NOTES for Hos 2:1-23

In the Yahwistic, and later in the Jewish, tradition, the relationship between God and the people of God was often likened to family and marital relations. At first glance such an approach may seem too free, almost overly familiar: God appears to be brought down to the human, almost everyday level. But if we think about it, this is the only way to preserve the covenant-union concluded at Sinai.

Indeed, the relationship between God and an individual person, just like the relationship between God and the people of God, can be full only if it is informal and unconditional. Of course, in marital relations there is also a place for legal formalities, marriage contracts, which were known in ancient Israel as well. But as we know, a marriage contract is still drawn up mainly for the settlement of property and other legal formalities in the event of divorce.

When relations between spouses in marriage are normal, it does not occur to anyone to demand from the other the fulfillment of any contracts: everything is resolved by love and mutual consent. The same applies to the union between God and His people, which extends to everyone who enters this people. The Decalogue, of course, is a condition of the union; the conscious violation of any one of the ten commandments means its rupture.

The Decalogue is not simply a moral code. It is a description of the path that leads to God or, if the commandments contained in it are violated, leads away from God. And it becomes relevant, as does the Torah in general, precisely when a person sins, turns away from God, and breaks relationship with Him, as the apostle Paul says. Through the Torah, according to the apostle, sin is known. Thus it turns out that in the relationship between God and a person, too, law becomes relevant when the relationship is moving toward rupture. But when the relationship is normal, the Torah becomes inwardly organic to the person and is not perceived as something limiting him from outside.

Hosea speaks of such relations between God and His people, relations that resemble those within a strong family and do not need formal regulation. This, among other things, was the people's only chance for salvation, for God to receive them: the covenant-union, speaking of Hosea's time, had already been broken more than once, and now all that remained was to hope that God would forgive His people as a loving husband forgives an unfaithful wife, not divorcing her even though he has every right and every ground for divorce.

But forgiveness is possible only if the people's relationship with God is renewed and receives a new spiritual quality. Simply going back to what existed before is just as impossible as gluing together the shards of broken pottery. And in this hope there is already a foretaste of the Kingdom: when a person enters the Kingdom, he does not return to the state that was proper to him before the fall, but receives something new and greater. He receives fullness of life, surpassing any sin committed before.

For God, the unfaithfulness of His people is the same as a wife's adultery is for any normal man. It is not only terrible pain; it is also betrayal and humiliation. And in the book of Hosea the Lord says many bitter words to His people. But now He says the main thing: yes, Israel has sinned, but all that is needed is to repent, abandon iniquities, and turn to God. God requires nothing from His people except one thing: to remember with whom mercy is found, to renounce false gods, and to turn to the one true God. He does not set "probationary periods"; He does not simply say, well, all right, I suppose I will accept you. He accepts the "unfaithful wife," His people, as the only and incomparable beloved, to whom everything is forgiven not because she has earned forgiveness, but because she is simply loved. And the promise of God's blessings to Israel most of all resembles poems of love, and so it is in essence, for the whole Bible is a poem about God's boundless, mad love for each of us.

In the yahviste, and later Jewish tradition, the relationship between God and the people of God were rather often likened to the family, conjugal relationship. At first sight such an approach can seem too free, almost without respect: as if we reduce God to the human level, almost at the level of the everyday life. But if we think about it, it is in particular only how we can keep the union-covenant concluded on Sinai. Indeed, the relationships between God and an individual, quite as between God and the people of God, can be complete only in case they will be informal and unconditional. Certainly, in the conjugal relationships there is a place for the legal formalities, marriage contracts are also known of antique Israel.

But, as is known, marriage contract is all the same concluded rather in the case of the regulation of the patrimonial formalities and the other legal formalities in case of divorce. When the relationships between the spouses in the marriage are normal, it comes to the head of nobody to ask one or the other the observation of a certain contract: everything is solved by love and mutual consent. The same applies to the union between God and His people, which spreads on everyone, who is part of these people: the Decalogue is of course the condition of the union, the conscious violation of any commandment of the Ten Commandments means its break.

But the Decalogue is not just a moral code, it is the description of the way leading to God or (in case of the violation of commandments contain therein) leading away from God. And as the Torah in general, it becomes actual, as says the apostle Paul, in particular when man sins, goes away from God, breaks the relationships with Him. According to the words of the apostle, by the Torah is the knowledge of sin. Thus it turns out that in the relationships between God and man, the law becomes actual when everything goes to the break of the relationships. When the relationships are normal, the Torah turns out inside organic to man, is not perceived as something limiting man from the outside.

And Hosea speaks about these relationships between God and His people, which remind the relationships inside a solid family, not requiring formal regulations. In this, by the way, was for the people the only chance to salvation, for God to accept them: because the union-covenant, if we speak about the period of Hosea, was already violated more than once, and now only remained to hope that God will forgive His people, quite as forgives the husband who loves the unfaithful woman, without divorcing with her, although he has for divorce all rights and all the reasons.

But forgiveness is possible only in case the relationships of the people with God will be renewed and will find a new spiritual quality. Just going back, in what was before, is also impossible, as it is impossible to glue the shards of the broken dishes. And in this hope there is already a presentiment of the Kingdom: because entering the Kingdom, man doesn’t return to the state that was proper to him before the fall, but obtain something new and bigger. Obtain the fullness of life, surpassing any sin committed before.

In today's Old Testament reading the Lord says: "I will hear the heavens, and they will hear the earth." This is, of course, a special poetic biblical language, and these words can certainly be interpreted in many different ways. But one meaning that can be seen in them is this: we believe in the communion of saints. Perhaps this passage is speaking precisely about that communion. The heavens will hear the earth - the Church triumphant will hear the prayers of the pilgrim Church. And the Lord will hear the heavens - the prayers of the Church triumphant, of the angels and the saints.

The Lord says: “I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth". Certainly, it is a special biblical poetic language, and certainly, we can interpret these words very differently. But here is what I thought today. We believe in the communication of the saints. May be, that it is in particular about these communications in today’s passage? The heaven will answer the earth – the Triumphant Church will hear the prayers of the itinerant Church. And the Lord will hear the heavens - the prayers of the Triumphant Church, the angels and the saints.