Page 105 - Divinity_F5

Divinity for Advanced Secondary Schools

who disciplines a child who is wrong concepts from Hosea are compassion
because of the love he/she has towards and forgiveness, such as Hosea 1:10
the child. compared to Romans 9:26, Hosea 2:23
compared with Romans 9:25, Hosea
Hosea’s reformative punishment of 10:8 compared with Luke 23:30, Hosea
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
Gomer shows that the Israelites would 11:1 compared with Matthew 2:15,
suffer and be restored to God. Hosea and Hosea 13:14 compared with 1
uses his children to go and plead with Corinthians 15:55. The words mercy,
their wicked mother, a symbol of the forgiveness and compassion have been
love of God to his people where God used in many areas and fields.
always sent prophets to talk to his
people (Hos. 2:2). The symbolic buying Mercy
of Gomer for 15 pieces of silver was a In the realm of law, for example, mercy
manifestation of the love of God to his refers to the postponement or the
people; God was ready to do anything reduction of a penalty that the criminal
deserves. In criminal law, mercy is an act
to redeem his people. Despite Israel’s of remission or waiving of punishment
rebellious nature, God still loved them to which the criminal is subject. Here,
just like Hosea still loved rebellious mercy is distinguished from pardon.
Gomer (Hos. 2:3). The book of Hosea Generally understood, mercy is
refers to the Exodus period. It portrays accomplished when forgiveness and
God as a loving father who cared for and compassion are practised.
liberated the Israelites from exile, where
they were suffering. Forgiveness
Forgiveness is often defined as a
The symbolic punishment of Gomer, deliberate decision to release resentment
where she was stripped naked and sent to or vengeance towards a person who has
the desert, was a manifestation of God’s harmed or done something wrong.
love for the Israelites (Hos. 2:3). In the
same way, the people of Israel were Compassion
Likewise, the term compassion comes
taken to exile for God to use them again. from Latin ‘com’ and ‘pati’, meaning
God said, “When Israel was a child, I “suffer with”. In the context of Hosea,
the Lord called him out of Egypt as my God forgave the sins of Israel and
son.” This shows that His love for the became the bearer of their burden, so he
Israelites was strong, and His judgment suffered with them.
was redemptive.
Mercy, forgiveness and compassion
Hosea’s message is related to other This shows the interrelatedness of the
passages from the New Testament; for three concepts. Mercy is an act of grace
example, Matthew 9:9-13, 12:7, and and compassion. We can, therefore, say
23:23 were taken from Hosea 6:6. Other that mercy, forgiveness and compassion

96 Form Five Student’s Book