Let's Quit Running Away!

 

 

Scripture

Hosea 11:1-11

11 When Israel was a child, I loved him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.
² The more I called them,
    the more they went from me;
they kept sacrificing to the Baals
    and offering incense to idols.

³ Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk;
    I took them up in my arms,
    but they did not know that I healed them.
⁴ I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with bands of love.
I was to them like those
    who lift infants to their cheeks.
    I bent down to them and fed them.

⁵ They shall return to the land of Egypt,
    and Assyria shall be their king,
    because they have refused to return to me.
⁶ The sword rages in their cities;
    it consumes their oracle priests
    and devours because of their schemes.
⁷ My people are bent on turning away from me.
    To the Most High they call,
    but he does not raise them up at all.

⁸ How can I give you up, Ephraim?
    How can I hand you over, O Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
    How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart recoils within me;
    my compassion grows warm and tender.
⁹ I will not execute my fierce anger;
    I will not again destroy Ephraim,
for I am God and no mortal,
    the Holy One in your midst,
    and I will not come in wrath.

¹⁰ They shall go after the Lord,
    who roars like a lion;
when he roars,
    his children shall come trembling from the west.
¹¹ They shall come trembling like birds from Egypt
    and like doves from the land of Assyria,
    and I will return them to their homes, says the Lord.

 

Devotion

I spent a lot of time chasing my niece around while I was on vacation.  No matter how much you called her to turn back or wait a minute, she was bound and determined to get where she wanted to go...and she intended to do so as quickly as possible.  

As her mother or I chased after her rapidly retreating form, I couldn't help but shake my head and remember how she used to reach for our hands before trying to go anywhere.  It was like she had completely forgotten all the times I had kept her safe or taught her how to do something that very day...much less a year ago.  But as soon as she got hurt or scared, my niece came running back to us, begging us to take her up in our arms and kiss away her booboos. 

The prophet Hosea compares Israel and the tribe of Ephraim to a child who runs from their parent's voice.  Loving parent that God is,  God had protected the Israelites and taught them how to "walk" in God's ways.  But now that the people felt confident in moving about on their own two feet, they had run away from God and directly towards sin and danger.  The more God called them back, the further and faster they ran.  Now, they were reaping the bloody yet natural consequences of their behavior.  

Like any parent who has been betrayed and ignored like that, God was hurt and angry.  Still, the people's Loving Parent wanted nothing more than for God's children to turn around and come back.  God even promises that once they do so, God will wrap them in arms of compassion, love and protection.

 I think about this passage from Hosea quite often.  God has given us so many good things and taught us how to create the just and merciful society that can create a wonderful life for all of us.  But what do we do once we feel confident in ourselves?  We run straight towards sinful and dangerous behavior.  We do so because the sin seems so exciting or so shiny.  Because we think it will make us happy or help us get ahead.  The more God tries to call us back through things like Scripture, the advice of others, and even our own consciences, the faster we run away.   

Even when we experience the consequences of our sinfulness, we may feel afraid of turning back to God. Like a slightly older child who is afraid of being punished, we wonder if we can hide what we have done, blame someone else, or to care for our own wounds.  What we don't realize is that our Almighty Parent loves us so much that--hurt and angry as God is--God wants nothing more than to put our betrayal aside and welcome with open arms. God will heal and protect us.   All we need to do is turn around.

Prayer

 Loving Parent, thank you for takings us up in your arms and teaching us to how walk.  I am sorry for running from you.  Help me hear listen to yoru voice so that I may return to you and be made whole.  Amen.