Adultery

"(The adulteress) will pursue her lovers but not catch them; she will seek them but not find them. Then she will think: I will go back to my former husband, for then it was better for me than now. She does not recognize that it is I who gave her grain, the new wine, and the oil. I lavished silver and gold on her, which they used for Baal. Therefore, I will take back My grain in its time and My new win in its season; I will take away My wool and linen, which were to cover her nakedness. Now I will expose her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one will rescue her from My hands. I will put an end to all her celebrations: her feasts, New Moons, and Sabbaths -- all her festivals. I will devastate her vines and fig trees. She thinks that these are her wages that her lovers have given her. I will turn them into a thicket, and the wild animals will eat them. And I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she burned incense to them, put on her rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but forgot Me." This is the LORD's declaration.
~Hosea 2:7-13

A beloved friend LOVES the book of Hosea. The book of a minor prophet? Really? I asked myself. I started reading it last week, and found it interesting. And put it away for another day. This weekend, I began reading a book which, in it's first chapter, compares the Gospel of John to Hosea. Hmm. So I went back to Hosea.

This passage struck me. I thought about my country, and the condition of it's government, culture, and economy. Though I am no expert in any of these things, I participate in all of them to varying degrees.

Our government is riddled with greedy socialites. There are no more statesmen, no more men (or women) of good repute, working hard to make the country better. Everyone has an agenda, a personal goal to achieve in "service" to the US of A. Majorities are purchased by lobbyists and their agendas, trading one favor for another, to gain hold of a vote to pass their bill in order for them to make more money, to take control of something away from the someones most affected by their decisions, by the votes of those who have already sold their dignity, pride, and character.

Our culture has changed drastically over recent years. I heard something on the radio yesterday, a program that aired on TV just 50 years ago, when my parents were teenagers. A brief comment struck me - people purchased TVs JUST to be able to watch this ONE show. Most Americans didn't own TVs then. So people had parties or just a get-together to watch a TV show. Those who had, shared with those who had not. But somehow over time everyone HAD to own their own TV. Homes now have TVs with cable or satellite in more rooms than there are people to watch them. The graduating class of 2014 will never have lived in a time when a home had a phone where you had to stand in one place to talk on it. Even I remember the phone that hung on the wall where the earpiece was shaped like a bell and you spoke into a box. Odd that my 14-year-old neice (who is the oldest) would have no idea what that contraption is. As technology has progressed, and speed of everything has increased, the quality of relationships has decreased. More is always better, and better is always more. More toys, more stuff, more cars, more entertainment, more people, more money, more food. Supersize it. The more even has to be bigger. Not just an SUV, but a Hummer. A couple must purchase a mini-van as soon as the first ultrasound confirms a pregnancy of one baby. A vehicle that seats 7, for 3 people. It's all convenience, status, stuff.

Obama is raising taxes as of Jan 1. The treasury is printing too much money. Entertainers make a bizillion dollars for 6 months of work. Athletes make millions of dollars a year to lose every game. Executives caught in scandals of every kind are given multi-million dollar severance packages. They have just been paid 3 years' salary as a REWARD for an inappropriate sexual relationship or comment, or even for extortion! ENRON anyone? Come on! What the heck is going on??????????????

Greed. It's all greed. It's all stuff, status, and ignorance of how it will all unfold. Read that passage from Hosea again. Think God is telling us something? Think God has something to say? This nation, once built on principle, human conviction, honor, and justice, has been an adulteress for many years. She is getting worse every day, as I read the headlines. As this nation seeks it's usual gods of wealth, fame, and power, God is placing this nation in the midst of a thicket. We can't turn to what we have come to rely upon. The government cannot help us. Not now. Not in this place. The poverty that is striking our nation is our responsibility, and is our problem. We MUST turn back to our God, and recognize that it is HE who has been our Provider. HE who has given us our abundance, our wealth, our ability to choose a vehicle that is much too big for our needs and much too expensive for our budgets. God will put an end to this. But HOW? How will He end our feasting? Our festivals? And when He ends all that, will He restore? He can. But WILL He? Will He do this when we have our backs to Him? Will He restore us when we still seek our way?

The answer God gave through Hosea is beautiful. And encouraging. And best of all, TRUE!
"Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her vineyards back to her and make the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt.... For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, they will no longer be remembered by their names." ~ Hosea 2:14-17

The conversion here of the adulteress is complete. She doesn't even remember the names of her gods, the things that once tempted her and she willingly chased after. She doesn't need to. Her focus is total upon the Lord God. She need not rely on anyone or anything else for her fulfillment. Not stuff. Not choice meats. Not offerings to false gods. But the love of the One True God who does love her, even though she chased after other things, used the blessings He gave her to attract the attention of the false gods, the men, the attention and affection....

In one moment God is casting judgment on her, because He is holy and just. In the next he is wooing her, drawing her to Him because He loves her and wants her as his love. And He restores her.

When this nation casts down her idols, and turns her heart back to the Lord, He will restore us. He will provide for the poor and the destitute when their hearts belong to Him. He will comfort the widow and the orphan and the lonely among us. He will lay claim to hearts that once did not belong to Him.

All I can say is, aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............................