Reconciliation and Renewal: God's Boundless Love
July 12, 2024 - Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Hosea 14:2-10
Today, we conclude our encounter with Hosea on a positive note. After all the condemnations and predictions of destruction, the Lord and Israel reconcile. Just as Gomer finally decided not to run after the one she was infatuated with, Israel decided not to worship idols anymore. And just as Hosea renewed his relationship with the woman he loved, the Lord takes Israel back in love (see Hosea 14:4-5).
Israel's repentance also affects the sphere of politics. In Hosea's time, there were two factions: one sought an alliance with Assyria, and the other with Egypt. Both empires played important roles in the biblical world. Our world is also polarized and dominated by powerful nations. Similar to Israel in Hosea's time, politicians debate which contemporary empire they should align themselves with. But what would happen if we realized that neither of them can save us?
We know that repentance means a new way of thinking and changing the direction of our lives. But turning back to the Lord is not confined to personal matters; it encompasses all spheres of human life, including politics. This makes it very sensitive and dangerous. Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Luther King Jr. preached this all-encompassing repentance and paid for it with their lives. It is not just about speaking truth to power. It is also about awakening contemporary believers from our compliance and indifference to what is going on in the world.
Israel finally realized that God did not need sacrifices. So what can they offer instead? Words! (see Hosea 14:3). I imagine it refers to God's call to repentance and the promise of renewal. For us today, it means letting the Gospel shape our way of life. But to do this, we need to take note of the Gospel, consider Jesus' teaching, and carry it with us on our journey through life (see Hosea 14:10).
The promise associated with such repentance includes revival, fruitfulness, and abundance. Israel shall become like a fruitful vine, olive tree, and a verdant cypress (see Hosea 14:7-9). Their return to the Lord will turn their lives around. In that moment, Hosea would need to change all the names of his children, particularly his daughter and his second son. Israel is once again shown mercy and called God's people (see Hosea 1:6-9).
Hosea's prophecy had an impact on the community of Jesus' followers. Our Lord used the prophet's words to stress the primacy of mercy over sacrifices (see Hosea 6:6; Matt 9:13; 12:7). Both Peter and Paul used it as proof of God's plan to include Gentiles as part of His people (see Hosea 1:9; 2:25; Rom 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2:10). And then, Saint Paul mocks death's defeat using the words of the prophet: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Cor 15:54; see Hosea 13:14).
At the heart of his message is the revelation of God's broken heart, who loves us so much that He is willing to forgive all our crimes and iniquities. The way we respond to that love will shape our future.