Come Let Us Return To The Lord (Hosea 6:1-3)
The message of Hosea depicts a merciful God intentionally loving a sinful nation. God demonstrated his love by asking Hosea to love an adulterous wife. The children of Israel had abandoned God for idolatry which caused God to pronounce judgment against them. However his judgment was interwoven with mercy.
Wealth and prosperity lured Israel into adopting false security, decline and decay in all aspects of life. There are significant issues that define Israel’s sinfulness:
• They became complacent and rejected God’s law
• They pursued materialism as a dominant lifestyle
• They also depended on international alliances demonstrating a lack of trust and faith in God.
• Moral corruption among Priests led people away from God
• The high places were dominated with idol worship
• Israel developed a hard spirit that made them not to listen to God’s word.
Israel in the book of Hosea is defined as an unfaithful woman, stubborn heifer, a hot oven, burnt cake, useless vessel, a stray donkey, a worthless fruit, a bad vine and a disobedient child. God is depicted as one who brings judgment upon Israel thus; a moth that will eat the nation, a wild animal that devours, a hunter who traps a bird and a farmer who yokes Israel on an Ox.
On the contrary He is a forgiving husband, a loving parent, fresh dew and a healing physician. I do not know whether the description of Israel defines who we are today.
In our theme today God is calling us to return to the Lord irrespective of the past experience. In Hosea 5:14, God’s anger had flared against Israel, He had torn them down like a lion, yet He did not abandon them. He was still a father to bind and heal the wounds. Many times when we discipline our children, they have no choice but come back to us and we bandage them.
Complacency, materialism, false hope and trust in what we own, moral corruption, and immunity against the word are very dominant today. We love God by coming to church but we never yield to his word. It is my prayer that today we will hear his voice and return to him. In his mercy he is willing to receive us and heal our brokenness. A healed heart appreciates the healer.
May our giving today especially as we think about the new, bigger and specious cathedral reflect our appreciation to a loving God who restores, heals and transforms.
May God bless you.
The Very Rev. Canon Dr. Rebecca Nyegenye
PROVOST