Pastor Steve Ellison
As we read through the Bible, looking for the questions which God has asked of
various people throughout history, we come to the book of Hosea, which is a
wonderful picture of God’s pursuing love. God’s desire to redeem us is
amazing. God created us; thus, we belong to Him. We ran away from
our loving master and sold ourselves to a cruel taskmaster (sin). From a
human perspective, it seems that only a couple of responses make any sense.
The owner could be expected to either track down the runaway to deliver swift
and sure punishment; or the owner could be expected to simply wait for the
runaway to reappear at which time the owner would at the very best, reject the
attempted return of the runaway. Thankfully, God does not respond in
either of those ways. The book of Hosea shows God pursuing us (rebellious
runaways) always loving, always receiving, always welcoming us back, even to
the point of paying a terrible price to purchase back what was already
rightfully His in the first place.
Hosea 4:16 is a most interesting verse. It presents a minor problem in
translation. In chapter four, God is speaking specifically to the
northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah. However, He
is also speaking to each of us as well. God points out that the northern
kingdom has sinned terribly against Him and that the southern kingdom is not
far behind. A few versions translate verse 16 as a statement saying that
the Lord will feed His people as a shepherd would feed his lambs in a spacious
field. Most translations render it as a question from the
Lord. God asks, “Since Israel is stubborn,
Like a stubborn heifer, Can the Lord now pasture them Like a lamb in a large
field?” (NASU)
Stubbornness is not a quality to be admired. Throughout His Word, God
condemns the stubborn and rebellious heart which resists His loving care.
The will of God, His heart’s desire, is to care for us as a perfect
shepherd cares for his lambs. God wants to keep watch over us, protecting
us, sheltering us by night in a safe place, leading us out by day into a
spacious field, finding pasture and water for us, watching out for the enemy,
driving the enemy away, comforting us, and on and on go those things which He
wants to do for us. The problem is us. We have stubborn and
rebellious hearts filled with self-pride. We have a desire to be in
control, to make all the decisions, to shout or mutter, “You can’t tell me what
to do.” Our stubborn, rebellious hearts cause us to reject the very
rules and regulations that will bring us safety, provision, happiness, and even
real freedom.
Every command in Scripture is given for our good. Every instruction in
Scripture, if obeyed, will result in blessing for us. Living by faith is
taking God at His word. Voluntary submission to His will is the way
to happiness, blessing, and freedom. It is rather simple. Obedience
to God’s instruction is living by faith. Ignoring and disobeying
His instruction is prideful stubborn rebellion. This rebellion results in
our not being pastured in God’s lush, spacious meadow. Sometimes we
are guilty of not bothering to mine the Scriptures for His instructions.
Other times, we choose to simply ignore the commands we do happen to run
across. Other times, we rationalize that those commands really only
apply to others, not to us, our circumstances are somehow different.
Whatever the case, Hosea 4:16 is clear: our stubbornness keeps us
from being pastured in the Lord’s lush and spacious meadow.