The Real Meaning of Life

https://biblehub.com/nkjv/hosea/4.htm

I could review each chapter of Hosea, but the lesson would be the same. And here is my take on pretty much the whole book.

God has told the children of Israel, through Moses, the laws by which He designed life. While there are many, Jesus summed them up by saying, If you love Me you’ll follow My Commandments, and love your neighbor as you do yourself. Every law issued by God is for our best, either to maintain peace, or health, or happiness.

And I might add, even those that do not believe in God have to admit that, barring any mental illness, there is some kind of moral compass born into us, and it is more than a coincidence that that moral compass falls in line with God’s command. They can shrug off the first four with this non-belief, but very few can say it is okay to treat your parents badly, or to murder, to cheat on your spouse or have sexual relations outside the sanctity of marriage, or lie, or cheat, or steal. So we are born with the equipment and knowledge to be good people, but our selfishness allows Satan to tempt us away from God.

So, God told us how we should live. But we don’t do it. Does God get angry and punish us, rain fire down upon us? No. Instead, He sends prophets and His servants to remind us when we stray. Does that work? No. We’re still selfish. We still sin. We still go to church each week and can’t wait to get that tie from around our neck as soon as we get into the car and head home. We went to church for the week, our duties are good. We did even better if we don’t nod off during the message. But He still sends messengers to remind us. Does that work? No.

So now He has to send prophets and messengers to warn us about the consequences of our sin. And just like today, when bad things happen, the Bible’s author blame God. “We have sinned, and this is what God is doing to us for it.” NO! We have sinned, and the consequences are our separation from Him and His love and His protection.

And despite giving us the rules to live by, despite reminding us constantly of those rules, even letting us keep the textbook, and despite writing warning tickets all of the time, what does God do?

He shows mercy.

And that is the real God. Not the God they tell us about. Not the God they wrote about. (Just the other day, I saw a reel of one of those pulpit pounding pastors who was holding the Bible in the air with one hand and screaming, “The problem with the world today is that nobody fears God anymore!”

We’re not supposed to fear God! We’re supposed to love and obey Him because He loves us so very much. And instead of blaming ourselves for our sins, we blame God.

So read Hosea and develop your own thoughts, but the more I read scripture, the more I’m thoroughly convinced that His true character has been totally miscontrued.

And with each day that passes, I am more and more convinced that on Judgment Day, the judgment will be just how much we returned God’s love to Him.

Amen.