SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11 - IT'S COMPLICATED
November 12, 2023
Deborah Laforet
It’s Complicated
Let us pray. May the words from my lips and the meditations of my heart be guided by
your Spirit and be words of wisdom for this day. Amen.
How many of you have heard or have even said that you like the New Testament so much
more than the Old Testament because the God in the Old Testament is so violent. People see the
god of the Hebrew Scriptures as one who judges, punishes, and encourages violence. People see
the god of the Christian Scriptures as seen in Jesus as compassionate, forgiving, and loving. So,
of course, the god in the New Testament seems SO much better.
I’ll give you a hint. The god in the Hebrew scriptures and the god in the Christian
scriptures is the same god. We’re actually not talking about two different gods or even two
different people or faith groups, as the people of the Christians Scriptures were Jewish,
descendants of the people described in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Here is another thought. The Old Testament has 929 chapters while the New has 260; the
Old Testament is made up of 23,214 verses while the New has 7,959, and the Old Testament has
roughly 622,700 words, while the New Testament has roughly 184,600. The New Testament is
only 23% of our entire bible, not even a quarter. We may read many scenes of violence in the
Hebrew Scsiptures, but we can find also in the New Testament. We have Matthew’s gospel that
describes the slaughter of infants by King Herod. We hear Jesus say, “Do not think that I have
come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” We also have
verses in some of the epistles, or letters, that encourage slaves to submit to their masters, even
when they are harsh. And have you read the Book of Revelation? It’s full of punishment and
judgement of sinners, by God and by Jesus. The other 77% of the bible, the Hebrew Scriptures, is about God’s relationship with the people of Israel, and it has its ups and its downs. The relationship begins with the calling of Abraham and Sarah, continues with the deliverance of the people out of slavery in Egypt, then the myriad of times the people of Israel turn away from God and worship other gods, the
prophets who pointed out the corruption of leaders and the corruption of the people as they let
widows and orphans go hungry, and we read God’s voice of punishment as the people arre exiled
from their land, but then a voice of consolation for the people in exile and their struggles upon
returning. Through these pages, we experience a god that is nurturing, forgiving, and always
open to renewing the covenant between God and God’s people, but also a god that is frustrated, a
god that is at a loss, an angry god, and a god of judgement and violence. It’s about the
relationship of people to each other and to their god, and like any relationship, it’s complicated.
We have this passage from Hosea that Rachel read for us today. It’s almost the perfect
encapsulation of this relationship between God and Israel. God says, “When Israel was a youth,
I loved it dearly, and out of Egypt I called my child.” - in reference to the people’s deliverance
from slavery in Egypt. “But the more I called them,” says God, “the further they turned from
me.” God constantly mourns the fact that God’s chosen people keep turning away.
The Israelites were one of the few nations, if not the only at that time, who had only one
god. They were surrounded by other nations that worshipped many gods - a god for every
occasion. They had a god of the harvest, a god of fertility, a rain god, a god of war, and so much
more. When life wasn’t going well, the Israelites had only one god to whom to turn; and maybe
sometimes, they didn’t feel that was enough, especially when their neighbours were finding
solace in other gods. So they constantly turned away from Yahweh and eventually, Yahweh
turned from them. Or this is how the story is told anyway. When droughts happened, it was Yahweh’s
punishment. When cruel and corrupt people ruled the land, this was Yahweh’s consequence for
breaking promises. When invaders came and destroyed their temple and took people away into
exile, Yahweh became silent and unavailable to help.
Throughout this chapter, we hear God’s anguish and pain. We hear God’s words of
judgement. We hear God’s intent to turn away and let disaster befall these unfaithful people.
But...In verse nine, we hear something different. “No," says Yahweh, “I can’t do it! I cannot act
on my righteous anger! I will not turn around and destroy Ephraim! For I am God - no mere
mortal - the Holy One who walks among you!”
Comparing God to a parent works really well here. Parents can rail against their children,
can be frustrated with their actions, sometimes showing a little tough love as a way of trying to
support and re-direct the trouble in which their children get. But no matter what, loving parents
always open up their arms to their children and welcome them home.
It’s complicated, but in so many ways, it’s really quite simple. As humans, we get into a
lot of trouble. We are deceitful, we are greedy, we are prideful, we can be self-centred,
manipulative, and hateful. We start wars that hurt innocent people, we cause destruction of our
earth for the sake of profit, we judge and exclude people who are different. For millennia the
church has talked about sin, and for good reason. We don’t like to talk much about sin, but we
are steeped in it.
The other side of the coin though, when we talk about sin, is that we know we are always
forgiven. Praise be to God. Whether you think that Christ’s death released us from our sins,
whether you believe baptism and confession clean us of our sin, whether you feel forgiveness is
always granted by God upon asking, as a people of faith, we know we are always forgiven.
When we turn away, God is always there when we turn back. I’ve always been taught that sin is
when we turn from God, and that God, like a loving parent, is always waiting for us to return.
If we follow a God that is judgemental and that loves us with conditions, this is how we
will treat others, and we’ve seen this played out again and again, especially in faith communities,
in churches. Love is withheld too often. In churches, in families, in communities, people
exclude and hate others if they don’t follow the rules and fall in line. People are either forced out
or the are forced to conform.
But if we follow a god who we know loves unconditionally, with no strings attached,
maybe this would open us up to treat others in the same way. Imagine a world in which families,
friends, and communities loved like this. Imagine the overflowing love that would fill this world.
So, whether we are talking about the god of the old or new testament, first of all,
remember that these stories and these words were shared by people over thousands of years,
trying to define their relationship with the divine in this universe. Secondly, the most powerful
passages, the most beloved passages are the ones that are full of the divine’s love for us, for all
creation. From the very beginning when God described all life as ‘very good,’ to the end, in the
book of Revelation when we are promised that God will wipe every tear from every eye, we are
loved, unconditionally, for who we are. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Hosea 11:1-11
(Introduce yourself.)
Today I am reading from the book of the prophet, Hosea. Hosea was a prophet of
the northern kingdom, at a time when worship of Yahweh and worship of Baal, was
becoming blended and used for the purposed of those in power. I am reading
chapter eleven. Throughout the book of Hosea, when Israel or Ephraim are
mentioned, it's the northern kingdom that is being referred to.
1 When Israel was a youth, I loved it dearly,
and out of Egypt I called my child.
2 But the more I called them,
the further they turned from me;
making sacrificing to the Baals
and burning incense to carved images.
3 I taught Ephraim to walk;
taking them by the arm,
but they don’t acknowledge
that I was the one that made them whole.
4 I led them on a leash of human kindness,
with bonds of caring.
I removed the yoke from their necks.
and stooped to feed them.
5 Now they will return to Egypt,
and Assyria will rule over them,
because they refuse to return to me.
6 Swords will flash in their villages, destroying their gates;
and devouring them because of their plans.
7 My people are determined to turn away from me!
Even though they cry out to the heights,
they will not be lifted up.
8 How can I abandon you, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I make you like Admah?
How can I treat you like Zeboiim?
My heart is aching within me;
I am burning with compassion!
9 No, I can’t do it! I cannot act on my righteous anger!
I will not turn around and destroy Ephraim!
For I am God - no mere mortal -
the Holy One who walks among you!
10 They will follow Yahweh,
who will roar like a lion!
When they hear that great roar,
the children of God will return from the west, trembling,
12 They will come out of Egypt trembling like sparrows,
from Assyria, like doves.
I will resettle them in their own homes,” says Yahweh.
May God grant us understanding of our sacred text. Amen.