Perhaps the great Walter Brueggemann, an important voice of our times, has captured just how serious my task is—not just during the weeks when we’re actually studying the biblical prophets, either. He says, “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” 

I think he’s right. In fact, his version sounds more sophisticated than another popular saying today: Jesus came to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable. 

Let me observe, as I already have, that nationwide our churches don’t exactly reward pastors who do what Brueggemann is prescribing there. We have to step mighty carefully and never more so than when we’re truly preaching or teaching from the prophets. 

Hosea. Perhaps shortened from Ye*hoshua, meaning “help” or “salvation” or “Yaweh is salvation.” This is the longest book among the so-called Minor prophets. Of course, in my estimation, if Hosea and Amos are listed among the minors, then there’s really no such thing as a minor prophet. 

Make no mistake. This is a hard-hitting Old Testament prophecy. Hosea is going to get his licks in on God’s behalf. You’ll know what God has sent him to say. 

But this prophecy is written using an allegory to show the absolute depths of God’s love for and disappointment in heartbreak, really, with how these chosen people have been unfaithful. Now, lest I sound unfairly anti-Semitic on this, this is where you and I have to admit what we know about the Bible. This is humanity’s timeless story—the good parts and the bad. 

It’s just that the scrutiny is on one relatively small people group as its pages open and close: Israel. But the reality is that this is us. This is how humanity has rewarded God’s graciousness and provision at times. We have rebelled. 

We love God and all, until a fast-moving shiny object catches our attention and then we run off to give chase. We love God until some impulse or decision we’ve made draws us off across the line to the other side from what God’s will for Creation truly is.

We love God and all, until a challenging inconvenient biblical truth hits us where we don’t want to be hit. Suddenly God is out of touch and God’s ways are nice and all, But in the real world, that’s the way we put it, in the real world that nice stuff won’t play. 

It won’t win, we say. Suddenly, like ancient Israel, we know better. We’re our own little gods, off to follow our own guidance. Suddenly the choices Jesus made when he avoided all of Satan’s temptations look like wrong ones. 

Suddenly, the Beatitudes look too soft when we are our own little gods. So, we ought to pay attention. Because this is our story, Hosea. We just don’t want for anyone to point that out.

We may not like it to be, but it’s our story. God had a name for this kind of behavior: God called it adulterous. 

The prophet Hosea is instructed in chapter one to go and marry a particular type of woman. She is to be a prostitute. An adulterer. Only the naive and most optimistic among us wouldn’t see what’s next. 

This will be a troubled marriage. Hosea will get his heart broken. This will hurt to read. Especially at the points where it dawns on you that the gist of all this is to illustrate how humanity has broken God’s almighty heart. 

That’s right. Jesus Christ’s being here with us is a response to the heartbrokenness of a jealous, loving God who is inextricably linked to an adulterous Creation. 

Well, is there something good for us to take away here? I have noticed that one of the hardest stories in life to watch play out is that of unrequited love. One in the equation loves the other more. One tries harder at the relationship. 

The imagery of God here should show us that a loving, caring cosmic parent or spouse waits. That’s God with humanity, you and me. Never forcing us to love. Never forcing us to be faithful, but hoping nonetheless that we will. Hoping that we will finally kindle the will to be faithful and true. 

Hosea tells us this: it simply isn’t within God to quit on us. Which is amazing, amazing news.

DR. CHARLES QUALLS is senior pastor at Franklin Baptist Church. Contact him at 757-562-5135.