Hated by God

Text: Hosea 9 Theme: Our sin can bring God’s hatred against us Key verses: “You have played the harlot against your God.” (v. 1) “”The days of punishment have come. The days of recompense have come.” (v. 7) “They are deeply corrupted, as in the days of Gibeah. He will remember their iniquity; He will punish their sins.” (v. 9) “All their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them. Because of the evil of their deeds I will drive them from my house; I will love them no more.” (v. 15) “My God will cast them away, because they did not obey Him…” (v. 17) What God said to me: Son, take my wrath very seriously. True, I am a God of love. Ultimately, it is not my will that any perish but that all turn away from their sin and turn toward my Son. However, my love is defined by my justice. Think about it: I hate sin so much that I drove Adam and Eve out of the very garden I made for them. How much did I really love them? Was it measured by the beauty of that garden? No, what showed the depth of my love was my willingness to send my very own Son to buy them back from their sins. Even as I judged them I promised a coming Savior. After years of sin and rebellion against me, I had all I could stand from Israel. They stooped to such lows that I literally felt hatred toward them. Sorry if that goes against your Sunday School theology you have been taught. But you’re a big boy now. You can handle the other side of my truth, the apparent contradiction to my character. Yes, I can hate. But that hatred is caused by sin in my people and in those I created. Sin destroys. And I cannot be in the presence of sin. Fortunately for you, my Son’s blood has covered your sins so I don’t see them; rather, I see Jesus and His righteousness. That’s why you are going to heaven. Nonetheless, turn your back on my Son and my wrath will abide on you as well. I will not tolerate constant sin without repentance in my people – period. Out of my immense love for you I can be forced to hate if you choose to reject me and live in sin. What I said to God: Awesome Lord, I struggle to grasp these words to me today. I know You must love us to be willing to cleanse us from so much sin. Clearly Your love is beyond comprehension since You sent your own Son to die in our place. Yet, according to this, You can feel hatred toward us as well. Please help me wrap my mind and heart around this. I know it is not a contradiction. Truly Your ways are above our ways and Your thoughts above our thoughts. We trust You anyway and fall on your unending mercy.