Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God; you love the wages of a prostitute at every threshing floor. – Hosea 9:1

Today's Scripture Reading (February 27, 2023): Hosea 9

I admit that I am a city boy. I was born in a small community, but that community was and is part of a metropolitan city with a population exceeding five million people. Other portions of my life have been spent in cities around the one million mark. But I have also spent over a decade living in small rural communities. There is a significant difference between the two living circumstances. And one of those differences is how much we think about our food. As a city boy, food comes from the grocery store. Okay, we know that it doesn't originate there, but we just don't spend much time thinking about the origins of our food. We complain about pricing and why things are so expensive. Still, even then, it is a complaint against the corporate overseers that control the distribution of the food and not against the farmer trying to eke out a living trying to grow the fruits and grains and raise the cattle, chickens, and pigs that grace our tables.

But in a small town, it is different. In a rural community, you are confronted with planting season and harvest, and in between, you worry about not enough rain or, sometimes, too much rain. Rural communities understand that bringing the crop to harvest is almost a miraculous thing because so many things must go right for the farmer to reap a good crop at harvest time. The windows for planting and harvesting are so tight, and the times when rain or sun is required are incredible. And that is without mentioning the dangerous hail, which can easily wipe out a crop quickly if the hail comes at the wrong time. So, when the crops come in, and when the animals are sold to provide food for our tables, it is truly a time to celebrate because it means that we survived the growing season and have something to sell to consumers to put on their tables to provide much-needed food. And all of us owe a debt of gratitude to the farmers and ranchers who work incredibly long hours to provide us with the food we need.

We think that at least portions of Hosea were intended as a part of a harvest season sermon presented by the prophet. And this is one of the passages that possibly lends credence to that belief. Israel was in a celebratory mood for whatever reason, and the harvest is always a good thing to celebrate. But even more importantly, Assyria was in a period of decline. For now, Israel seemed safe from all that endangered them. That fact, combined with a successful harvest, meant that Israel and her sister nations had something to celebrate. But Hosea comes with a warning. You might be celebrating now, but it will be short-lived unless you are willing to change your behavior and stop sinning against God. Only that behavior change could be a lasting reason for a celebration. But Hosea does not see that repentance; instead, he sees a people stuck in their sin.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Hosea 10