"Hosea" is the twenty-eighth book of the "Holy Bible," and it was primarily written by Hosea himself. It's a short one. It only took me a couple of days to wrap it up. I didn't actually know anything about this one going into it.
The character Hosea is not someone I am or was very familiar with. I don't remember any stories of him from my churchy past. As it turns out, he is one of the prophets, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel who spoke of the punishment that Israel rightly deserved. Coming after "Daniel," which takes place after the capture of Babylon, it seems we have to take a step back to the time before. At least, that's how it seemed to me. I was a little confused at the beginning of it.
Whatever the case may be, Hosea is prophesying the fall of Israel, but he is doing it in a very strange way. There is no anger here--only disappointment and regret. God relieved his anger with "Ezekiel." Now he is just sad. This is a very depressing book to read, because it shows God in what appears to be a depressed state.
The book uses the similitude of a broken relationship, such as with a husband and wife, where the wife is whoring herself to other people. God sees Israel as a wife who has cheated on Him. As He is a self-professed jealous God, that is not an incorrect way for Him to view it. After doing so many things to make His people happy, they still turn from Him like a bunch of brats. At this point, He has had enough. All the anger of God is gone. He has simply moved on in sadness, for a time.
Through the prophet Hosea, He calls out all the groups who betrayed Him and also calls out their just punishments. The book is very simple and straight forward. Something you may see as strange is that I honestly feel bad for God. God was let down, and He didn't deserve what He got. I find that a lot of people have difficulties feeling compassion for God, because they seem to have difficulty conceiving of Him. God is a person. He has feelings. He can get depressed. This book proves it.
If you ever lost a friend or had someone you knew for a long time betray you, you'll know what God was feeling. It hurts, and despite being all-powerful, God felt pain. He expresses this pain through Hosea. It's real sad.
I'd only recommend "Hosea" if you are curious into God as a person. If you'd rather see Him as something entirely imperceptible, then you might not even understand what you are reading anyways. Either way, I am glad I read it. Time to move on.
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Interesting. It is stupid of people to assume God is smug and dispassionate. Creation was and is a lot of hard work. God is the Artist. He was inspired but is frustrated trying to bring that inspiration to fruition. This reality is still being crafted. It ain't over yet.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's still in the making while simultaneously already finished. We have an odd perspective on the whole thing.
DeleteIt's sad that compassion for God is an uncommon thing among us. Indeed God is depressed with the failures of man, it was betrayal and no accident that they turned their backs on him. We are creations derivative from God so we should be able to easily see things from his perspective.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't more people do this? Are people really that uncaring?
DeleteOnly a person can make people. Our sadness comes from Him, along with every other feeling. He can comfort us in our afflictions, because He knows what we are going through.
ReplyDeleteNobody ever has compassion for God. I don't understand why.
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