In response to Anna's thoughts, and my own question: yeah, we're gluttonous. I'm self-medicating with fatty/cheesy foods this very night. What if I didn't have such things to lean on? If in the 3rd world would I indulge in....water? Probably not if I had to journey ten miles with five containers on my back to the nearest well. Sometimes our own material abundance exhausts us.
So, to the question: What might God ask us to do in contemporary culture? I imagine God saying: "Marry an addict who doesn't intend to recover or change his/her ways. Love this person. Then maybe you will have a glimpse at what it is like for God to love Israel (i.e. God's chosen people.)"
The theme throughout Hosea seems to be the obedience of the prophet to do what God says. In this story of Hosea and Gomer, we learn something about God's love and provision.
**BUT**
I still say there is a difference between this portrayal of God, and the God we come to know through Jesus Christ, incarnate. (Notice I don't say "different Gods," instead, "different portrayals.") The God in Christ becomes human and that is the command. It is out of God's extreme freedom, abundant love, and absolute sovereignty that in Christ he sets the norm for humanity. But it isn't law. His coming eradicates the law. Jesus' love cuts through boundaries and rules, calling all people (even whores, addicts, and consumers) to his kingdom. I think Hosea points to such a kingdom, but is still a portrayal of God that is wrapped up in law.
Does that make sense??
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1 comment:
Good thoughts! I like the suggestion that God might call us to marry an addict. That is a good illustration.
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