M E R I D I A N M A G A Z I N E
In
Righteousness We Will Live
By
C. S. Bezas
We as a church combined have been studying the Old Testament. Before we turn too completely to the New Testament, I have to share just one thought.
According to the Bible Dictionary (tucked neatly at the back of our King James version of the Bible), Hosea was the only Old Testament prophet from the northern kingdom that left written prophecies1. He lived during a time of great societal decline — not unlike ours, perhaps. Yet his entire message seemed to return time and again to the strength of God's love for His people, in spite of their pagan and wicked activities.
Throughout Hosea's chapters, he speaks starkly of punishment, yet he also teaches of the Lord's enduring patience for Israel:
For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them... I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
Then he speaks even more intensely:
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;…
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God (Hosea 2:17-21, 23) (emphasis added).
Our youth need to understand the beauty of the Lord's patience for them. They need to understand the Lord's ability to endlessly love and His willingness to redeem. This graciousness on His part will always come if and when our youth turn to Him, as the scripture says, “in righteousness.”
Notice the Lord does NOT say, "in perfect-ness." No, instead the request is "in righteousness."
When we look up the definition of "righteous," we read that this refers to living in a moral or virtuous way. Thus we see the Lord does not demand immediate perfection (although our “wholeness” or perfectness is an eventual goal); for now He simply requires that we set aside the things of this world (which aim to destroy us anyway) and instead, seek a virtuous lifestyle. This is essentially what Jesus Christ modeled for us while here on this earth.
So what can we do to teach our youth this very thing? If Hosea could preach of God's love during the wicked time in which he lived, we certainly can do the same. Here are some simple ideas, but I’d also love to hear your thoughts. Together:
- We can obtain a testimony of Hosea’s witness ourselves as parents and teachers of youth.
- We can notice examples of the Lord's gentleness as we go throughout the year, either in the scriptures or in our personal lives. We can point them out to our youth and use the examples in our lessons with them.
- We can lead our youth in research activities in the scriptures, specifically asking them to find examples of the Lord's loving patience in spite of society’s wicked choices.
- We can have our young men and women show each other examples in the scriptures of how quickly the Lord turns to His people when the people return to Him.
Truly, we can be as Hosea for our own youth — steady voices of truth, proclaiming God's love for His children. We must do this, for who else will? May the Lord bless us to have the strength to teach as Hosea did in wisdom and in truth.
In righteousness, we will live!
1 Bible Dictionary, p. 705.
C.S. Bezas’ new book has been called perfect for parents of teens and for those who work with them. Powerful Tips for Powerful Teachers: Helping Youth Find Their Spiritual Wings is available at most LDS bookstores and online by clicking here.