How to exchange toil for rest

During the years I worked in Hungary, I had an ambitious Christian colleague who knew what she wanted and went for it without compunction. One time, there was an overseas trip in the plan for one of the managers in her department. While my colleague was not necessarily the most senior to take on the required task, she sought an interview with the boss and convinced him that she was the best fit as a negotiator required on that trip. Her drive to get ahead took my breath away. At the same time, she could be a charming, understanding and intelligent woman, whose company was sought out by others. Sadly, she could also be ruthless in cutting connections with people she no longer found useful.

Israel’s ambition and God’s answer

This determined drive characterised Israel as they strived for prosperity and safety in the land. They were convinced of their piety, of knowing God (Hos 8:2) and serving Him with sacrifices even though they failed to honour Him with faithful living. Thus, God exclaims at their (self-)deception and lies (Hos 11:12).[1] Their ambitions are evident in their double dealing as they ally themselves with Assyria then switch to Egypt in the hope of better protection (Hos 12:1 cf. 2 Kings 17:3-4).[2] Israel’s ancestor, Jacob, similarly manoeuvred even before birth to get ahead (ʿaqav, the Hebrew for ‘taking the heel’ or ‘following at the heel’ also means ‘to circumvent/supplant’; Hos 12:3). While he strived to gain blessing by fair means or foul throughout his life, he paradoxically prevailed in the end not by outwitting men or overcoming God but by submitting to Him (Hos 12:4 cf. Gen 32:24-32). Long before he found God, God found him by His grace (v.4 cf. Gen 28:10-22; 35:1-4, 9-15).[3]

Hard labour and God’s grace

The lesson then is clear for Israel. Like Jacob, they need to return to God and show their faithful covenant love to Him and doing what is right and just (Hos 12:6), not what propels them forward in their ambitions. In fact, the Hebrew describes how Israel is to ‘return with your God’ (using b- ‘with’ rather than the usual ʾel ‘to’). Perhaps it is a hint that such repentance and renewal is only possible with the Lord’s help.[4] Sadly, however, Israelites are more interested in accumulating wealth by cheating others and cleverly covering their tracks (Hos 12:7-8). They celebrate the feast of Tabernacles, remembering how they lived in tents after coming out of Egypt and rejoicing in their secure homes in the land. Yet, God will make them live in tents again for real (Hos 12:9), when they lose their homes and become exiled, and their worship centres will be a meaningless pile of stones (Hos 12:11). In a final example, the prophet highlights Jacob’s exile because of his sin when he still relied on himself and had to work hard for what he most desired (Hos 12:12). By comparison, Israel was saved from Egypt by God’s grace and through the prophetic ministry of Moses (Hos 12:13). The latter is important because it highlights the need for submitting to God’s Word for true deliverance to happen.

When the chase can be put to rest

Once again, we circle back to the fundamental question of trust: can we subordinate our drive and ambition to God and His ways? It is our only option towards a truly flourishing life. Israel’s story teaches us that those who strive without the Lord have hard labour ahead of them. What we chase, whether security in life, some shiny goal that we feel would make us complete and whole will be like Israel’s chasing after wind (Hos 12:1): our grasp on it will remain illusory. Like Israel, we are also prone to present the best version of ourselves and hide the less palatable aspects of our personality. At times, we even deceive ourselves. Of course, we all live with a gap between what we would hope to be and the sinful people we are but the answer to this discrepancy is repentance, not pretence and deception. Jacob’s example also highlights that there is hope for all who frantically strive to get what they want. It is by the Lord’s grace that we can let go of what we hold onto with such desperation and it is with His help that we can return to Him and live godly lives that are restful and free of endless toil.

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[1] Hosea 11:12 is the first verse of Hosea 12 in the Hebrew and thematically belongs with the latter.

[2] Israel is located on a narrow land-bridge between two superpowers, Assyria in the north-east and Egypt in the south-west. Its location is strategic as trade routes connecting those two geographical areas pass through it (the region east of Israel is mostly desert). While empires came and went in the north, the basic setup and challenges remained the same. Thus, Israel has always been in a precarious position throughout its history, as it tried to manoeuvre between superpowers, siding at times with one or the other.

[3] The Hebrew of Hosea 12:4 leaves the subject ambiguous: ‘he found him at Bethel’. In a way, both are true. God found Jacob first, but eventually Jacob found God when he returned there later in life.

[4] Derek Kinder translates the verse making God’s help explicit, although the Hebrew only implies this (‘So you, by the help of your God, return…’, Hos 12:6). The Message of Hosea, BST (Nottingham: IVP, 1976), 108.

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