Hosea: Raisin Cakes and the Knowledge of God

“Hear the word of the LORD, people of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land!" Hosea 4:1, HCSB

This morning we turn to the book of Hosea where we read a phenomenal story of a man who married a prostitute. Yup, you read that correctly, I promise. For his own sovereign purpose, God called Hosea to marry a prostitute who would continually dessert him. Yet, God called Hosea to continually show love and forgiveness to her, just as the Lord had continued to show Israel forgiveness and love even after they had sinned. This is extremely comforting to us too, is it not? As we see the heart of God love the people of Israel continually, even after they had sinned, we find comfort in the fact that God will not forsake us after we have failed, that is, if we are truly his children. However, there is much more to the book of Hosea than his marriage to a prostitute, which people often miss.

Although chapters 1-3 speak greatly of the story above and truly do set the stage for the entire book, chapters 4-14 of Hosea speak greatly of our Lord's character as well. These chapters are mainly filled with indictments specifically against the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Because of their lack of knowledge of God, their promiscuity, and their faithlessness, God promises to destroy them, even as a lion tears apart his prey. There are many vivid pictures in these chapters of how the Lord will bring destruction on his people who have rebelled against him. Although some of them are even discomforting, what we find here is a righteous God who must punish sin, even when it takes place amidst his covenant people.

Yet the message of Hosea does not stop here. Although God does promise destruction, he also promises hope for the future of Israel, specifically the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Read the first verse of chapter 6 with me: "Come, let us return to the LORD. For he has torn us, and he will heal us; he has wounded us, and he will bind up our wounds." This verse is marvelous, is it not? It shows us how God's punishments can point us to his restoration. In other words, this verse tells us that the consequences of our sin many times can lead us to God. For the Israelites, this looked like years and years of exile. However, after that exile, we find Israel turning back to the Lord in God's own sovereign plan. Yet for us, this can happen as well, can it not? Even as we find God faithful in his discipline, that discipline is often what turns us back to him as we realize the necessary consequences of our sinful actions. When we are broken and distraught, oftentimes this leads us to our God, who both punishes his people and heals them in his love.

Ultimately, the book of Hosea mirrors all of the other prophets as it speaks of how God promises to punish a people who have sinned against him, yet loves and cares for a people who have sinned against him. We find here both God's justice and mercy played out beautifully.

In application today, I want us to consider what exactly led Israel into their great sin. Although different historical books and prophetic books highlight the different sins of Israel, we find here in Hosea the highlight being on their lack of the knowledge of God (see Hosea 4:1). Because Israel knew not the God of their salvation, they were led into promiscuity and false religion. Ultimately, they preferred raisin cakes (literally, see Hosea 3:1) rather than the knowledge of God. It seems foolish, does it not? Yet let us realize that each and every day, we turn to "raisin cakes" of our own rather than to our God. How do we solve this? Well, it's simple: we dive into learning more about our God, that is, through the reading of his word. If we are captivated with the character of God, this world will lose its grip on us, as we have our eyes fixed on a mighty God of holiness rather than a pitiful world of sin.