Days 157&158: Amos 6-9, Hosea 1-5

I've always found the books of the OT referred to as the Minor Prophets to be sort of tough reading. They are filled with word pictures and metaphors which sound very odd to my 21st century ears. But I believe there are some important insights in these writings if we are patient and look for them. To get the most out of them requires more study than this exercise (reading through) allows. You have to stop and do some research and digging.

However...reading through is not completely without value. You can get the big picture and start to see where these prophets and their messages fit in the flow of OT history. As we go through Amos & Hosea we start getting the first prophecies of the fall and captivity of the Israelites...they were warned, and didn't listen.

Hosea, specifically, is very graphic about why this exile was coming. In fact, Hosea's very life - his relationship with his unfaithful spouse - became a visual aid if the people would learn from it. I've always felt sorry for Hosea because of what he had to go through in order to proclaim God's message to the people...but I suppose all the prophets had there own unique burdens to bear in order to carry out their God-given mission. But, even among the prophets, it seems Hosea is unique. God told him to go and marry a prostitute...and to love her in spite of her infidelities. This was a picture of God's love for His people...in spite of all their unfaithfulness God continues to love them. Even while He is proclaiming a message of destruction to His people He continues further into the future and also predicts their restoration:

“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. (Hosea 1:10-11)

Some of the Minor Prophets sound like they were written for us today. I don't know how far to press the application but this section of Amos almost sounds as if he's writing to us here in 21st century USA:

You put off the day of disaster
   and bring near a reign of terror.
You lie on beds adorned with ivory
   and lounge on your couches.
You dine on choice lambs
   and fattened calves.
You strum away on your harps like David
   and improvise on musical instruments.
You drink wine by the bowlful
   and use the finest lotions,
   but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.
Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile;
   your feasting and lounging will end. (Amos 6:3-7)

Ok, I admit the imagery isn't very modern but I think maybe the meaning behind the imagery is as current and urgent as today's headlines.