A regular complaint about the Bible involves the perceived difference between the God depicted in the Old Testament and the God featured in the New. The former appears harsh, vindictive, and judgmental. The latter, viewed through the teachings of Jesus, presents as more gentle and caring. Jesus loves the little children, you know.

But the prophet Hosea turns the perception of the grim Old Testament God upside down. He shares with us the Lord’s own words:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son…it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms…I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.

Like a loving parent with an adored child, for hundreds of years the Lord led his children and patiently waited for them to look up.

But those children twisted out of the Lord’s hand—Now they sin more and more; they make idols for themselves…it is said of these people, “They offer human sacrifices! They kiss calf-idols!”

I’m no expert on parenting, but when your children start offering human sacrifices, it’s time to intervene. Even with this depth of heinous evil, the Lord remained patient, longing for his children to return.

The Lord’s leniency overshadows his judgement.

God extends patience far beyond our imagination, but eventually the Lord disciplines those he loves. The entire story of the Bible—Old Testament and New—expresses the Lord’s immense patience and overarching love for every person who’s ever lived.

Hosea 12 & 13 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Ante Hamersmit