How we look at life and its relation to God significantly influences our behavior during challenging times. One option is to be self-centered, focusing solely on our needs and desires.
Conversely, we can concentrate on God and constantly ask, “What is God’s purpose in this situation, and how can I align myself with Him?”
Hosea and the prophets continually called people to find out what God was up to so they could join Him in His work.
When Ephraim saw his sickness
and Judah his wound,
then Ephraim went to Assyria
and sent to the great king.
But he is not able to cure you
or heal your wound. (Hosea 5.13)
“Ephraim” was the pet name for the northern kingdom, Israel. They faced a significant challenge: a war with Syria and surrounding nations. Instead of turning to God and asking for His guidance, they chose to form an alliance with Assyria.
This alliance involved paying tribute in gold to the nation and accepting their gods as part of the bargain.
When we concentrate solely on our needs, our vision of God dims. Instead of seeking guidance from God, we turn to whatever seems likely to fulfill our needs.
God’s message to us echoes what He told the Northern Kingdom of Israel: We cannot solve or heal our problems on our own.
The best course of action is to determine where God is at work and join Him in His activity.
The Grace of Punishment
There is a certain grace in God’s punishment of human wrongdoing. People must realize why and where their suffering came from. Otherwise, they will not be able to repent.
For I will be like a lion to Ephraim
and like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I myself will tear and go away;
I will carry off, and no one shall rescue. (Hosea 5.14)
God’s final word on sin and its punishment is not focused in this verse, but rather at the conclusion of each Gospel in the New Testament. It centers on Jesus dying on the cross for sinners, a group that includes me.
We celebrate God’s grace, yet we must acknowledge that God does not permit us to live apart from Him or to pursue substitutes for Him without consequences.
He often takes us to a pivotal, rock-bottom situation, compelling us to look upwards and turn to Him as our guide and Savior.
An Absent God
Samson took God’s activity in his life for granted and flaunted it before God’s enemies. However, a point came when he crossed the line.
The tragic reality became clear to him: “He did not know that the Lord had left him” (Judges 16.20).
Like Samson, the Israelites had abandoned their faithful relationship with Jehovah on many occasions. Now, it is His time to say, “I will abandon you.”
I will return again to my place
until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face.
In their distress they will beg my favor. (Hosea 5.15)
The central characteristic of heaven is that God is there. Heaven is an atmosphere permeated by God’s love, joy, grace, faithfulness, and much more.
On the other hand, hell is primarily characterized by the absence of God. Hell on earth is living separate from God.
Humans can become so absorbed in their problems and pleasures that they neglect to think about God.
It is a merciful act of God to introduce sufficient pain into our lives, causing us to pause and ask, “Can life improve? Can God provide the life I’ve always desired but haven’t pursued through Him?”
This was what God did with Israel and what He continues to do with us today. We have the option to turn to Him now and allow Him to work in our lives.
Let’s commit to discovering God’s purposes and plans for our lives and align ourselves with them. Let’s decide not to let our problems and pleasures dominate our decisions.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 