God Has Seen Something Humble!

The Minor Prophets Speak to Today

God Has Seen Something Horrible

Hosea 6:8-10 NLT

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Gilead is a city of sinners,
    tracked with footprints of blood. 
 Priests form bands of robbers,
    waiting in ambush for their victims.
They murder travelers along the road to Shechem
    and practice every kind of sin.
Yes, I have seen something horrible in Ephraim and Israel:
    My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!

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Coming back to the message of Hosea at the beginning of the new calendar year, I misread the tittle of today's message.  I read God Has Seen Something Humble! The original title read God Has Seen Something Horrible.

At first my heart sang:

"Oh, yes, one of God's words of hope tucked in among his messages of warning and judgment. Thank you! I get to sound the bell of hope today."

Then I read the passage from beginning to end and no where, not even in the last line, no where a word of hope. Just the same message. The same warning. The same judgment God has been saying over and over to the church again today.

My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!

The message we in the churches keep trying to deflect away from ourselves, from the people of God, to the lost and enemies of God around us.

But, as if to say more clearly, "These scriptures were written down in advance as an example and as a warning to us upon whom the promise has been fulfill," God also include empirical examples of what is happening among his people, in his church. He could have lifted them straight from the headlines of today.

The pleasant green pastures have become cities of sinners,

    tracked with footprints of blood. 

 Priests and ministers, lay leaders and the professionals

 form bands of robbers,

    waiting in ambush for their victims at the church doors.

They murder the souls of seekers along the road to God's City

    and practice every kind of sin.

Yes, I have seen something horrible in my Church and the churches:

    My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!

Nothing overly new, just that the leadership of the local churches are the ones who commit these grievous acts against the people and against God. And what is the result of their self-approved treachery?

My people are defiled by prostituting themselves with other gods!   

God has seen something horrible

May he look again and now find something humble among us.

Photo Credits:
sunflower seed heads Some rights reserved by zen @ flickr com
Sunflower head by Rochelle, just rochelle some rights reserved @flickr com modified