Tear down to build up
Day 450, Tuesday, Nov. 4
Hosea Chapters 5 – 8
Today we see the familiar pattern of disobedience leading to destruction, which is then followed by healing.
While the destruction is sometimes cast as a natural consequence of disobedience, Hosea in the beginning verses of chapter 6 portrays it as a deliberate act of God. “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured but he will bind up our wounds.”
I don’t believe that “everything happens for a reason;” some things just happen. Here, though, Hosea makes it clear that sometimes bad times do come for a reason—sometimes bad times are sent by God. We can only assume those times are meant to cleanse or strengthen us, but in any case we are assured that, after the bad times, God will heal us and bind up our wounds.
Like yesterday, today’s reading contains a term that could be confusing. It often refers to Ephraim.
Ephraim is a tribe named after the son of Joseph by the same name. It is one of the northern tribes. Sometimes “Ephraim” is used to refer to the whole of the northern tribes and used as a synonym for “Israel.”

-Rev. Mark Fleming

Tuesday meditation

Psalms 21:1-13
The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You have granted him his heart’s desire and have not withheld the request of his lips. You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—length of days, for ever and ever. Through the victories you gave, his glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty. Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.
Your hand will lay hold on all your enemies; your right hand will seize your foes. When you appear for battle, you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and his fire will consume them. You will destroy their descendants from the earth, their posterity from mankind. Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed. You will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow.
Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might.

Prayer focus
God, thank you for the difficult times that purify and strengthen us. We pray that lessons be learned and strength be gained, and that you will then heal us and bind up our wounds.