Hosea 11:9 (NIV) I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I devastate Ephraim again. For I am God, and not a man— the Holy One among you.  I will not come against their cities.

Hosea was a prophet that lived in the northern kingdom known as Israel, which included ten of the twelve tribes. Judah, the southern kingdom, included the other two, which were Judah and Benjamin. Hosea was prophesying during a time when Israel was economically prosperous, but desperately sinful. The northern kingdom began in idolatry with its first king, Jeroboam, setting up two golden calves as their gods. He put one in the city of Bethel and the other in the city of Dan. He did it so that people wouldn't travel to Jerusalem to the real Temple to serve the real God because He feared that they might then give allegiance to Judah's king, Rehoboam. King Jeroboam II was no better as he continued in the sinful ways of the kings before him.

In the midst of all of this, Hosea was prophesying the judgement that was about to come upon them because of their sinful ways and their rebellion against the true God of Israel. While Hosea was prophesying and literally being God's mouthpiece proclaiming judgement, the Lord began to speak about the mercy that he would eventually have on them. This is incredible considering the evil things that they were engaged in. The reason the Lord gave for this amazing and unbelievable act of mercy and grace was that He is not a man. In other words, "man" would continue with his vengeance plan and would enjoy it while spending his wrath on the object of his anger. Thank God that He isn't a man! First, if He were, He would not be God. But besides that, His ways are not at all like our ways. As high as the heavens are from the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways (Isaiah 55:9). Good for Israel that God was and is such an awesome, compassionate and merciful God. But this doesn't end with Israel.

Today, we are the people of God along with anyone from God's chosen nation that has received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. But lo and behold, it turns out that we have been just as sinful and rebellious as His chosen people were during the time of Hosea. Even after we received the salvation that Jesus purchased for us, we still have disobeyed and done sinful things. So we also say, "thank God that He is not a man!" If He were, we would be doomed. But He has had mercy on us and has lavished His grace upon us and has forgiven us all our sins. And if we should happen to give in to temptation for a moment and thereby sin again, The Word of God tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). What a God we serve! Thank God that it's not "what a ‘man’ we serve," because man at his best is still no good at all. Blessed be our God who is not a man, but who is our indescribable, fathomless Abba Father who pours out His love, mercy and grace on us beyond measure. We are men and women who are in desperate need of our God. Because God is not a man, we have unending hope and confidence that He will lead us safely through this life and to our eternal home.

Pastor Joey Vazquez