Bible Stories for the Young
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Did you know that God feels emotions? During the time when God spoke to Hosea about the pain that His Bride was causing Him, God expressed some other emotions to and through Hosea, too.
God’s affectionate, loving heart wanted so badly to hold His Family close and help them wake up to His Love. But God’s Holy heart can’t ignore sin, so He was upset and had to talk to them about it.
Listen to some of these things God expressed through Hosea…
He said, “I will be like a lion to My People… ROAR!
“After that they will look for Me because they are so stressed in their troubles. They’ll say, ‘Come on! Let’s go back to the Lord. He’s torn us to pieces, but He’ll heal us! He has given us an owie, but He will bandage the boo-boos! After two days, He will bring us back to life. On the third day, He’ll heal us so that we may live with Him. So, let’s look for Him! Let’s try to really know God! He will come to our rescue as surely as the sun comes up each morning, He will come to us as the winter rain comes to soften the ground for seed, and as the spring rain comes to water the land and causes the crops to burst into life!’”
That’s what the people would say (and that might sound right), but God knew what was in their hearts, and it hurt Him. “Ohhhh, My Family!” He said. “What am I going to do with you? The problem is that your commitment to Me only lasts about as long as the morning dew in the grass… So My judgment will come like the light of the sun coming up in the morning. For I want mercy, not sacrifice. I want an awareness and a recognition of Me. I’m happy when you stick with Me every day, and not just offer Me sacrifices here and there.”
“Every time I want to heal you, more evil deeds come up. You have mixed yourself up among the world; you’re a half-baked cake.”
A half-baked cake is not very yummy, is it? God’s telling them, “You won’t stick with Me. Your actions don’t match your words. You say you’re sorry and do a few things right, but then you keep jumping out of the oven before you’re fully cooked.”
That’s not okay. You have to come to God with all your heart. NO thought of giving up halfway cooked — even when the oven starts feeling hot and uncomfortable! You have to be ALL IN — Unconditional Surrender to the King of Kings. With NO Backup plans. No Plan B. God has to be your only Answer and ONLY plan.
God went on to tell Hosea,
“They have run from Me! I want to deliver them, but they’ve lied to Me. They don’t talk to Me, even though they are stressed out and cry on their beds. They punish themselves for their false gods, but they turn away from Me. I trained them and strengthened their arms, but they plan evil against Me. They don’t turn to Me.
“So, the enemy swoops down on them, Then they beg Me, ‘Help us, for You’re our God!’ But it’s too late! They have pushed away what is good. They’ve made idols with stuff of the earth—idols that must be smashed, smashed, smashed to bits.
“They’ve planted the wind and will harvest the whirlwind. I gave them all My laws (so they know better), but they act as if those laws don’t apply to them. I have to punish them. Back to slavery they’ll go. They can’t stay here in My land. They can’t celebrate My parties.”
“O Israel, when I first found you, it was like finding fresh grapes in the desert. But then you left Me and gave yourself to your idols, becoming as detestable as those things you love. Oh, the Glory of Israel will fly away like a bird. It’s going to be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you all alone.”
“Ohhh, your hearts are as hard as a field that has not been plowed and planted. Break up the hard ground of your hearts. Plant the seeds of doing what is right. Then you will harvest the fruit of unfailing love. It’s time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers His blessings and righteousness on you.”
“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. But the more I called them, the more they ran away from Me. It was Me who taught them to walk, taking them by the arms; I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them. But My people are determined to turn away from Me. Even though they call Me God Most High.
“How can I give up on you? How can I hand you over, My People?”
“I’ve been the Lord your God ever since you came out of slavery. So, you must not acknowledge any god but Me. Except for Me… there is no Rescuer.
“When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; once they were proud, they forgot about Me. So I’ll be like a lion to them, I will come after them.”
(God’s Father-heart has been tender and gentle with them, but He‘s also got to help them break up all that hardness.)
“You are in trouble because you are against Me. Should I pay the price to deliver this people from the power of the grave? Should I buy them back from death? Death, where are your thorns? Grave, where is your sting? Changing my mind and compassion are hidden from My eyes.”
So did you notice God’s emotions? Daddy heart and lion’s heart. He is both heartbroken and angry.
This was His chosen Family… He had deeply invested in them. They KNEW BETTER. He had taught them, led them, fed them, wooed them, “strengthened their arms”… but they still tried to have it their own way.
They just wanted a “little bit of God in their lives” without letting Him be the Lord and Boss of EVERYthing, Every Day. They wanted to try to hold on to God’s blessings while also holding on to their right to their sinful self-life and idols. (Phht! sound) You can’t do that with God. You can’t plow and plant the field of your heart one day, and then walk away and leave it untended the next. Your ground will get hard… and that always means a WHIRLWIND of trouble, trouble, trouble.
Once again, they KNEW BETTER… and now you know better, too.
God told the people how they could turn back to Him, if only they would. God said,
“Return to the Lord your God. Take words with you and return to the Lord, to Me. Say to Me: ‘Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously. We will never again call the stuff of earth our gods.’”
Bring your words, and talk to the Lord.
Did you notice that God wanted them to come back to Him with some “words”? He didn’t just want them to feel sorry. He didn’t just want them to change. Those are important things, of course. BUT He also wanted them to come back to Him with some WORDS. God made words very powerful little things when spoken in truth and sincerity.
When you’ve hurt someone or done something bad (whether it’s God or another person), it’s not really enough to think you can just “do better next time,” is it? If you’ve caused an owie in a relationship, then you need to try to make things right with that person. You need to think about why you did what you did and why you don’t want to do it again. Then you go to that person and use your words to let them know what you’re thinking. You take words like “I’m sorry” or “please forgive me.” And those words spoken in honesty and openness and softness are like a little bandaid or a little medicine ointment until that boo-boo can heal.
“I will heal their tendency to turn away from Me and I’ll love them freely. They will blossom like a lily. Like a strong cedar tree they will send down roots; young trees will grow. People will dwell again in the shade of My Nation; they will flourish like the grain, they will blossom like the vine with yummy juice.
“Ohhh! I don’t want to have anything to do with your idols anymore! *I* will answer you and *I* will care for you.
“Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is a careful listener and observer? Let them understand what I’m saying. The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”
Let’s be those wise, careful listeners and observers, okay? We know better.
