Today's Brief Word

I wanted to do a brief look into Hosea 11, my second favorite passage in the bible, and Isaiah 5 (my first favorite).  As a parent chapter 11 of Hosea hits me to the core for I connect with the pain that God displays as a parent and Isaiah 5 because as a sinner I feel sometimes like I am being torn down. 

God, in Hosea 11 and Isaiah 5, is troubled with his child (Israel) and is distraught about punishing them; just as a mortal parent would be distraught about punishing their child.

I feel here in these chapters we see the compassion of God and his love for man.  This so called “God of Wrath” in the Old Testament seems to be disproved time and again in my opinion; however, here it is completely disproved. 

Putting this into modern context; what is it that we can take from it?  That God, although he is quick to anger he is just as quick to mercy.  You might go through things in life, some because it’s life and others because he has to tear us down to build us back up.  However remember he does not seek pleasure in your destruction in fact it is quite the opposite, he is just as torn to see us go through trials as we are to take them on. 

But I leave you with this, remember Hosea 11 and Isaiah 5 the next time you are going through a trial that seems too much to bear.  He hurts as well (according to Hosea 11) and he, although he allows it to happen by tearing down the walls and hedges, is still watching over you (according to Isaiah 5) from the watchtower.

I beseech you therefore the next time while praying for compassion during a trail imagine God saying this to you:

“I created you to tell you I love you
And I am torn to do what I have to, to make you mine”

And then reflect upon these two chapters in the Bible.

God Bless