Tales of Light

COMPLETELY MINE

COMPLETELY MINE

That night, Hosea wasn't expecting a visitation, not after what he had carnally feasted his eyes on during the day.

It had been gruesome, disgusting even, but he still watched, especially at the most alluring object of the whole scene, until the mounting pressure in his chest grew too much for him to contain.

When had Israel strayed so far? Had things degraded to this hopeless state? Where was the God of the stories of the holy prophets and priests of old?

He saw young ladies, who should have been modestly covered, gyrating wildly as though possessed by vile demons from Sheol.

His eyes had been especially fixed on a particular specimen. Her gait was a bit familiar, like a distant memory.
Her movements were the most sensuous, her meagre clothing the most cobwebby. Her eyes and gestures were bold. She shook her hips to the rhythm of the fanfare.

It was obvious she was a temple prostitute for the heathen goddess, Asherah, who was being celebrated through the sacred streets of Jerusalem.

He had no idea why his gaze lingered on her. When their eyes met momentarily though her face was veiled with a thin purple veil, he noticed her pause and the deep sadness lurking behind her seductive large eyes lined with kohl. The memory of her eyes had been branded on his memory.

Now, as he watched the form of the Most High approach him in his dreamscape, he was certain it was because he had violated the law and was about to receive a scalding rebuke.

"Lord," he whispered, his voice trembling as he fell to his knees. His heart thudded as the silky, tall grasses surrounding him followed suit in his posture of reverence before Elohim who was before him, shrouded in Light.

Hosea hastily continues, "Be not angry at your humble servant for his iniquity, Lord. I am unworthy to be visited by you at this time."

"Hosea, I come to you, not to condemn you. What you feel is my love, frustration and desperation for my beloved people, Israel. She is playing the harlot with things that are not gods. And my heart breaks for her. I want to rescue her."

Tears stung the back of Hosea's eyes as he recalled all the evil he had seen in bold display earlier that day. All his initial trepidation that he was sinking down a wormhole of lust for a common temple prostitute was gone, replaced by a deep sorrow.

"Oh Lord, what can be done? Don't strike us in your wrath. Please, O Elohim," Hosea cried.

Flashes of his past haunted him.
He knew what pit of darkness he had been wallowing in before Elohim showed him the light. Once upon a time, he was conflicted about the whole concept of the law. The kingdom of Israel was in shambles and it seemed as though their glory days were over.
Hosea was tired of pretending he understood, so he let go of his faith in the law of Moses, choosing to try to find meaning and freedom elsewhere.

Despite the desperate pleas from his father, Hosea had ventured on his quest in the guise of being a Spice merchant. He had been exposed to debauchery and pleasures of all sorts but still, the emptiness persisted. Eventually, after many wasted years of roaming like a vagabond, he came back to Elohim, broken and surrendered.

"I am a God of Love, Hosea," came the reply. "It is my nature and the established laws that make judgement inevitable."

Hosea thought he could hear a hint of tears in Elohim's voice. He bowed his head and allowed his tears to drop.

Something didn't sound right about this declaration though. All his life, he had been subjected to the concept of a God who was all out to breathe fire and brimstone on those who failed to obey him.
That was what had repulsed and confounded him about Elohim at first to the point that he had tottered on the brink of apostasy. He thought his restoration was a one-time luck thing. Perhaps his praying father had been extra pious and had offered more sacrifices on his behalf during his season of waywardness.