Wickedness remembered
Hosea 7:1-2
The LORD loves the Israelites, but when He saw their wickedness, he feels sorry for them. He wanted to heal them, but their corruption became revealed. They were afflicted because of their sins, but they refused to turn to Him. In fact, “they turn to that which does not profit” (Hos. 7:16).
“When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound” (Hos. 5:13). They did not turn to the One who could and would heal them. How hardhearted they were.
“Israel’s pride testifies against him, yet they do not return to the LORD their God, or seek him, for all this,” says Hosea 7:10.
When they suffer, they pretend to repent. But deep inside, they never did. “Your love is like the morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early” said the LORD (Hos. 6:4).
Even then, the LORD tried to heal them. But knowing everything, their corruption and vileness came to be revealed again. He said, “When I would heal Israel, the corruption of Ephraim is revealed, and the wicked deeds of Samaria; for they deal falsely, the thief breaks in, and the bandits raid outside” (Hos. 7:1).
He continued, “But they do not consider that I remember all their wickedness” (Hos. 7:2).
How far away they were from fighting against sin.
I have seen so many similarities between these Israelites and Christians today and it pains me deeply.
Knowing that the LORD always remembers our sins and wickedness, we refuse to turn to the LORD. We have been in pain and in sickness. Our land is sick. The earth is in pains. But we turn to something else who could not heal us. We tried healing ourselves with all our ‘great’ knowledge which turned out to be not-so-great after all. We failed. We acted remorseful, but the LORD sees our hearts. We called the LORD in vain because we have been harbouring so many wickedness in our minds.
In all these, let us remember that the LORD never ceases to love us. His love endures. If we turn to Him and leave everything else behind, the LORD is ready and able to heal our land. He will heal us too.
He called, “Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity” (Hos. 14:1).
He is still calling… waiting.
