{"id":76005,"date":"2020-06-14T16:29:41","date_gmt":"2020-06-14T13:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=76005"},"modified":"2020-06-14T16:34:44","modified_gmt":"2020-06-14T13:34:44","slug":"unconditional-love-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/unconditional-love-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Unconditional Love"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"76005","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":73524,"related_cahpter":"502","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Stop relating to God as an idol\r\n\r\n","content":"

Hosea’s second chapter continues the disturbing and challenging metaphors from the first chapter of the prophet\u2019s unfaithful wife and her children, representing Israel’s faithlessness towards its covenant. The poetic and powerful language alternates between Hosea’s relationship with his own unfaithful wife and the damaged relationship between God and Israel. The introduction (verses 1-3) is optimistic, describing the eventual undoing of the curses against Hosea’s children. However, the prophet then launches into an accusation of adultery brought against his wife Gomer. She is disowned by both her husband and her children, and as punishment for her infidelities, she is sentenced to be left naked in the desert to die of thirst.<\/span><\/p>\n

Hosea then discusses the dual sins that led to Israel’s downfall \u2013 idolatry and hedonism. He cleverly links the two as he describes how the unfaithful wife continued to betray her vows. She sought after gifts, chasing lovers who flattered her with presents in return for her favors. Yet, she never realized that ultimately the gifts came from her husband:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut she did not know that I gave her the corn, the wine, and the oil, and I gave her much silver and gold, but they made it for Baal\u201d (10).<\/span><\/p>\n

How can a relationship so marred be restored? Hosea consistently presents one answer by repeating an image throughout the chapter \u2013 a return to the desert. Historically, the desert is where the Jewish people and God first began their journey together \u2013 for this reason, this chapter is almost universally read as the haftorah for the parasha of Bemidbar (\u201cIn the Desert,\u201d the first parasha of the book of Numbers). One can view this as a second honeymoon \u2013 a return to their roots.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, another approach can be suggested, utilizing the desert’s unique qualities as a forum for rectifying the underlying foundations of Israel’s sins.<\/span><\/p>\n

What ultimately led to Israel’s betrayal? She sought to accumulate luxuries and goodness for herself \u2013 all of her relationships were ultimately transactional, for her own benefit. All this disappears in the desert. <\/span>In the words of Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein<\/span><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the world of the wilderness, a person is satisfied with the minimum, he exploits nature for his real and basic needs, and he is not carried away by the false charms of fashion and pleasure, but rather he worries about his survival in an appropriate manner.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, what Hosea is suggesting to the people is a radical re-imagining of the very nature of their relationship with God. Instead of the transactional approach that characterized their connection with the Divine until then \u2013 if I offer this offering, you will bring rain \u2013 Hosea suggests that the people relate to God without guile or expectations, and that God should do the same. In his words (italics are the author’s interpretation):<\/span><\/p>\n

And it shall come to pass on that day, says the Lord, you shall call [Me] Ishi (<\/span>my husband<\/span><\/em>), and you shall no longer call Me Baali (<\/span>my provider<\/span><\/em>) (v. 18).<\/span><\/p>\n

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