1^st Sabbath in Advent

November 30/December 2, 2007

Holy Communion

Victor H. Nixon

NEED FAITH?

Hosea 1:1-11

Freddie and I have been married for more than 45 years. I consider that to be an amazing accomplishment—mostly on her part, for two reasons: The first is that I’m not particularly easy to live with because I’m a bit disorganized, even after all these years, but I’m still learning; and second, my wonderful profession sometimes requires long hours and can take priority over family. I would never have made it in professional ministry without Freddie’s strong support, understanding and flexibility.

We still love each other very much, share many common values and have a wonderful daughter. We grew up in similar families. Both of us are life-long United Methodists and graduates of Hendrix College. We enjoy our church, traveling, hiking the Rockies, hanging out on the beach at Sanibel Island, music, art, reading and Turner Classic Movies. Although we’ve had a few tough times, some struggles—as most good marriages do—they were nothing compared to the major differences, disagreements, disappointments and obstacles many married couples face.

Like Hosea and Gomer, for instance. Can you imagine that marriage ever beginning in the first place, coming as they did from such different circumstances socially, ethically and professionally? My question is why Hosea even thought that God had commanded him to marry a harlot and have children? Hosea doesn’t question God about that, just goes and does what God said! If I really believed that God was asking me to do that, assuming that I was not hallucinating, I would have had some questions for God. Now honestly, wouldn’t you?

If I were Hosea, I’d say, "Look, Lord, I don’t mind your helping me out with finding a spouse, but don’t you think that we should have a few more things in common? You know, like faith and values? I know I’m not the most handsome or intelligent dude in Israel, but surely you can do better than a promiscuous streetwalker! If you don’t mind, why don’t you just let me make my own decisions about whom I will marry?"

"And Lord, what’s this stuff about marrying a harlot and having children of harlotry because the land commits great harlotry by forsaking you? Just because the world is screwed up and people have their theology all backwards is not a particularly good reason to get married! Don’t you think that two people should at least get acquainted, maybe even love and respect each other, before jumping into a relationship that is supposed to last a lifetime? You should certainly know that even in the best circumstances a high percentage of marriages don’t make it. Pardon my Hebrew, but the chances of a marriage like this one surviving are about as slim as a snowball in Gehenna."

I don’t know, maybe Hosea wasn’t much of a catch, didn’t have money, looks, or charisma and God figured that Gomer was the best he could ever hope to do. We don’t know anything except that he did what he felt God was asking him to do, trusted God.

And what about Gomer? We know even less about her. How did she feel about this strange prophet walking up to her on the street and telling her that God had told him to marry her? My assumption is that she had some street smarts, she’d been around the block a few times, if you know what I mean, and this wasn’t her first encounter with a weirdo looking for a good time. Did she think Hosea was some kind of religious kook? Maybe Hosea did have looks, money and stature, a respected member of the community. Maybe Gomer thought, "Well, you know, his religion is a little strange, but nobody is perfect. So, what if he hears God talking to him, telling him to marry me and have his children! I could do a whole lot worse—and I’d be off the streets and perhaps have a decent life for a change. After all, his name does mean "deliverance," and God knows I could sure use some of that."

Maybe Gomer accepted his proposal in desperation for a chance at new life, a new beginning. Maybe she considered Hosea the marital equivalent of winning the lottery. We really don’t know what Gomer thought about it, only that she accepted.

Hosea and Gomer were married in Israel in the 8^th century B.C. All seemed to go well. They had three children with very interesting names. Hebrews didn’t just give their children pretty or traditional family names; they gave them names that signified something about their character or personality or even their hopes. God not only chose Hosea and Gomer for each other, God gave them names for their children—very unusual names.

Their first son was named Jezreel, meaning "God sows." Jezreel was a fertile valley and town of the same name in ancient Israel, near the Jordan River, surrounded on two sides by mountains. It was a beautiful, verdant valley with a terrible reputation for bad things happening, like bloodshed and killing. It’s where Queen Jezebel and many other government officials were murdered. Naming a child "Jezreel" is like calling them "Jonestown" or "September 11," not a name you’d want a child to have. Except that God intended for this child to be a living testimony to the fact that if Israel continued on its present course there would be more bloodshed.

The second child was a daughter with an exotic-sounding name, "Lo-ruhamah," that means "no mercy" in Hebrew. Lo-ruhamah was to be a walking testimony that God would not have mercy on the people of Israel because of their unfaithfulness.

The third child, a son, was named "Lo-ammi," meaning "not my people." Lo-ammi was the live testimony that God had disowned the people of Israel, saying, "You are not my people and I am not your God," for many had turned away to worship idols.

The message God sends through Hosea, Gomer and their children is that God is divorcing Israel due to its infidelity. God has had it with unfaithfulness. This marriage is over.

Maybe you’ve had a similar experience in a marriage or a relationship with a friend, colleague, or company, when love was lost, trust broken, and integrity sacrificed. So you ended it—a very difficult, painful, sometimes tragic, but seemingly necessary thing to do because the relationship was non-existent. So, you know how God felt and must feel at times when we are unfaithful, when God says, "They no longer take me seriously. They love stuff more than they love me. They are more concerned about what they are getting for Christmas than what I gave them in Bethlehem. They are more interested in prosperity and politics than they are in following the Prince of Peace. They prefer protecting their lifestyle rather than preserving the creation. They prefer privilege over hospitality to strangers, or "aliens" as they call them. So, let’s just end this marriage." God must sometimes feel that way at times because of our unfaithfulness.

Hosea and Gomer later separated, but after a while, reunited. Hosea, using their marriage as a metaphor for God’s relationship with Israel, indicates that after a period of separation they too would reunite and their relationship would be restored, primarily through the faithful love of God—healing, forgiving and nurturing. The good news in Hosea is that God keeps on loving people who are unfaithful and rebellious.(1)

James Limburg says that Hosea would have understood why Jesus associated with the tax collectors, outcasts of society and strangers. The ministry of Jesus was the embodiment of the promise from God in Hosea: "I will heal their faithlessness, I will love them freely."(14:4) Hosea would have understood what Jesus meant by saying, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."(2)

In the last chapter, Hosea pulls out all of his metaphorical stops to describe the blessed life of those who have experienced God’s healing. They will be like a blossoming lily, a deep-rooted tree, a fragrant garden, a beautiful olive tree, a productive vineyard sustained by the Lord’s dew and protected with the Lord’s shade. God promises them, I will "look after you."(3)

No matter how broken or non-existent your faith, God never stops loving you passionately, never stops caring compassionately about you. God still longs for a personal relationship with you and desires that we love and care for each other and for all God’s family. That’s what Hosea is all about. And that’s what Christmas is all about too. Thanks be to God. Amen.

+