The Heart of Love
Pentecost 24A – NL 2
November 12, 2023
Our Savior’s, Faribault, MN
Hosea 11.1-9
Things are getting a little crazier in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Have you been able to sense it these past few weeks? God has remained faithful to God’ people, fulfilling the promises to Abraham and Sarah that they’d be the ancestors of a numerous people. Though they became numerous as slaves in Egypt, God rescued them through Moses who led them back to the Promised Land.
On the way, God and the Israelites entered into a covenant that they would be an exclusive item. Settling in the land as a loose confederation of tribes, life began to be hopeful when King David united the 12 tribes and his son Solomon brought order. Unfortunately, it’s gone downhill since then as the rebel Jeroboam convinced the 10 Northern tribes to secede, and it keeps getting worse. As we learned last week, all of the kings following Jeroboam “walked in his ways and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord,” principally worshiping other gods like Baal.
It’s been 100 years since Elijah dueled the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and the Israelites have not changed, continuing to treat YHWH as just another god along with others. But what has added to the craziness has been a bloody civil war with its Southern brother, Judah, designed to convince them to join forces against the encroaching threat of Assyria to the north. Israel is in danger of being overrun and made a vassal state of a powerful nation. All seems hopeless.
Into this situation comes another prophet, Hosea, who for 10 chapters doesn’t make it any better for Israel and the Northern kings. Through the prophetic act of his marriage to his wife, Gomer, who exhibits serial infidelity, and his rebellious children, Hosea holds a mirror to the Israelites accusing them of the same things that are happening in his life. In other words, Israel has not only committed religious adultery and rebelled, they have also trusted in earthly kings instead of their heavenly king. By not trusting in YHWH, they have sown the seeds of their own situation, which does not look good.
Hosea begins our reading today reminding the Israelites YHWH’s faithfulness by recalling the seminal event of the Jewish people, the Exodus from Egypt. Unfortunately, he says, they will now “return to the land of Egypt.” In other words, because of their unfaithfulness they will become enslaved again and the devastation will be even more horrific, if that’s possible. Indeed, Hosea’s prophecy will come true. Assyria captured the Northern Kingdom, also known as Samaria, in 722-1 BCE. And in typical conqueror fashion, the Israelites become captive and carried off into exile inAssyria.
Well, that’s a real upper, isn’t it? That is if it weren’t for the tender words Hosea speaks to them in the midst of the harsh ones. He shifts the metaphor he’s been using from marriage and children in this life to God as a parent. The difference this time is that God is faithful and caring. God’s love for Israel is like a parent who cannot help but continue to love no matter what. The only thing that is stronger than God’s disappointment and anger is God’s love. Hosea indicates that, although Israel will be chastened, this will not be the end of God’s faithfulness and love for them.
As a parent, I can understand God’s love, if imperfectly. I love my children no matter what they do. However, as a child of God I’ve also experienced it. You see, I was one of those young people who left the church after Confirmation for various reasons. Some of the reason had to do with how unjustly I perceived that my father was treated by a previous church. Though I’d just affirmed my baptism, I wasn’t sure I believed in God and in the years following, in high school, college (at a Lutheran one at that!), and a few years into my adulthood, I lived like I didn’t believe in God.
But something happened. It was a small thing but became a big thing. Soon after Confirmation I got a call from my pastor, Hugh Gilmore, wondering why he hadn’t seen me in church. I’d been very active until that point. I told him of my crisis of faith and said I was done with the church. To Pr. Gilmore’s credit, he responded kindly. He didn’t try to argue with me or guilt me but simply offered to talk with me if I wanted. But more importantly, he told me I was always welcome back to Hope Lutheran Church.
Years later a coworker invited me to a young adults group. I was ready to start looking for some answers to questions I had about God and the faith. But I think it was Pr. Gilmore’s tender care several years earlier that laid the foundation for my ability to try the church again. I was loved back into the church. That’s one of many reasons I want all our young people (everyone really) to know that no matter what happens to them, no matter what they do or where they go, there will be a place for them. (By the way, I met my wife, Cindy, in that young adult group and we were married at Hope Lutheran Church.)
As I’ve become a pastor, I have emphasized what I told our children today about God’s love. I want to make sure that they understand that baptism is God’s gift to us and that it’s for us more than it is for God. Baptism is God’s way of promising us that we will always belong to God, always be loved by God no matter what happens in our lives, that we are God’s Beloved Children. What we’ll learn in the coming months as we get closer to the Jesus story is that it gets worse for Israel and Judah. But we will also learn that God will go to great lengths to get this message across, including giving his only Son, Jesus, to do so. That’s the heart of love. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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