Today’s Scripture Reading (January
13, 2020): Hosea 5
The origin of the phrase is actually from the game of poker. According to
tradition, on the frontier, the game was often played with a Buckskin knife
that was used as the counter indicating whose turn it was to deal. The blade
was passed around the circle of players, and one in possession of the knife had
the privilege of dealing the cards. The knife became known as a “buck.” Occasionally,
a player might not want to deal. And so, in those cases, the player would simply
pass the knife to the next player in the circle. It was said that the player
then “passed the buck.” The poker term became a phrase that was used whenever
someone denied responsibility for something passing the blame down the line to
someone else. But initially, it was just the responsibility of dealing the next
poker hand that was passed down the line.
United States President Harry S. Truman made famous another
phrase related to passing the buck. Truman’s slogan was that “the buck stops here.”
He even had a sign made for his desk that was emblazoned with the phrase. No,
he wasn’t playing Poker with an old Buckskin knife. The phrase meant that
Truman understood that the ultimate responsibility for what happened in the
nation rested in his office. Rather than passing the responsibility off to
those who served him and the presidency, he took the blame on himself. Truman
seemed to understand the leadership adage that states that when something goes
right, it is because of the people gathered around the leader. But when it goes
wrong, it is the fault of the one in charge.
Hosea was worried that the leadership of Israel was going
to “pass the buck” off on the people; that they would blame the problems of the
nation on the farmers and workers of the country. Maybe they would even place
the blame for God’s displeasure with them on the backs of the foreigners who
inhabited the land, and who brought their strange ways and gods with them when
they emigrated to Israel. But the crimes that God was accusing Israel of had
nothing to do with the actions of the aliens who lived in their midst. Hosea
points directly at the priests who led the land spiritually, the royal house
who led the nation politically, and the Israelites, the ones to whom this land
had been given.
Hosea also mentions that all of Israel has been a snare at
Mizpah. Mizpah was the place where Samuel began the reforms which characterized
his time as a Judge over Israel. What had been a holy place in Israel was now
just a sign of all that was wrong with the nation. The reforms of Samuel had disappeared
entirely, and left in their place were the selfish actions of the leaders of
the land and the ones who followed them. Mount Tabor is also significant. Tabor
was a fortress mountain not far from the hills of Nazareth. It was a solitary
mountain that gave ascent to its top only from one side of the hill. But the
actions of the people had cast a net over the fortress and had, ultimately, defeated
the mountain.
But Mount Tabor is also the traditional location of the Transfiguration
of Christ, which might remind us that God has the power to cleanse even the
places that we have defiled with our actions. After all, forgiveness is a necessity
for all of us when the buck stops at our desk.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading:
Hosea 6
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