet in Northern Kingdom of Israel in the final days before it falls to Assyria in 721 BCE

    • Likely during the reign of King Hoshea ~727 BCE, Hoshea was the one who made the poor decision to try and ally with the Egyptians against the Assyrians. It backfired. (2 Kings 17:3-4)

    • Some Israelites have already been deported to Assyria

    • Israelite is now a vassal of Assyria

  • The Israelites, instead of trusting in God, seek alliances with Egypt and Syria and to the warrior God Baal.

• Idolatry - both the worship of that which isn’t God and trusting in things which work counter to who God is

  • “Idolatry is not having images and icons and works of art and concepts that may (or may not) point us toward the God, but mistaking these pointers for God.” Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16).

• Begins with what God has done v.1-4

  • “I” loved, called, taught, took, healed, led, lifted, bent down, fed

  • Emphasized the child’s lack of gratitude or awareness of what God has done

  • God as mother of Israel. Tender expressions of love and nurturing. “It was I who:” 

    • Taught him to walk

    • Took him in arms. 

    • Healed him. 

    • Cords of love

    • “Treated them like those who lift infants to their cheek” - a motherly embrace

    • Bent down to them and fed them.

• Language changes to accusation and judgment v.5-7

  • In response, Israel and Ephraim (the largest tribe within Israel):

    • Did not know

    • Refused to return

    • Bent on turning away

• BUT, God will Rickroll

  • Not give you up - instead God is a God who bends down and lifts up (v.4)

  • Grow in compassion

  • Won’t act on heat of anger

  • Won’t come in harsh judgment

  • The heat of God’s anger (v.9) comes in warm and tender compassion (v.8)

• Instead, 

  • “They will walk after the LORD, who roars like a lion. When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.11 They will come trembling like a bird, and like a dove from the land of Assyria; and I will return them to their homes, says the LORD.”

• Consequence and grace

  • This passage ends in hope - while the Israelites have strayed and must face the consequences of their decisions, those consequences will not have the last word

  • God’s grace will reign and prevail over our worst decisions and inclinations

• “As with the marriage metaphor in chapters 1-3, the use of the Divine Parent metaphor here illustrates the depth of God’s emotional responses to the prodigal Israel. God is a tender and instructive parent, offering wisdom and healing to God’s children at every turn. But as the child rejects his parent, Hosea 11 reveals God’s deep anguish and anger. God’s conflicting emotional commitment churn within God’s heart, but ultimately God chooses to express salvific care to the nation of Israel, once again rescuing them from captivity and establishing them in their own land.” (David Garber, Jr., Working Preacher)

Thoughts and Questions

• “In times of catastrophe, we have always asked, "How can God allow it?" Here a curtain is pulled back to disclose God asking—four times—"How can I allow it?" Even God must struggle with the theodicy question.” Paul Simpson Duke, Feasting on the Word: Year C, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season After Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16)(Propers 3-16).

• “In homiletics class in seminary, we were repeatedly challenged to answer the question “So what’s the good news about this text?” Obviously, I don’t think that is easily answered in this week’s text. It is true that, when compared with the other deities in the region in antiquity, Yahweh is far more humane, emotionally mature, as well as less arbitrary and less capricious than any of his competitors. That larger cultural landscape is not easily conveyed, however, in your average 20 minute sermon, and even if it can be done, the result is far from satisfying. We want happy endings, or at least tidy ones. We want all our questions answered, if not within the sixty minutes of the current episode, at least by next year’s season premiere. We can wait a bit for closure, maybe for a few months in order to find out “Who shot J.R.?” but not too long.” (Timothy Simpson, Politics of Scripture)

• So, which is it? A beautiful look into the gracious heart of God, an unpleasant, but necessary story that we must choke down, or a too, little, too late try at saving an unsaveable metaphor of human trafficking?

• Check out Rev. Karla Seyb-Stockton’s (pastor of Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Serra Mesa) great voice in the wilderness from earlier this year when Hosea 11:1-11 was in the RCL

Hosea 11:1-11 is a passage any parent can related to. We can hardly wait until our babies can walk and talk, then we are horrified at what they say and do. What parent hasn’t been wounded by the child who refuses to hold dear what you most treasure? Or is it just me? Is it only my child who knows exactly what to say to strike a dagger into my heart? This child who I have provided for her every need, who I have lost sleep over, who I have comforted and cleaned up and coddled and kissed is the same child that will break my heart just as quickly as she will fill it with joy.

God, as the parent of Israel is in the same position. Israel is the willful child that rebels against the parent, knowing exactly which ways to poke at the parent’s most important traditions and highest values. Israel worships other gods. Israel ignores Yahweh and goes back to Egypt who enslaved her for support. She goes to Assyria’s king for aid, even though he does not have her best interest at heart.

Israel will, of course, reap the consequences of her choices. Like an addicted son or daughter, the drug steals the child’s moral compass and their life is torn apart from the inside out. Their choices lead to their destruction. Their body and soul is ravaged by the drug as much as by the lifestyle. So is Israel’s. Their identity is torn apart by their choices. They are broken and battered. No one is safe from the sword. Violence consumes them all. God’s heart is broken.

And just as a parent might have yelled out in anger and frustration, but in the end, takes back her wayward son, so God takes back Israel. God’s mercy runs hot and God’s love runs deep. God will not refuse the child. God will welcome Israel with warmth and tenderness. Even as the child expects condemnation, that is not what they will receive. They will receive an invitation. They will receive a welcome home. They are reminded that they are beloved children of God.

So preachers, we get to remind our people they are children of God. We get to tell them to take heart. It isn’t only for them, but for their wayward loved ones too. We get to teach them to say, “You are welcome in the house of God. No matter how far you have strayed. No matter what you have done, you are like Israel, God’s beloved child. God’s heart beats for you. God’s love is never ending. There is nothing you can do to change that, so come on home. Live with God. You are loved.”

Once again, I am pastor Karla Seyb-Stockton. I do a mostly daily blog, part Bible study, part devotional, based on the Revised Common Lectionary texts. You can find my blog, Words to Live By at pastorkarlablog.wordpress.com or Facebook page Pastor Karla - Words to Live By.

Blessings to you, each and every one.

Opening music: Misirlou, One Man 90 Instruments by Joe Penna/MysteryGuitarMan at MIM

Closing Song by Bryan Odeen