"So I will destroy your mother" - God

By Pastor Kevin Van Wyk
Wow! That’s harsh. My mom! She was not that bad. 
 
I hope you are reading the Minor prophets with us this summer. If not you might miss some gems like this one. “So I will destroy your mother”.
 
Why my mom? Check out Hosea’s reason...
 
“You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother— my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.” (Hosea 4:5-6 NIV)
 
Four reasons are given for destroying your mom (as well as rejecting the priests and ignoring your children). 

1. You stumble. First note this is referring to all Israel. It’s not a personal letter to an individual. Second, “stumble” could refer to falling in battle. But given that the use of the word in Hosea 4:5, 14:1 and 14:9 is related to sin, it’s more likely to refer to stumbling in darkness apart from God and his truth.
2. You lack knowledge.
3. You reject knowledge.
4. You ignore God’s law.

So, should you be concerned that God will destroy your mom for your sins?
Well, that is not the intent of this passage. The straying of the Israelites (priests and children) will result in their rejection and being ignored. This results in the destruction of the nation of Israel, the mother. So, this is not about my mom or yours. What a relief, for me and my mom. 
 
Yet, this does not exclude us as God’s children. Yes, we live under grace. Jesus died and forgave our sins. We live in a new reality! But that does not give us a license to sin.
 
“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?... What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means!” (Romans 6:1-2, 15 NIV)
 
There was and is a lack of knowledge. I’m sure you have learned a lot about viruses and politics over the the past few months. How many articles have you read? How many hours have you spent reading headlines? How does that compare to your efforts to learn about God?
 
There was and is an ignoring and rejecting of God’s word too. Not only do we fail to read and listen to God, but we tend to respond with apathy. What’s the last biblical command you intentionally sought to obey? Sacrificially loving your spouse? Instantly obeying your parents? Blessing your kids (spiritually, not materially)? See our Connecting Well series.
 
The challenge is clear: don’t be found ignorant or ignoring. You have a Heavenly Father who longs to walk with you, to give you hope, peace, and direction. Will you dig into God’s word this summer? Will you walk in his grace and truth? 
 
Summer Minor Prophets reading plan, along with video overviews and our sermons can be found here... https://www.altoreformedchurch.org/minor-prophets.html
 
Heavenly Father, help us learn. Teach us of your love. Help us walk in your path and never stray from your truth.