For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind…(Hosea 8:7, ESV) As we finish the book of Hosea, we see that Israel has sown winds of sin and idolatry, and now they reap the whirlwind.
Notice that Israel fed on the wind. The people of Israel feed on the wind; they chase after the east wind all day long. They pile up lies and violence; they are making an alliance with Assyria while sending olive oil to buy support from Egypt. (Hosea 12:1, NLT) When you pile on the sin, you harvest a whirlwind of destruction. “But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates. They will destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me. (Hosea 11:5–7, NLT) Interestingly, the very alliances Israel made with pagan nations were the nations that swirled through their cities with war. A whirlwind indeed!
Where is God’s heart in all of this? While God will chasten Israel for their sin, notice what He desires. Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for your sins have brought you down. Bring your confessions, and return to the Lord… The Lord says, “Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever. I will be to Israel like a refreshing dew from heaven. Israel will blossom like the lily; … My people will again live under my shade. They will flourish like grain and blossom like grapevines…(Hosea 14:1–2, 4-7 NLT)
What a reminder that sin never pays, and while we reap what we sow, God desires repentance that He might heal and bless!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Hosea 8-14.