Wrestling with God and with Sin

Hosea 12:1-14 

1 "Ephraim feeds on the wind,
And pursues the east wind;
He daily increases lies and desolation.
Also they make a covenant with the Assyrians,
And oil is carried to Egypt.

2 "The LORD also brings a charge against Judah,
And will punish Jacob according to his ways;
According to his deeds He will recompense him.
3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb,
And in his strength he struggled with God.

4 Yes, he struggled with the Angel and prevailed;
He wept, and sought favor from Him.
He found Him in Bethel,
And there He spoke to us—
5 That is, the LORD God of hosts.
The LORD is His memorable name.

6 So you, by the help of your God, return;
Observe mercy and justice,
And wait on your God continually.

7 "A cunning Canaanite!
Deceitful scales are in his hand;
He loves to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said,
Surely I have become rich,
I have found wealth for myself;
In all my labors
They shall find in me no iniquity that is sin.'

9 "But I am the LORD your God,
Ever since the land of Egypt;
I will again make you dwell in tents,
As in the days of the appointed feast.

10 I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions;
I have given symbols through the witness of the prophets."

11 Though Gilead has idols—
Surely they are vanity—
Though they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal,
Indeed their altars shall be heaps in the furrows of the field.

12 Jacob fled to the country of Syria;
Israel served for a spouse,
And for a wife he tended sheep.

13 By a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt,
And by a prophet he was preserved.

14 Ephraim provoked Him to anger most bitterly;
Therefore his Lord will leave the guilt of his bloodshed upon him,
And return his reproach upon him.

God’s people struggled with Him and with their sin, just as we continue to do to this day and until His return.  Ephraim chased the wind in futility, Judah sinned with idols, and Jacob struggled first as supplanter in birth and later wrested with God Himself in the Christophany at Peniel.  He struggled as he wrestled with God and His calling to lead the people and sought His grace with tears, later hearing Him speak at the place named the House of God, Bethel.  Because of these things, Israel was reminded to repent and wait on the LORD for deliverance as they did their part by exercising mercy and justice themselves, showing fairness instead of selfish gain and mercy to forgive in showing unmerited goodness as God had done with them.  This is still our call in Christ to work out the salvation of unbreakable grace in our daily sanctification to please and honor this great God who called us out from all nations as His own special people of that first nation of His purpose and calling (Exodus 19:5, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 2:9).  Pursuit of wealth by dishonest gain exposed the iniquity of sin but the Sovereign God calls us out of sins bondage like Israel out of Egypt.  We also have Moses and the prophets in writing now as witnesses to all God has done and promises of all He will do, all which have always pointed to Christ the Messiah from the beginning (Genesis 3:15, John 5:39, Luke 24:27).  Idols brought destruction then and still trap many who refuse to look to Christ and sacrifice to themselves and false gods instead.  We would do better to seek the truth in the scriptures of life that point to Christ for as long as it takes, just as the examples of Jacob working years for his wife whom he loved (Genesis 29:20).  God revealed Himself through His word spoken by His prophets to both deliver from bondage and keep His people securely in His hand of loving grace (Isaiah 43:13, John 10:28-29), just as He continues to do to we who once were lost but now are found in Christ.  Let us not provoke the Lord in disbelief or disobedience in unrepentant sin then as we wrestle with God and sin, but seek to honor and please Him, our great God and Savior (Titus 2:12-14) who is Jesus Christ our Lord.