Archive for the ‘Hosea 6’ Category
Above: Icon of Hosea
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Hosea 5:15-6:6
Psalm 50:1-15 (LBW) or Psalm 119:65-72 (LW)
Romans 4:18-25
Matthew 9:9-13
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O God, the strength of those who hope in you:
Be present and hear our prayers;
and, because in the weakness of our mortal nature
we can do nothing good without you,
give us the help of your grace,
so that in keeping your commandments
we may please you in will and deed,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 24
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O God, from whom all good proceeds,
grant to us, your humble servants,
that by your holy inspiration we may think the things that are right
and by your merciful guiding accomplish them;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 64
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For I desire goodness, not sacrifice;
Obedience to God, rather than burnt offerings.
–Hosea 6:6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985, 1999)
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Yet the Law of Moses commands sacrifices and burst offerings.
Hebrew prophets did not always express themselves as clearly as some of us may wish they had. In context, Hosea 6:6 referred to God rejecting the opportunistic appearance of repentance or a habitually errant population. Divinely-ordained rituals were not properly talismans; they did not protect one from one’s proverbial chickens coming home to roost. Hosea 6:6 asserted the primacy of morality over rituals.
I am neither a puritan nor a pietist. I favor polishing God’s altar and eschew condemning “externals.”
God, metaphorically, is a consuming fire. Before God, therefore, false repentance does not impress. The attitude in Psalm 119 is preferable:
Before I was humbled, I strayed,
but now I keep your word.
You are good, and you do what is good;
teach me your statutes.
–Psalm 119:67-68, The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Sometimes recognizing one’s need to repent may be a challenge. How can one repent if one does not think one needs to do so? How can one turn one’s back on one’s sins (some of them, anyway) unless one knows what those sins are? Self-righteousness creates spiritual obstacles.
How happy are they who know their need for God, for the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
–Matthew 5:3, J. B. Phillips, The New Testament in Modern English–Revised Edition (1972)
The test, O reader, for whether you need God is simple. Check for your pulse. If you have one, you need God. We all stand in the need of grace; may we admit this then think and act accordingly.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 2, 2022 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT ALEXANDER OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH; AND SAINT ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA, PATRIARCH AND “FATHER OF ORTHODOXY”
THE FEAST OF CHARLES SILVESTER HORNE, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH HASSE, GERMAN-BRITISH MORAVIAN COMPOSER AND EDUCATOR
THE FEAST OF ELIAS BOUDINOT, IV, U.S. STATESMAN, PHILANTHROPIST, AND WITNESS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
THE FEAST OF JULIA BULKLEY CADY CORY, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT SIGISMUND OF BURGUNDY, KING; CLOTILDA, FRANKISH QUEEN; AND CLODOALD, FRANKISH PRINCE AND ABBOT
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Icon of the Crucifixion
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Isaiah 52:13-53:12 or Hosea 6:1-6
Psalm 22:1-23 (LBW) or Psalm 22:1-24 (LW)
Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9
John 18:1-19:42 or John 19:17-30
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Almighty God, we ask you to look with mercy on your family;
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed
and to be given over to the hands of sinners
and to suffer death on the cross;
who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
OR
Lord Jesus, you carried our sins in your own body
on the tree so that we might have life.
May we and all who remember this day find new life
in you now and in the world to come,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 20
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Almighty God, graciously behold this your family,
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed,
to be given into the hands of sinners,
and to suffer death on the cross;
who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 45
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Words and rituals have power. (That is a quintessential Lutheran theological statement.) In my denomination, The Episcopal Church, the liturgy for Good Friday is powerful and solemn. It concludes with people leaving in silence.
Sometimes one should be silent. I invite you, O reader, to read the assigned portions of scripture aloud or to listen to them. Let them sink in. Let them exercise their power over you. And digest them in silence.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
APRIL 15, 2022 COMMON ERA
GOOD FRIDAY
THE FEAST OF SAINT OLGA OF KIEV, REGENT OF KIEVAN RUSSIA; SAINT ADALBERT OF MAGDEBURG, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP; SAINT ADALBERT OF PRAGUE, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP AND MARTYR, 997; AND SAINTS BENEDICT AND GAUDENTIUS OF POMERANIA, ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYRS, 997
THE FEAST OF SAINTS DAMIEN AND MARIANNE OF MOLOKAI, WORKERS AMONG LEPERS
THE FEAST OF SAINT FLAVIA DOMITILLA, ROMAN CHRISTIAN NOBLEWOMAN; AND SAINTS MARO, EUTYCHES, AND VICTORINUS OF ROME, PRIESTS AND MARTYRS, CIRCA 99
THE FEAST OF SAINT HUNNA OF ALSACE, THE “HOLY WASHERWOMAN”
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Hosea
Image in the Public Domain
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According to the Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship (ILCW) Lectionary (1973), as contained in the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) and Lutheran Worship (1982)
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Hosea 5:15-6:2
Psalm 43 (LBW) or Psalm 138 (LW)
Romans 8:1-10
Matthew 20:17-28
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God of all mercy, by your power to hear and to forgive,
graciously cleanse us from all sin and make us strong;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Book of Worship (1978), 18
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Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
your mercies are new every morning,
and though we have in no way deserved your goodness,
you still abundantly provide for all our wants of body and soul.
Give us, we pray, your Holy Spirit
that we may heartily acknowledge your merciful goodness toward us,
give thanks for all your benefits,
and serve you in willing obedience;
through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen.
—Lutheran Worship (1982), 37
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The selection of verses for the First Reading is odd. These three verses, out of context, sound pious. In textual context, however, one reads that the people in Hosea 6:1-2 were insincere, and that God knew it. One realizes that the people in Hosea 6:1-2 were self-serving.
Sts. James and John, via their mother, St. Mary Salome, a maternal aunt of Jesus, were self-serving, too. They sought positions of honor, not service and sacrifice. Jesus modeled the opposite of being self-serving. St. James and John eventually followed his example, though.
The authors of Psalms 43 and 138 offered honest faith, fortunately. So did St. Paul the Apostle, who had a better life (by conventional standards) as Saul of Tarsus, persecutor of early Christianity. As St. Paul, he suffered beatings, incarceration, and finally, martyrdom.
I do not pretend to have a completely selfless faith. I know I am not a spiritual giant. Yet I try to grow spiritually in Christ daily. I aspire to be the best possible version of myself in Christ daily, with mixed results. The effort is essential; God can work with it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MARCH 2, 2022 COMMON ERA
ASH WEDNESDAY
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Adapted from this post
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Above: Statue of Jeremiah, Salisbury Cathedral
Image in the Public Domain
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READING JEREMIAH, PART V
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Jeremiah 7:1-8:3
Jeremiah 26:1-24
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Jeremiah 7:1-20:18 consists of oracles primarily from the reign (608-598 B.C.E.) of Jehoiakim (born Eliakim) of Judah. For more about Jehoiakim, read 2 Kings 23:36-24:7; 2 Chronicles 36:5-8; 1 Esdras 1:39-42.
The Assyrian Empire had consumed the (northern) Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E. then the Kingdom of Aram in 720 B.C.E. In 612 B.C.E., the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire had conquered the Assyrian Empire. In 608 B.C.E., Judah was struck between two powerful neighbors–Egypt and Babylonia, themselves enemies. After the death of King Josiah (r. 640-609 B.C.E.) in combat against Pharaoh Neco II of Egypt (r. 610-595 B.C.E.), Judah had become a vassal state of Egypt. Neco II had appointed the next King of Judah, Jehoahaz, also known as Jeconiah and Shallum (2 Kings 23:31-35; 2 Chronicles 36:1-4; 1 Esdras 1:34-38). Jehoahaz had reigned for about three months in 609 B.C.E. before Neco II had replaced him with another son of Josiah and taken him into captivity in Egypt. Neco II had also appointed Eliakim and changed his name to Jehoiakim in 608 B.C.E. He served as an Egyptian vassal until 605 B.C.E., when he became a Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian vassal.
Jeremiah spent most of his prophetic career speaking difficult truths to a nation under foreign domination. This context was extremely politically dangerous.
This sermon is thematically consistent with Hosea 6:4-6; Micah 3:9-12; and Amos 2:4-6. It is also thematically consistent with many other passages of Hebrew scripture. The link between idolatry and social injustice (especially economic injustice) is clear. Sacred rituals, even those the Law of Moses mandates, are not talismans. The joining of lived collective piety and justice on one hand and sacred ritual on the other hand is imperative. The combination of social injustice and sacred ritual makes a mockery of sacred ritual.
Mend your ways and your actions,
Jeremiah preached at the Temple. Then he unpacked that statement:
…if you execute justice between one man and another; if you do not oppress the stranger, the orphan, and the widow; if you do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place; if you do not follow other gods, to your own hurt–then only will I [YHWH] let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers for all time. See, you are relying on illusions that are of no avail….
–Jeremiah 7:5-8, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Pay attention to 7:11, O reader:
Do you consider this House, which bears My name, to be a den of thieves? As for Me, I have been watching–declares the LORD.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
This is an allusion in Jesus’s mouth during the Temple Incident/the Cleansing of the Temple in Matthew 21:13; Mark 11:17; and Luke 19:46. Notice that Jeremiah predicted the destruction of the First Temple.
Chronology is not the organizing principle in the Book of Jeremiah. The Temple Sermon of Jeremiah is a case in point. We return to it and read of its aftermath in Jeremiah 26:1-24.
Idols abound. They may be tangible or intangible. If an activity, idea, or object functions as an idol for someone, it is an idol for that person. Money is one of the more common idols. Greed contributes greatly to economic injustice, and corruption is one of the major causes of institutionalized poverty. Obliviousness to participation in the violation of God’s moral commandments, including mutuality, will not shield us from the consequences of those sins any more than keeping sacred rituals will do so.
Circa 608 B.C.E. God was still holding out the possibility of repentance, prompting the cancellation of divine punishment, according to Jeremiah 26:3. This contradicts other passages from the Book of Jeremiah and other Hebrew prophetic books composed or begun prior to the Book of Jeremiah. Perhaps one reason for the contradiction is the addition of later material to the early Hebrew prophetic books, as late as the Babylonian Exile. I suppose that maintaining the hard line of the time for repentance having passed was difficult to maintain after the Fall of Babylon (539 B.C.E.).
The priests and prophets said to all the people, “This man deserves the death penalty, for he has prophesied against this city, as you yourselves have heard.
–Jeremiah 26:11, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Jeremiah prophesied against a government and a population under foreign domination. There was no separation of religion and state either. The prophet worked in a dangerous milieu.
Jeremiah had allies, though. Some cited the example of Micah, who had issued a dire prophesy (Micah 3:12) and had not received a death sentence. Fortunately for Jeremiah, the court’s sentence remained unfulfilled. Ahikam, a high-ranking royal official (2 Kings 22:12), saved him. Ahikam was also the father of Gedaliah, the assassinated governor of Judah after the Fall of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 40:1-41:18).
Uriah ben Shemiah, from Kiriath-jearim, was not as fortunate as Jeremiah was. Uriah, also prophesying in the name of YHWH, said what Jeremiah proclaimed. Uriah fled to Egypt for safety because King Jehoiakim wanted him dead. Royal agents found Uriah in Egypt and returned him to Judah, to die.
One may legitimately wonder why God protected Jeremiah from threats to his life yet did not spare faithful Uriah ben Shemaiah.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
JUNE 7, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINT MATTHEW TALBOT, RECOVERING ALCOHOLIC IN DUBLIN, IRELAND
THE FEAST OF SAINT ANTHONY MARY GIANELLI, FOUNDER OF THE MISSIONARIES OF SAINT ALPHONSUS
THE FEAST OF FREDERICK LUCIAN HOSMER, U.S. UNITARIAN HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF HUBERT LAFAYETTE SONE AND HIS WIFE, KATIE HELEN JACKSON SONE, U.S. METHODIST MISSIONARIES AND HUMANITARIANS IN CHNA, SINGAPORE, AND MALAYSIA
THE FEAST OF SEATTLE, FIRST NATIONS CHIEF, WAR LEADER, AND DIPLOMAT
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Above: Map of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire
Image in the Public Domain
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READING MICAH, PART VII
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Micah 6:1-7:20
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A motif in Hebrew prophetic literature in God making a legal case against a group of people. That motif recurs at the beginning of Chapter 6.
Another motif in the Hebrew Bible is that God is like what God has done. In other words, divine deeds reveal God’s character. Likewise, human deeds reveal human character. We read reminders of divine deliverance in Micah 6:4-5. These verses call back to Exodus 1:1-15:21; Numbers 22:1-24:25; and Joshua 3:1-5:12. God, who is just, expects and demands human justice:
He has told you, O man, what is good,
And what the LORD requires of you:
Only to do justice
And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God.
Then will your name achieve wisdom.
–Micah 6:8-9, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Not surprisingly, no English-language translation captures the full meaning of the Hebrew text. For example, to walk humbly or modestly with God is to walk wisely or completely with God. Doing this–along with loving goodness and doing justice–is more important than ritual sacrifices, even those mandated in the Law of Moses. This theme occurs also in Hosea 6:4-6. One may also recall the moral and ethical violations of the Law of Moses condemned throughout the Book of Amos. Micah 6 and 7 contain condemnations of such sins, too. The people will reap what they have sown.
To whom can they turn when surrounded by corruption and depravity? One can turn to and trust God. In the fullest Biblical and creedal sense, this is what belief in God means. In the Apostles’ Creed we say:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth….
In the Nicene Creed, we say:
We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
Sometimes belief–trust–is individual. Sometimes it is collective. So are sin, confession, remorse for sins, repentance, judgment, and mercy. In Micah 7:7-13, belief–trust–is collective. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance in the case of Jerusalem, personified. The figure is Jerusalem, at least in the later reading of Micah. The reference to Assyria (7:12) comes from the time of the prophet.
“Micah” (1:1) is the abbreviated form of “Micaiah,” or “Who is like YHWH?” That is germane to the final hymn of praise (7:18-20). It begins:
Who is a God like You….
–Micah 7:18a, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Imagine, O reader, that you were a Jew born and raised in exile, within the borders of the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire. Imagine that you had heard that the Babylonian Exile will end soon, and that you will have the opportunity to go to the homeland of which you have only heard. Imagine that you have started to pray:
Who is a God like you, who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but instead delights in mercy,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our iniquities?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob, and loyalty to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our ancestors from days of old.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Imagine, O reader, how exuberant you would have been.
As R. B. Y. Scott wrote regarding the Book of Hosea:
[The prophet] speaks of judgment that cannot be averted by superficial professions of repentance; but he speaks more of love undefeated by evil. The final word remains with mercy.
—The Relevance of the Prophets, 2nd. ed. (1968), 80
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Book of Micah. I invite you to join me as I read and write about First Isaiah (Chapters 1-23, 28-33).
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 27, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF PAUL GERHARDT, GERMAN LUTHERAN MINISTER AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF ALFRED ROOKER, ENGLISH CONGREGATIONALIST PHILANTHROPIST AND HYMN WRITER; AND HIS SISTER, ELIZABETH ROOKER PARSON, ENGLISH CONGREGATINALIST HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF AMELIA BLOOMER, U.S. SUFFRAGETTE
THE FEAST OF JOHN CHARLES ROPER, ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP OF OTTAWA
THE FEAST OF SAINT LOJZE GROZDE, SLOVENIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC MARTYR, 1943
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Above: Clarke County Jail, Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
Image Source = Google Earth
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READING AMOS, PART III
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Amos 2:4-16
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Introduction
The Books of Amos, Hosea, Micah, and First Isaiah (Chapters 1-23, 28-33), in their final forms, bear the evidence of editing and updating as late as after the Babylonian Exile. Isaiah 36-39, frequently classified as part of First Isaiah, is verbatim from 2 Kings 18:13-20:19, except for Isaiah 38:9-20 (King Hezekiah’s prayer of thanksgiving). One may reasonably argue that Amos 2:4-5 (the condemnation of Judah) is not original to the first draft of the Book of Amos, given that the prophet had a mandate to prophesy against the (northern) Kingdom of Israel.
The words of Amos, a sheepherder from Tekoa, who prophesied concerning Israel….”
–Amos 1:1, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Nevertheless, we read the final draft of the Book of Amos, last updated to speak to exiles in Persian-occupied Judea. Therefore, the final draft is the one we ponder and apply to today.
In Amos 1:3-2:3, God, through the prophet (and subsequent writers), had condemned Gentile neighbor nations of Israel and Judah for crimes that were anti-human or against nature. The covenant did not apply to these nations, but certain standards did. And God held these nations accountable. The covenant did apply to Israel and Judah, though.
The motif from Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13; 2:1 repeats in 2:4, 6:
For three crimes of _____, and now four–
I will not take it back-….
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
Divine patience has its limits. Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance.
Judah (2:4-5)
The (southern) Kingdom of Judah had “spurned the instruction of the LORD, and did not keep his statutes….”
That kingdom fell to the Chaldean/Neo-Babylonian Empire in 586 B.C.E.
Israel (2:6-16)
The identity of Israel in Amos 2:6-16, in its final form, is ambiguous. Israel seems to be the Northern Kingdom at first, given the prophet’s mandate. Yet, in 2:10f, Israel refers to the Jewish people. 2:6-16, probably in this form since after the Babylonian Exile, applies the text to the Jews of that time.
The condemnations are timeless. They include economic injustice, exploitation of human beings, slavery, judicial corruption, and other offenses against the common good. Some details are specific to time and place. For example, consider 2:7b:
Son and father sleep with the same girl,
profaning my holy name.
—The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
She may be a cultic prostitute, as in Hosea 4:14, in violation of Deuteronomy 23:17. Or she may be a bond-servant whose rights father and son trample by making her their concubine, in violation of Exodus 21:8. Sexual promiscuity (in violation of Deuteronomy 27:20; Leviticus 18:8, 15, 17; and Leviticus 20:10f) is another matter in this verset. This promiscuity violates an oath made in the name of YHWH. One may recognize applications of Amos 2:7b in various contexts today.
Upon garments taken in pledge
they recline beside my altar.
Wine at treasury expense
they drink in their temple.
–Amos 2:8, The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011)
A debtor used a garment as collateral for a loan. Exodus 22:26-27 protected the rights of debtors:
If you take your neighbour’s cloak in pawn, return it to him by sunset, because it is his only covering. It is the cloak in which he wraps his body; in what else can he sleep? If he appeals to me, I shall listen, for I am full of compassion.
—The Revised English Bible (1989)
The wine in Amos 2:8b was wine gained from fines debtors paid to creditors. Exodus 21:22 and Deuteronomy 22:19 permitted imposing fines as a form of reparation for injury. The rich were exploiting the poor and manipulating the rules at cultic festivals of YHWH. They were making a mockery of sacred rituals. Hosea, a contemporary of Amos, addressed such behavior in Hosea 6:4-6.
But they, to a man, have transgressed the covenant.
–Hosea 6:7, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
The (northern) Kingdom of Israel fell to the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C.E.
Conclusion
The condemnations in Amos 2:6-8 remain relevant, unfortunately.
- Human trafficking is a major problem. I live in Athens, Georgia, to the northeast of Atlanta, a hub of the slave trade, of a sort.
- In the United States of America, the federal minimum wage is not a living wage.
- Judicial corruption continues to exist. Often, wealthy defendants fare better than impoverished ones. “How much justice can you afford?” is frequently an honest and germane question. Many innocent people bow to prosecutors’ pressure and plead guilty to lesser offenses to avoid certain conviction and a stiffer sentence for a greater legal charge.
- Bail, frequently not necessary, is a burden on impoverished defendants.
- The exploitation of human beings, as a matter of corporate and government policies, remains endemic.
- Sexual promiscuity, to which human nature is prone, remains ubiquitous.
- Women are frequently vulnerable to powerful men.
- Idolatry is another persistent problem.
- Injustice is individual, collective, and systemic.
If he appeals to me, I shall listen, for I am full of compassion.
–Exodus 22:27b, The Revised English Bible (1989)
Divine judgment and mercy exist in balance. Divine mercy for the oppressed may take the form of judgment for the oppressors. So be it.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 21, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF CHRISTIAN DE CHARGÉ AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTYRS OF TIBHIRINE, ALGERIA, 1996
THE FEAST OF EUGENE DE MAZENOD, BISHOP OF MARSEILLES, AND FOUNDER OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE MISSIONARIES, OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE
THE FEAST OF FRANZ JÄGGERSTÄTTER, AUSTRIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR AND MARTYR, 1943
THE FEAST OF JOSEPH ADDISON AND ALEXANDER POPE, ENGLISH POETS
THE FEAST OF SAINT MANUEL GÓMEZ GONZÁLEZ, SPANISH-BRAZILIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1924; AND SAINT ADILO DARONCH, BRAZILIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC ALTAR BOY AND MARTYR, 1924
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Above: View Through the Cypress Grove, Nazareth, Palestine, Between 1934 and 1939 (Hosea 14:6/14:7)
Image Source = Library of Congress
Reproduction Number = LC-DIG-matpc-04112
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READING HOSEA, PART X
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Hosea 14:1-9 (Anglican and Protestant)
Hosea 14:2-10 (Jewish, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox)
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Earlier in the Book of Hosea, God condemned insincere conversion (6:1-6). At the end of the book, having announced the destruction of Samaria and denounced Assyrian alliances, as well as idolatry, appealed one last time for genuine, collective repentance. All the people had to do to receive the promised restoration was to return to God and the covenant. They did not, of course.
He who is wise will consider these words,
He who is patient will take note of them.
For the paths of the LORD are smooth;
The righteous can walk on them,
While sinners stumble on them.
–Hosea 14:10, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
That is how the Book of Hosea ends. God stands ready to forgive, heal, renew, and restore. Yet God will not impose this upon people; they must reach back to God, who reaches out.
The Book of Hosea contains layers of editing and composition. The epilogue (14:9/14:10) is not from the prophet, but from a subsequent author. The last verse, grounded in wisdom literature, asks the reader:
What will you do?
What will you, O reader do? What will I do? What will any given culture or society do? These are important questions.
Thank you, O reader, for joining me on this journey through the Book of Hosea. My next stop will be the Book of Amos.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 18, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF MALTBIE DAVENPORT BABCOCK, U.S. PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER, HUMANITARIAN, AND HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINT FELIX OF CANTALICE, ITALIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC FRIAR
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN I, BISHOP OF ROME
THE FEAST OF MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE, AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR AND SOCIAL ACTIVIST
THE FEAST OF SAINT STANISLAW KUBSKI, POLISH ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1945
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Above: Doves (Hosea 7:11)
Image in the Public Domain
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READING HOSEA, PART VI
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Hosea 6:7-8:14
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Understanding this reading in textual context requires backing up to at least Hosea 6:4. For a refresher, I refer you, O reader, to the previous post in this series.
Hosea 6:7-8:14 contains some references from a later period, after the Fall of Samaria in 722 B.C.E. These references to Judah (6:11, 8:14) relate to the text to the (southern) Kingdom of Judah when it was declining.
According to this and other prophetic texts, alliances with powerful and dubious neighbors constituted infidelity to and treason against God. The references to the Egyptians were odd, given that the (northern) Kingdom of Israel entered into alliances with Aram and Assyria. At the time of Hosea 1:1, the main regional conflict was Aram versus Assyria. However, Judah did become a vassal of Egypt (2 Kings 23:31f).
That matter aside, divine chastisement, designed to bring about repentance, had not done so. Therefore, the time for punishment had arrived.
Hosea 7:3-7 makes sense if one considers royal succession in the (northern) Kingdom of Israel during the final quarter-century of the that realm:
- Jeroboam II (r. 788-747 B.C.E.) had died. (See 2 Kings 14:23-29.)
- Zechariah (r. 747 B.C.E.), his son, succeeded him. Zechariah reigned for about six months. (See 2 Kings 15:8-12.)
- Shallum (r. 747 B.C.E.) overthrew Zechariah then reigned for about a month. (See 2 Kings 15:13-16.)
- Menahem (r. 747-737 B.C.E.) overthrew Shallum. (See 2 Kings 15:17-22.)
- Pekahiah (r. 737-735 B.C.E.), his son, succeeded him. (See 2 Kings 15:23-26.)
- Pekah (r. 735-732 B.C.E.) overthrew Pekahiah. (See 2 Kings 15:27-31.)
- Hoshea (r. 732-722 B.C.E.) overthrew Pekah and became the last King of Israel. (See 2 Kings 17:1f.)
Two dynasties and four kings of Israel fell in twenty-five years. Six Kings of Israel came and went. Two kings without dynasties fell. The (northern) Kingdom of Israel did not endure.
They sow wind,
And they shall reap the whirlwind–
Standing stalks devoid of ears
And yielding no flour.
If they did yield any,
Strangers shall devour it.
–Hosea 8:7, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Assyrians did devour it.
The two calves of Samaria, at Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:26-33), dated to the reign (928-907 B.C.E.) of Jeroboam I. (See 1 Kings 11:26-14:20.) King Jeroboam I, for political reasons, did not want any of his subjects making pilgrimages to the Temple in Jerusalem, the capital of the (southern) Kingdom of Judah. The two calves, therefore, were substitutes for the Temple in Jerusalem.
I reject your calf, Samaria!
I am furious with them!
Will they ever be capable of purity?
For it was Israel’s doing;
It was only made by a joiner,
It is not a god.
No, the calf of Samaria shall be
Reduced to splinters!
–Hosea 8:5-6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Hosea 8:1-14 may, in its final form, be the product of Judean editing of an extant text. One feasible interpretation of 8:3-6 is that all the kings of the (northern) Kingdom of Israel (from Jeroboam I to Hoshea) were as illegitimate as the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. One who has read of the northern monarchs may recognize the pattern of dynasties rising and falling. I hold open the possibility that the original version of the Book of Hosea included at least some of this material. The final version of 8:14, bearing the stamp of Judean editing, updated for a new (now ancient) context, provided no comfort.
Israel has ignored his Maker
And built temples
(And Judah has fortified many cities).
So I will set fire to his cities,
And it shall consume their fortresses.
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
It happened twice, in 722 and 586 B.C.E.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 17, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THOMAS BRADBURY CHANDLER, ANGLICAN PRIEST; HIS SON-IN-LAW, JOHN HENRY HOBART, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF NEW YORK; AND HIS GRANDSON, WILLIAM HOBART HARE, APOSTLE TO THE SIOUX AND EPISCOPAL MISSIONARY BISHOP OF NIOBRARA THEN SOUTH DAKOTA
THE FEAST OF SAINT CATERINA VOLPICELLI, FOUNDRESS OF THE SERVANTS OF THE SACRED HEART; SAINT LUDOVICO DA CASORIA, FOUNDER OF THE GRAY FRIARS OF CHARITY AND COFOUNDER OF THE GRAY SISTERS OF SAINT ELIZABETH; AND SAINT GIULIA SALZANO, FOUNDRESS OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CATECHETICAL SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART
THE FEAST OF CHARLES HAMILTON HOUSTON AND THURGOOD MARSHALL, ATTORNEYS AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
THE FEAST OF DONALD COGGAN, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
THE FEAST OF SAINT IVAN ZIATYK, POLISH UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1952
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Above: Dew (Hosea 6:4)
Image in the Public Domain
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READING HOSEA, PART V
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Hosea 5:8-6:6
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Remorse for and repentance for sins must be sincere if they are to prove effective. Hosea 6:1-3 offers an example of insincere remorse for and repentance of sins, hence the divine rebuttal in 6:4-6.
The (northern) Kingdom of Israel had erred by breaking the covenant with God. The way to resolve the problem was to repent, to return to God. Instead, Israel turned to the Assyrian Empire. One historical reference was to King Menahem (r. 747-737 B.C.E.), who paid tribute to the Assyrian monarch, Tiglath-pileser III (r. 745-727 B.C.E.) in 738 B.C.E. (See 2 Kings 15:19-20). The once-powerful (northern) Kingdom of Israel had become a vassal state of the Assyrian Empire. The Assyrian king did not have Israel’s best interests in mind; God did. Another historical reference may have been to King Hoshea (r. 732-722 B.C.E.), the a rebellious vassal of the Assyrian Empire and the last King of Israel. (See 2 Kings 17:1-41). Ironically, “Hosea” and “Hoshea,” literally “rescue,” were the same name.
For I desire goodness, not sacrifice;
Obedience to God, rather than burnt offerings.
–Hosea 6:6, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Alternative translations to “goodness” and “obedience to God” exist. These include:
- “Loyalty” and “acknowledgment of God” (The Revised English Bible, 1989),
- “Loyalty” and “knowledge of God” (The New American Bible–Revised Edition, 2011),
- “Steadfast love” and “knowledge of God” (The New Revised Standard Version, 1989), and
- “Trust” and “knowledge of God” (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 2019).
The Law of Moses commands certain burnt offerings, of course. The Book of Hosea does not argue for nullifying any portion of the covenant with God, bound up with the Law of Moses. The Book of Hosea does insist that these mandatory sacrifices are not talismans. People must offer these mandatory sacrifices devoutly and sincerely if these sacred rituals are to have the desired, divinely-intended effects.
John Mauchline (1902-1984), of the University of Glasgow, wrote:
It is not necessary to conclude that Hosea regarded sacrifice as having no value whatsoever as an act of worship. What is meant is that sacrifice as an expression of a living faith in the Lord may be a genuine religious act, but the Lord’s delight is in the true knowledge of the demands of his service and in the cultivation of that love which is the cultivation of that love which is the will for his people. It should be noted in passing that whereas Samuel is reported to have called for obedience, not sacrifice, from Saul, Hosea’s demand is for love (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22).
—The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 6 (1956), 628
Gale A. Yee, late of of the University of Saint Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, and of the Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, added:
It is not the sacrificial system that Hosea condemns, but the dishonesty of its worshipers, whose conduct blatantly contradicts the demands of God’s covenant.
—The New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 7 (1996), 252
Sister Carol J. Dempsey, O.P., of the University of Portland, Portland, Oregon, wrote:
Ethical living is more important than religious rituals. True worship is not defined solely by ritual practice; rather, it consists of an attitude and way of life characterized by justice, righteousness, and steadfast love–the hallmarks of the covenant and the necessary ingredients for right relationships with all creation (cf. Jer. 9:24).
–In Daniel Durken, ed., The New Collegeville Bible Commentary: Old Testament (2015), 1495-1496
If one could be a card-carrying ritualist, I would carry that card inside my wallet. Proper liturgy, as I understand it, sets the table for worship for me. Low Church Protestant worship, which throws out the proverbial baby with the equally proverbial bath water, leaves me spiritually cold and uninspired. Visiting houses of worship where such a poor excuse for liturgy is the offering is, for me, engaging in a mere perfunctory social gathering. I feel like saying yet never say:
There, I was a sociable human being; I put in an appearance. I did what you expected of me. Are you happy now? And do you call that a liturgy?
In some settings, I develop the difficult-to-resist urge to quote Presbyterian theologian and Davidson College professor Kenneth J. Foreman, Sr. (1891-1967):
One does not plead for the use of incense–Presbyterians are not likely to come to that–but at least one may protest against mistaking a general odor of mustiness for the odor of sanctity.
—“Better Worship for Better Living,” Presbyterian Survey, August 1932, p. 482
Rituals occupy important places in cultures. I admit this readily; I am not a Puritan, taking time out from whipping Baptists (see here and here) and executing Quakers (see here and here) to argue that God’s altar needs no polishing and, therefore, will get none. Neither am I a Pietist, speaking scornfully and dismissively of “externals.” I like externals! Externals are important. Yet even beautiful liturgies, entered into without devotion, are mere pageants. Conducting splendid rituals, even in accordance with divine commandments, while shamelessly practicing human exploitation, for example, makes a mockery of the rituals. And, on a less dramatic level, I recall having attended some Holy Eucharists when I, for reasons to do solely with myself, should have stayed home. I remember some times that I habitually attended church on Sunday morning, but was not in the proper spiritual state. I recall that I got nothing out of the ritual that usually feeds me spiritually because I brought nothing to it. I remember that I merely got my attendance card punched, so to speak.
All people and societies have disappointed God. We have all fallen short of divine high standards, possible to fulfill via a combination of human free will and divine grace. The grace is present and sufficient. But do we want to do what God requires? Do we–individually and collectively–want to fulfill the ethical demands of divine law and covenant? If we do, we become partners with God. If we do not, we disappoint God and condemn ourselves.
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 16, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR B
THE FEAST OF SAINTS ANDREW FOURNET AND ELIZABETH BICHIER, COFOUNDERS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE CROSS; AND SAINT MICHAEL GARICOITS, FOUNDER OF THE PRIESTS OF THE SACRED HEART OF BETHARRAM
THE FEAST OF SAINT JOHN NEPOMUCENE, BOHEMIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1393
THE FEAST OF THE MARTYRS OF THE SUDAN, 1983-2005
THE FEAST OF SAINT UBALDO BALDASSINI, ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF GUBBIO
THE FEAST OF SAINT VLADIMIR GHIKA, ROMANIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST AND MARTYR, 1954
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Above: Cattle (Hosea 4:16)
Image in the Public Domain
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READING HOSEA, PART IV
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Hosea 4:1-5:7
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The heading for Hosea 4:1-9:17 in The Oxford Study Bible, Revised English Bible with the Apocrypha (1992) is,
God’s case against Israel.
This is a legal case, given the language of accusation and reproof, which carries the connotation of hauling someone into court. This language carries over from Hosea 2:2/2:4 (depending on versification),:
“To court, take your mother to court!….”
—The Revised New Jerusalem Bible (2019)
Then we got theological whiplash by changing the tone in Chapter 3 and switching back to judgment in Chapter 4.
Chapter 4 begins:
Hear the word of the LORD,
O people of Israel!
For the LORD has a case
Against the inhabitants of this land,
Because there is no honesty and no goodness
And no obedience to God in the land.
–Hosea 4:1-2, TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
As I survey translations, I notice a variety of word choices in lieu of honesty, goodness, and obedience to God.
- The New American Bible–Revised Edition (2011) offers, in order, fidelity, loyalty, and knowledge of God.
- The Revised English Bible (1989) offers, in order, good faith, loyalty, and acknowledgment of God.
- The New Revised Standard Version (1989) offers, in order, faithfulness, loyalty, and knowledge of God.
- Robert Alter’s The Hebrew Bible (2019) offers, in order, truth, trust, and knowledge of the LORD.
I will unpack the three terms, in order.
- Truth/faithfulness/good faith/honesty refers to the trustworthiness expected of a judge, as in Exodus 18:21.
- Trust/loyalty/goodness refers to fidelity in human relationships, as in 1 Samuel 20:15.
- Knowledge of God/obedience to God/acknowledgment of God refers to marital intimacy. The metaphors of marriage, sexual fidelity, and divorce are prominent in the Book of Hosea.
In other words, the covenantal relationship between God and Isaiah was broken. Israel had broken it.
The priesthood was corrupt, too. Some priests were devout and honest, of course, but corruption was rife.
Exegetes whose writings I have consulted disagree with each other about the alien or bastard children in 5:7.
- These offspring may be alien because of Israelite intermarriage with foreigners.
- But, O reader, do not forget the pervasive metaphors of marriage and divorce in the Book of Hosea. We read that God has “cast off” Israel for sustained, collective infidelity to the divine covenant.
- The most likely explanation is that both answers apply.
The heart of 4:1-5:7 may reside in 5:4a:
Their habits do not let them
Turn back to their God;….
—TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures (1985)
Alternative translations of the Hebrew word translated as “habits” include:
- Deeds (The New Revised Standard Version, 1989),
- Misdeeds (The Revised English Bible, 1989), and
- Acts (Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible, 2019).
Each of these translations has something to recommend it. Yet I prefer “habits.”
Habitual behavior of the population had broken the covenant.
Human beings are creatures of habits. May we, therefore, learn and nurture good habits, both individually and collectively.
I write this post at a particular moment, therefore certain issues occupy my mind. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives needlessly around the world. Whether to get vaccinated with a proven vaccine is, in the minds of many people with the option to get vaccinated, a politically partisan issue. Public health policy, which should be just a matter of following science and saving lives, has become a matter of cynical politics for certain elected officials. Varieties of hatred, often wrapped in Christian rhetoric, are on the rise. Authoritarianism and objectively-inaccurate conspiracy theories are increasingly popular with most of those who identify with one of the two major political parties in the United States of America. And speaking the objective truth about reality, as some members of that party do, is risky, if one hops to retain one’s leadership position within that party.
Bad habits separate individuals from each other. Bad habits separate individuals, cultures, and societies from God. Bad habits harm the whole. Whatever I do, for example, affects others. This is a statement of mutuality. We all stand before God, completely dependent on grace. In that context, each person is responsible to and for all other people.
Society is people. Society shapes its members. Those members also influence society. When enough people change their minds, societal consensus shifts.
Their habits do not let them
Turn back to their God;….
This need not apply to any group, although it does. Members of any such group can change their habits, therefore, their fates. They can. Will they? Will we?
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 15, 2021 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF SAINTS JUNIA AND ANDRONICUS, COWORKERS OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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