A love that Disciplines and Restores

Throughout our journey in the book of Hosea, we have seen God issuing a sobering charge against Israel. From the priests to the people, there was a systemic rejection of the knowledge of God. The people of Israel pursued idolatry, foolishly choosing spiritual adultery over covenantal intimacy. Yet, because God is righteous and just, this covenantal unfaithfulness could not be ignored; judgment and discipline were the necessary consequences but also an expression of an immense love that refused to let its people stay lost.

While Hosea’s prophecy signalled the consequence of punishment and judgement, the discipline from God was never meant to be the final word. Instead, it was a necessary step on the pathway to healing. As we arrive at the final chapter, we witness the beautiful tension of the Gospel: God’s righteousness demands judgment, but His love ensures restoration. Hosea 14 is a compassionate plea for Israel to turn away from the world and return to the One who is steadfast in love. It is a promise that God will heal, bless and restore His people once again, transforming a desolate people into a flourishing garden.

"I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them." — Hosea 14:4

How beautiful are these tender words from God! In this final chapter of Hosea, we see a loving and tender God who desires reconciliation with His people, and one that is ultimately fulfilled at the cross of Jesus Christ. On the cross, we see God’s perfect love, justice and mercy, where a faithful covenant-keeping God sent His only Son to take the judgement of our unfaithfulness and secured our restoration and reconciliation to Himself.

As we finish our study of the book, do we see our own reflection in the unfaithfulness of Gomer and Israel? It is easy to despair when we feel the weight of our own idolatrous tendencies, but Hosea invites us to take heart. The call remains the same: To repent and return to the God who is both our righteous Judge and gracious Redeemer. Will we cling foolishly to our hollow idols, or will we rest in the covenantal love of Christ?

Deacon Tan Jiayi

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Does your repentance look like a heart that has been rent like a garment, broken and contrite as it beats before God? This attitude is missing from most repentance, and it’s the very thing God is trying to teach us!

How to Get a Broken Heart

It may sound strange, but how do we go about getting a broken heart?

First, we simply need to ask for it. True repentance, like all good things, is a gift of God (2 Timothy 2:25). If we want to obey the command to rend our hearts, we must ask God to grant us true repentance.

We must also be aware of one of the biggest hindrances to obtaining a broken heart: our neglect of the relational aspect of sinning. By this, I mean that we can view sin as a failure of performance rather than a failure of intimacy. The only grief we experience is disappointment in our inability to do what is right, and not that we have “despised” the living God (2 Samuel 12:9).

When we sin, we play the part of an adulterer who looks for satisfaction in another, rather than the only One who can satisfy. That is why David said to the Lord, “against you, you only, have I sinned” (Psalm 51:4). David rightly saw his failures in terms of relationship, and as a result his heart was grieved as it can be only when we have sinned against the One we love so much.

Behold His Glory

Finally, true repentance comes not merely by understanding the relational aspect of sin, but by understanding the nature of the One with whom we are in relationship. In other words, the more we see God as glorious and holy, the more we will see sin as something to weep over. Repentance is less about feeling bad over behaviour, and more about feeling awe and delight towards God. The more glimpses we have of the glory of God, the more we mourn for scorning that glory.

In the end, God’s plan for us is that we will be holy as he is holy (1 Peter 1:16). He will surely do it! In the meantime, he desires a brokenhearted people who have learned to mourn over their sin.

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Extract from: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-heart-of-true-repentance