The God of the Wayward
2/19/26 Bible Thought (Hosea 12)
Main Idea: God is willing to work with the wayward who return to Him.
A Look at the Text:
Israel was guilty of both useless and wicked pursuits (Hos. 12:1). It seemed they followed in the footsteps of their father, Jacob—yet only in the ways that Jacob erred.
With this, the Lord recounted the journey of Jacob’s life (Hos. 12:2-5, 12). He was the deceiver, the supplanter, the one you couldn’t trust. He grabbed his brother’s heel in the womb and stole his birthright and blessing as an adult. He was a scoundrel, yes—but He was a chosen scoundrel.
This same guy was also the one who wrestled with the angel of the Lord and prevailed (Hos. 12:3b-4). As a result, his name was changed. He went from the heel-grabber (Jacob) to the God-wrestler (Israel). He had a new identity and a new blessing. He would later be the namesake of God’s chosen people.
Yet, in the days of Hosea, the people were failing to live up to the family name. They were willing to grab heels and cheat people with false balances (Hos. 12:7), yet they weren’t wrestling with God. In fact, they had all but forgotten Him.
With them, the Lord pleaded:
“So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God” (Hos. 12:6).
God was willing to receive back His wayward people if they would merely turn to Him.
Bringing it Home:
The beauty of the biblical story is that God receives the repentant. Jacob’s story specifically reminds us that God works through the wretched. Yet, is that not also the story of every character in the pages of Scripture?
Let us remember that no “biblical hero” was actually a hero, that is, apart from Jesus Christ. Each and every character had their own flaws and personal sins. Whether it’s detailed explicitly or implicitly, they were just like us—sinful and in need of a Savior.
These stories showcase again and again how God is a God of incredible mercy. After extending grace to us, He is not looking for perfection, but allegiance. At the end of the day, He has no perfect people to work through! He simply desires our hearts, our devotion—us.
God is willing to work through any broken vessel that is willingly yielded to Him.
If we have strayed, will we return?
Challenge:
Do I ever take the opportunity of repentance for granted?
The fact that God allows us to come back when we have strayed is an incredible gift that we should delight in and pursue diligently.