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WARNING - DANGER - RISK
by The Rev. Canon R. Craig Smalley
Year C, Proper 12, Hosea 1:2-10
July 25, 2010
unedited
I still remember how inviting it all seemed. I was in Southern California for the first time and I had gone out for an afternoon run. The weather had lived up to its billing- warm and sunny, no humidity, and I was running through a beautiful Southern California neighborhood of white houses with red terra cotta tile roofs. As I wound through the neighborhood it got even better as I came to a trail that climbed a hill into the beautiful mountains. I ran up the path and as I reached the ridge the trail forked and there at the fork was a huge white sign- “Warning, danger, risk! This is mountain lion country. Mountain lions are dangerous and unpredictable…”
Clearly the sign got my attention and made me pause. I wondered if this was for real or overly precautionary and I decided the latter and began to run down this gorgeous trail that ran through the tall grass on this beautiful Southern California Mountain. I didn't get very far before I began to feel that eyes were watching me from the tall grass, preparing to pounce, and I felt it might be best to check with the locals, none of whom seemed to be around, and see if this was something that I needed to pay attention to.
So I checked and this is what I was told- “well, I wouldn't run early in the morning or later in the evening, and I wouldn't run alone, and I'd definitely stay out of the dark canyons, and of course you also have the rattlers this time of year, and there are the coyotes...” OK, so clearly this was for real, but amazingly, ridiculously, I found myself returning here every day trying to get the courage to go a little farther. Stiff necked, rebellious human nature has a hard time heeding warnings and taking good advice.
Warning, danger, risk… are these words that you often associate with the prophets? People sent by God to bring a necessary but unwanted message: to proclaim a warning of the danger before us and the risk and repercussions of traveling down paths that lead us away from the safety and love and grace of God rather than toward Him. I don't know anyone that likes to be exposed and yet it is important to note that the motivation for the prophets is the Lord…and the judgments they pronounce, the rebukes they give, the starling language with which they speak are motivated by the love and grace of God. They are motivated by love and grace to warn us, to lead us away from paths of destruction and despair, that may at first seem so inviting, and call us home to our relationship with Lord who alone is our health and salvation.
Today we hear just a very brief portion of the prophecy of Hosea who is one of what is referred to as the minor prophets- minor not because of what they have to say, but for the brevity of what is recorded of their prophecy. Hosea is a minor prophet with a major message…his prophecy is the message of the gospel. In just fourteen short chapters Hosea shines a light that exposes the human condition in all of it's rebelliousness and brokenness and he also shines a light upon the unmerited yet profound pursuit of a loving and gracious God who continues to seek an adulterous people.
Hosea prophesied during a troublesome time for the people of God. I guess we might ask is there any other type of time since the garden? The time of Hosea was the time of the divided kingdom, the kingdom divided into North and South, and Hosea was called and sent by God with a message primarily for Israel, the Northern Kingdom. For Israel it seemed to be a great time- they were strong and rich and as can so easily happen they began to pride themselves in these accomplishments and accredit them to themselves. They began to worship idols and chase after the latest fads and gods and forget the Lord.
And then Hosea was called to live a life that clearly and deliberately shares what we know as the gospel. Hosea receives the seemingly crazy call, the shocking call to take a wife of harlotry and to have children of harlotry. He is called to marry Gomer and he does so and through Hosea's broken marriage we see acted out God's love- the heart of a compassionate God who longs to bless His people with the knowledge of Himself and all that knowing God can mean to man despite our unfaithfulness.
Hosea's wife is repeatedly unfaithful to the marriage covenant and again and again he seeks her, forgives, looks for her to bring her home as she chases after other lovers. In the tale that unfolds we are told about ourselves and a light is shined upon us that unfortunately exposes us in a most unflattering way. It is first bad news. In our relationship with God we are harlots, adulterers, unfaithful in our covenant and chasing after idols.
I can imagine any friends that Hosea had were surely saying to him, ‘you're not going to go after her again are you, surely you've learned your lesson, surely you're done with her now, how often does this have to happen for you to see she's no good, that she doesn't love you, that she's taking advantage of you, making a fool of you.' And Hosea is surely angry, surely hurt, and yet amazingly he continues to seek her.
In the third chapter we hear that Gomer has once again been unfaithful in her marriage to Hosea and this time she has become someone's property. She is enslaved and rather than Hosea's saying that's it, that's the final straw, he goes and pays the price for her freedom even though she has not been faithful to him. Hear these words and hear of what they point us toward:
“And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is beloved of a paramour and is an adulteress; even as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. And I said to her, “you must dwell as mine for many days; you shall not play the harlot, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.” Hosea 3
In hearing what Hosea was called to do we hear the overriding good news of the character of God in response to our character. In the third chapter of Hosea we see the unmistakable message of the cross. We see in what God calls him to do the prophecy foretelling that which God would ultimately, finally, fully accomplish through Jesus' cross and resurrection, washing us and cleaning us through the blood of Jesus shed for us. What Hosea does points to what Jesus will ultimately do for us- paying our ransom, the price for our sins, to free us from our bondage to sin and death and restore us in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The message of God's love and grace did not suddenly show up in the New Testament. His love and grace are revealed throughout the entire witness of the Bible. The one we are called to seek is the one who first sought us. The one in whom we are called to place our trust and dependence is the one who gives to us hope and life and love and forgiveness that we have not earned and that we do not deserve.
The prophets speak startling words. Words of warning, danger, and risk of what life is like when we forsake God and chase after idols that may at first seem so inviting. They are words designed to be startling and blunt, but true, and they are motivated by the grace and love of God who desires that we would know Him and be His. Despite our character with all of its flaws and unfaithfulness, God is faithful. He calls us to Himself, paying the price for our freedom through His cross and resurrection, and he washes us with His most precious blood. Though we have not and cannot earn this great gift, we can receive it and rest in the steadfast unfailing love of God and the certainty of His character. Amen.
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