The following reflection comes from a recent Bible journaling experience with a great group of brothers in the Lord. Our assigned text for the day included Hosea 9-14. Several of us chose to focus on the following passage from Hosea 10:1-2,
12-13:
What is the righteousness I should plant today? What ground of my heart has laid fallow as
I have sought my own pleasure and profit instead of heeding the just and
gracious words of the prophets? What injustice have I readily harvested? What
lies have I eaten because of my self-confidence and the human power and might
of my people? Have I begun to desire the destruction of those not like me?
Israel is a luxuriant vine
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars…
that yields its fruit.
The more his fruit increased,
the more altars he built;
as his country improved,
he improved his pillars.
Their heart is false;
now they must bear their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
and destroy their pillars…
 |
| Newly Plowed field in Israel |
Sow for yourselves
righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
You
have plowed iniquity;
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
therefore…
you have reaped injustice;
you have eaten the fruit of lies.
Because you have trusted in your own way
and in the multitude of your warriors,
therefore…
Israel, the
vine God had lovingly planted (see Isaiah 5:1-5), had been deceived by their
own self-love and pride and came to believe that the economic and political blessings
they enjoyed were a result of their manipulating the gods of the land rather
than a gracious gift of God. As a result, they trusted their own efforts and
wisdom instead of following the Lord
in obedience. God repeatedly warned the unfaithful people through authentic men
and women called prophets. In this book, the prophet Hosea consistently declared
that judgment was at hand.
Even still, in the face of shameless wickedness, the
Lord through the prophet called Israel
to repent and plant the seed which yields good fruit. Planting “righteousness”—a
heart that loves God will also do what is right as an expression of that love. As
John would later write, “We cannot love God and hate our brother (in word or deed).” While this passage is an extended exploration of the “you reap what you sow”
motif, God doesn’t delight in their destruction, but promises their eventual redemption and return. We should notice that Hosea is an affectively-charged book that serves as a
window into the heart of God as he wrestles with the reckless disregard of his
children (I have long used chapter 11 as a case study for the father-heart of
God).
It is amazing to me how faithful God is to repeatedly tear down the idolatrous altars of our fleshly infatuations and the false trusts of our minds that clamor for our attention including the skillfully-wrought towers of pride and self-sufficiency. He doesn't turn and walk away. For all our faithlessness and filthiness it doesn't distance him from us. He watches over us, providing for us unrecognized (11:4),
What is the righteousness I should plant today? What ground of my heart has laid fallow as
I have sought my own pleasure and profit instead of heeding the just and
gracious words of the prophets? What injustice have I readily harvested? What
lies have I eaten because of my self-confidence and the human power and might
of my people? Have I begun to desire the destruction of those not like me?
I am not
sure that I want to know the answers to these questions. It hurts too much. Thankfully, while some introspection is helpful, I don’t
have to list all of my many faults, I only need to humble myself and respond to
the love of the Lord today, for...
- He will plant his righteousness in my formerly barren heart.
- He will love me faithfully and heal my wanderings.
- He will take my solitary nature and set me in a family, his family, and he will call me his people!
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