“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind,” pronounced the prophet to a rebellious people long ago in a land far away (Hosea 8:7).
‘What does this mean to you?’ asked the writers of the online devotional I listened to this morning (https://pray-as-you-go.org/player/prayer/2020-07-07 )
The lives of those to whom this proverb was initially applied are very different to ours. But human nature is not so different. It got me thinking…….
Then … the original context
Hosea used this image of sowing the wind and reaping a whirlwind to express how foolish Israel had been. They hadn’t intended to rebel against Almighty God.
It had started out with Israelites from the northern kingdom just looking.
Next it was a case of minor transgressions from God’s strict laws. What is wrong with wanting something pretty and sparkly … something like neighbours had, though the neighbours treated them as idols. A golden calf perhaps. (Had they forgotten what happened in Moses’ day when their ancestors made a golden calf?! History repeats itself.)
Speaking of neighbours, perhaps the very helpful Assyrians could assist with national defence. It couldn’t hurt to ask.
Before Israel knew it, trouble was upon them. A whirlwind of trouble.
“…. in 733 B.C., Israel was dismembered by Assyria…. Samaria was captured and its people exiled in 722-721, bringing the northern kingdom to an end.”
NIV Study Bible – Zondervan – 2002 – Hosea – Introduction
Now … the virus
It’s not too different to the spread of covid-19 here in Melbourne.
We sowed the wind. Now we’re reaping a whirlwind.
It seems that not all returned travellers followed strict infection control protocols. An investigation is currently underway to determine just who or what was at fault. As if it matters now. (We don’t even have quarantine here in Melbourne at the moment.) But we like scapegoats.
It is likely that the security firm hired to enforce hotel quarantines will be in trouble. In my humble opinion, though, the individuals who broke quarantine rules are in no small way responsible.
It didn’t seem a big deal at the time. A shared lighter as smokers slipped out for a cigarette … shutting a blind eye to an outing here and there … inadequate staffing for venues that didn’t need protection from the outside (ghosting) … they are just some of the accusations.
Admittedly, biosecurity breaches occurred in other parts of Australia and those places haven’t ‘reaped a whirlwind.’ I am thinking of a young man who slipped out of quarantine in Perth in order to visit his girlfriend. Or a woman who claimed to be a flight attendant so as to get out of quarantine in Sydney. (I’m not referencing such stupid behaviour … you can search online for those stories if you’re interested.) These are just a couple of examples of those who have been caught.
Administrative errors have resulted in strict quarantine protocols not being followed on occasions too, with devastating results at times. The name ‘Ruby Princess’ will be synonymous with ‘major stuff up’ in Australia for years to come, I’m sure.
Sowing the wind doesn’t always lead to reaping a whirlwind. But sometimes it does. It has in Melbourne in recent weeks.
Applications
Assyrians wiping out the northern kingdom of Israel almost three millennia ago is huge. The virus ripping through the city of Melbourne today is distressing.
At an individual level, I am reminded that little choices can have significant repercussions too. It’s a bit like throwing a pebble into a pond and seeing the ripples spread.
Big things in life often result from small choices. Often a series of little choices lead to big outcomes. Failing to wash hands … choosing not to observe adequate spatial distancing … general lifestyle choices repeated over and over … how we use our resources of finances, time, energy and networks … nipping trouble in the bud or failing to do so……
As I sit here ‘safe at home’ (which equates to ‘stuck at home’), I am thinking about how I use my time each day, the new routines I am enjoying, the choices I make and more. The applications are endless. These are just little things. But I am mindful of the warning from Hosea, just the same.
If we are not careful, we sow the wind.
And sometimes, just sometimes, we reap the whirlwind.
A happy ending … eventually
“Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously….”
“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely….”
Hosea 14:1-2a, 4a NIV
I like happy endings.
It would be a long time though. The people who listened to Hosea’s impassioned words were the last of the northern kingdom of Israel. Those very neighbours, the Assyrians, to whom they turned for help, would soon decimate the nation.
Centuries later, Jesus offered living water to the Samaritan woman. She then brought her whole community to their Messiah. Jesus later commanded his disciples to be his witnesses in Jerusalem and Samaria and to all the ends of the earth.
This was the happy ending.
And yet……
How much distress and loss could have been avoided if Israel’s northern kingdom hadn’t ‘sown the wind’ in the first place?
Here in Melbourne, how much distress, isolation and economic pain, let alone the loss of health and even life, could have been avoided had not those infection protocols been followed to the letter in the first place?
What do I need to watch out for in my own life so as to avoid ‘sowing the wind’?
Life is complicated. But I can take heart, for our ever-patient God still calls his people. “Take words with you and return to the LORD” (Hosea 14:2a). He promises healing and love when we turn to him. It won’t undo the damage past but it will give us hope for the future.
Right now, though, it still feels like we’re in a whirlwind of sorts.
Here, Lord are our words. Draw us back to you.