REFLECTION FROM MINOR PROPHETS PART 1 : HOSEA

PART 1. HOSEA

TAAT WALAUPUN BERAT

Hosea 1:2-9, “...berfirmanlah Ia kepada Hosea: "Pergilah, kawinilah seorang perempuan sundal dan peranakkanlah anak-anak sundal, karena negeri ini bersundal hebat dengan membelakangi TUHAN." Maka pergilah ia dan mengawini Gomer binti Diblaim, lalu mengandunglah perempuan itu dan melahirkan baginya seorang anak laki-laki...”

Apa yang akan kita lakukan jika Tuhan memerintahkan kita untuk melakukan hal-hal yang berat yang bagi kita amat sulit untuk melakukannya? Mampukah kita taat? Hosea menunjukkan kesetiaan dan ketaatannya sebagai nabi Allah. Perintah Allah padanya cukup aneh dan sulit, yaitu untuk menikahi perempuan sundal. Ada banyak dampak buruk jika Ia melakukan ini, yaitu Ia akan dipandang jelek oleh orang-orang sekitarnya yang mengenalnya sebagai nabi, lalu ada kemungkinan dia akan dikhianati dan perempuan itu akan berselingkuh (dan terbukti, Gomer, perempuan itu, kembali pada kebiasaannya untuk bersundal). Namun Hosea tetap taat kepada Tuhan dan melakukan segala perintah-Nya sebagai lambang dari Israel yang bersundal hebat dengan menyembah berhala. Bahkan, Hosea rela memberi ketiga anaknya nama yang memilik arti jelek, karena itu juga perintah Tuhan. Namun sekali lagi, Ia tetap taat.
Terkadang kita menghadapi banyak pilihan sulit yang membuat kita harus memilih antara kehendak kita maupun kehendak Tuhan. Contoh sederhana adalah ketika kita akan memberi persembahan di gereja, dan uang yang ada di dompet kita adalah pecahan besar semua. Mampukah kita memberikan yang terbaik untuk pekerjaan Tuhan? Atau hanya memberi yang paling sedikit, bahkan tidak memberi sama sekali? Jika ada orang yang sangat butuh pertolongan kita, namun jika kita menolongnya kita akan mengalami kerugian, mampukah kita mengikuti kehendak Tuhan untuk memberikan bantuan? Tentu kita hanya membantu jika orang yang meminta pertolongan itu jujur dan tulus tanpa motivasi yang salah.
Percayalah bahwa apa yang Hosea alami tidak mudah, namun Ia tetap mampu untuk taat. Bagaimana dengan kita? Sebagai umat Tuhan yang setia kita pun harus senantiasa mengikuti kehendak Tuhan dalam hidup kita, dan melaksanakan segala perintah-Nya seberat apapun itu. Dan yakinlah, Tuhan tahu yang terbaik bagi kita selama kita taat, dan hasil dari ketaatan kita tidak akan pernah menjadi sia-sia. Tuhan memberkati!

Walaupun berat, aku mau taat.
Karena Engkau tahu yang terbaik untukku.
O Yesusku, aku bersyukur atas segala kebaikan-Mu di sepanjang waktuku
Hanya bagi-Mu segala kemuliaan, dan segala keagungan.
Amin


Created date: Friday, November 19th 2010

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PART 1. Hosea
OBEYING DIFFICULT COMMAND

Hosea 1:2-9, " When the LORD first spoke to Israel through Hosea, he said to Hosea, "Go and get married; your wife will be unfaithful, and your children will be just like her. In the same way my people have left me and become unfaithful." So Hosea married a woman named Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim. After the birth of their first child, a son, the LORD said to Hosea, "Name him 'Jezreel,' because it will not be long before I punish the king of Israel for the murders that his ancestor Jehu committed at Jezreel. I am going to put an end to Jehu's dynasty. And in Jezreel Valley I will at that time destroy Israel's military power." Gomer had a second child--this time it was a girl. The LORD said to Hosea, "Name her 'Unloved,' because I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them. But to the people of Judah I will show love. I, the LORD their God, will save them, but I will not do it by war--with swords or bows and arrows or with horses and horsemen." After Gomer had weaned her daughter, she became pregnant again and had another son. The LORD said to Hosea, "Name him 'Not-My-People,' because the people of Israel are not my people, and I am not their God."



What would we do if God commands us to do things that are very difficult for us to do? Can we obey? Hosea showed loyalty and obedience as a prophet of God. God gave him a quite strange and difficult command, which is to marry a harlot. There are many adverse effects if he did this, that he would be viewed badly by the people around him who knew him as a prophet, then there is the possibility he would be betrayed and the woman will be having an affair (and proven, Gomer, the woman, back to her bad habit). But Hosea remained obedient to God and do His commandments as a symbol of Israel's that commits idolatry. In fact, Hosea willing to give her three children a name that stands ugly, because it is God's command. But again, he remained obedient.
Sometimes we face many difficult choices that make us have to choose between our will and the will of God. A simple example is when we give offerings at church, can we give our LORD the best for His work in our church? Or just give the least, even not give at all? If there are people who really need our help, but if we help him we will suffer losses, Could we follow God's will to provide assistance? Of course we only help if the person requesting help is honest and sincere without wrong motivation.
What Hosea did was not easy, but he is still able to be obedient. What about us? As a faithful people of God we must always follow the will of God in our lives, and perform all His commandments no matter how hard it is. And rest assured, God knows best for us as long as we obey, and the results of our obedience will never be in vain. God bless!

Although it is hard, I want to obey.
Because you know the best for me.
O Jesus, I give thanks for all thy goodness throughout my time
Just for You all the glory, forever.
Amen.


Created date: Friday, November 19th 2010