On Sunday, Rev. Joshua Patty preached about Hosea, the prophet who compared the idolatry and distraction of Israel to the infidelity of a wife. Drawing on his own personal experience of a wife who cheated on him, Hosea presented God's emotional reaction to the rejection of God by God's people.This is unusual in the prophets. Usually they focus on issues of punishment and justice (from God's perspective). Here, though, we get the emotional response of God -- who is deeply wounded by the rejection of people whom God intensely loves.
It presents the punishment of the northern kingdom of Israel (and the eventual punishment of Judah) as a form of divorce. This is a broken relationship, as God has lost trust in the chosen people.
The question for us today is painfully straightforward -- are we sometimes guilty of taking God for granted, or even "cheating" on God -- making other things in our lives more important than they should be?
Click here to listen to the sermon.
You can also listen to the related Communion meditation and closing benediction.
