Hosea 14:1-9: a reflection

1Israel, return to the LORD your God; for you have fallen because of your sin. 2Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good; so we offer bulls as we vowed of our lips. 3Assyria can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’ for in you the fatherless finds mercy.” 4“I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them. 5I will be like the dew to Israel. He will blossom like the lily, and send down his roots like Lebanon. 6His branches will spread, and his beauty will be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. 7Men will dwell in his shade. They will revive like the grain, and blossom like the vine. Their fragrance will be like the wine of Lebanon. 8Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? I answer, and will take care of him. I am like a green cypress tree; from me your fruit is found.” 9Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of the LORD are right, and the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

God calls his wayward people to return to him, telling them to come bringing honest words of confession, and promising to heal their waywardness and love them freely. Return to the LORD your God, God says; take words with you, and return to the LORD. Tell him, forgive all our sins. And God answers: I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them. God does not leave his wayward people to their wandering; he calls them to return, and even tells them what to bring: not sacrifices only, but words, honest confession of their sin and a turning from false trusts. And his promise to those who return is astonishing: he will heal their waywardness and love them freely, freely, without their earning it. This shows returning to God with honest confession, and his promise to heal and love freely. Return to God, bringing honest words of confession. God promises to heal the wayward and love them freely. God does not leave his wandering people, but calls them home. The one who returns to God is freely healed and freely loved.

Notice both the call to return and the promise to those who do. God's people had fallen through their sin, wandered from him, put their trust in false things, in foreign powers, in their own strength, in idols. But God does not simply abandon them to their wandering; he calls them to return: return to the LORD your God. And he tells them how: take words with you, honest words of confession, asking forgiveness, turning from the false trusts they had leaned on, and coming back to the God in whom the helpless find mercy. And then comes God's own response to those who return, and it is full of grace: I will heal their waywardness; I will love them freely; my anger is turned away. God promises not grudging acceptance, but healing of the very waywardness that led them astray, and a free love, love given freely, not earned. This holds the heart of God toward those who have wandered and will return. God does not want his wandering people to stay away; he calls them home, and tells them to come with honest confession, not to earn their way but simply to turn and return. And to those who do, he promises to heal the waywardness in them and to love them freely, without their deserving it. There is no grudging reception here, no probation, but free healing and free love for the one who returns. We do well, if we have wandered, to return to God with honest confession, trusting his promise to heal us and love us freely. If you have wandered, return to God, bringing honest words of confession. God promises to heal your waywardness and love you freely. You need not earn your way back; simply turn and return. The one who returns to God finds free healing and free love.

That is worth taking to heart, for God calls his wayward people to return with honest confession, and promises to heal them and love them freely, as Hosea proclaims. We can stay away in our wandering, or think we must earn our way back; but God calls us to return with honest words, and promises to heal our waywardness and love us freely. Return and be freely loved. If you have wandered from God, do not stay away or think you must earn your way; return to him with honest confession, and receive his free healing and free love. Return to God with honest words of confession, not to earn your way but simply to turn back, and receive his promise to heal your waywardness and love you freely, as God calls his wayward people to return to him, telling them to take words with them and return and say forgive all our sins, and promising that he will heal their waywardness and love them freely since his anger is turned away; for God does not leave his wayward people to their wandering but calls them to return and even tells them what to bring, not sacrifices only but words of honest confession and a turning from false trusts, his promise to those who return being astonishing, that he will heal their waywardness and love them freely without their earning it, which holds the heart of God toward those who have wandered and will return, since he does not want his wandering people to stay away but calls them home and tells them to come with honest confession, not to earn their way but simply to turn and return, and to those who do he promises to heal the waywardness in them and love them freely without their deserving it, with no grudging reception or probation but free healing and free love for the one who returns, so that we do well, if we have wandered, to return to God with honest confession and trust his promise to heal us and love us freely.

Lord, you call your wayward people to return to you, telling them to come bringing honest words of confession, and promising to heal their waywardness and love them freely. Return to the LORD your God, you say; take words with you, and return to the LORD. Tell him, forgive all our sins. And you answer: I will heal their waywardness. I will love them freely; for my anger is turned away from them. You do not leave your wayward people to their wandering; you call them to return, and even tell them what to bring: not sacrifices only, but words, honest confession of their sin and a turning from false trusts. And your promise to those who return is astonishing: you will heal their waywardness and love them freely, without their earning it. Show me both the call to return and the promise to those who do. Your people had fallen through their sin, wandered from you, put their trust in false things. But you do not simply abandon them; you call them to return. And you tell them how: take words with you, honest words of confession, asking forgiveness, turning from the false trusts they had leaned on, and coming back to the God in whom the helpless find mercy. And then comes your own response, full of grace: I will heal their waywardness; I will love them freely; my anger is turned away. You promise not grudging acceptance, but healing of the very waywardness that led them astray, and a free love, given freely, not earned. This holds your heart toward me if I have wandered and will return. You do not want your wandering people to stay away; you call them home, and tell them to come with honest confession, not to earn their way but simply to turn and return. And to those who do, you promise to heal the waywardness in them and to love them freely. There is no grudging reception here, but free healing and free love. Take that to my heart. If I have wandered from you, keep me from staying away or thinking I must earn my way back; help me return to you, Lord, with honest words of confession, simply turning back, and receive your free healing and free love, for you promise to heal my waywardness and love me freely, your anger turned away.