Israel.

I've started reading Hosea in the Bible, which is a miracle in itself that I wanted to read from the Bible. It's been a while since I've felt an obligation to read, and that obligation was completely welcome in my mind. I have been reading Hosea for a couple of reasons: Not only do I love the story in Hosea, but I really feel like I am very similar to the situation Israel was in (at least, emotionally).

Before, I used to think I was identical to Gomer, who is the prostitute that Hosea is told to marry. All of the sins and past thoughts and wrongdoings in my mind made me feel heavy, as though my transgressions were not ever going to be lifted off of my shoulders, and as it says in the Bible, the people of Israel had the same sin issues, yet looked to other things to relieve them of their sins instead of looking to the right answer- God.

Hosea 4:12b says, "They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God." and later in 4:18b, "They love shame more than honor." Sheesh, what a heavy burden. Even though the Israelites knew the right way to go, they still turned to other things in order to fulfill them. I think a lot of us do that, too in earthly ways. For instance, even if someone is right, and we know they are right, why is it so hard for us to admit we are wrong? We know the right answer is to acknowledge someone's correctness and yet do we do it? Rarely.

In Chapter 6 of Hosea, though, God reveals a redeeming strategy after the symbolic redeeming of Hosea's buying of Gomer. He says in verse 1 that "He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds." and God even says, "I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." If you know anything about Old Testament offerings, this is quite a statement to the people. Many worshipers (of whatever they worshiped) would burn offerings in order to show their god how much they cared, and God is saying that those offerings aren't even important.

My one fear in reading Hosea is to be "scared" into going back to Jesus, when it gets to chapter 7. God states, "What sorrow awaits those who have deserted me! Let them die, for they have rebelled against me. I wanted to redeem them, but they have told lies about me. ...(verse 15-16) I trained them and made them strong, yet now they plot evil against me. They look everywhere except to the Most High." Again, in the foolishness of our young generation, I think a lot of us do this. Although we know the right answer, we look to something else that will fulfill us in the immediate instance.

What keeps running through my head is selfishness. One has to be selfish in order to be turning to other less-fulfilling things because one is thinking of instant gratification rather than eternal greatness. It's hard for college students to move the focus off of themselves, considering all of our teachers are pounding our heads by saying, "You have to make the most of your life" once you graduate. Even though that is true, and that we are supposed to be in command of our own destiny - or so they say - there is still God who knows us better than anyone else and already knows where we'll end up in our life. Hard work is still necessary on our part, but all within the respects of God's plan. That is the right answer, and we should be seeking that than looking to false, temporary fillers.

We all start out like Israel, with selfishness inside of us. It is the selfishness that motivates our desires and our mishaps in worldly possessions or gods, and yet God is always willing to buy us back from the prostitute state we are in. It's refreshing to know He is always willing to buy us back, even when you know you don't deserve it.