THE COVENANT
The cross is not just a sacrifice but God's expression of His desire for love, relationship and a covenant with His people. There are many qualities of the covenant but there are 3 qualities unique only to the Book of Hosea where today's 1st reading is taken from. The time of Hosea which is calculated 721 BC was a hard and difficult time to prophesy. It was when assassinations happened, political upheaval and adulterated worship characterized by mixed worship of Yahweh and Baal was taking place. Hosea's style of prophecy is a parable of married love to describe Yahweh's relationship with His people. Hosea is a proponent of Yahwism. It is a doctrine of repetitious reminder (pescher) to the Jews that Yahweh has only been the savior of the chosen people in their history. The formula of Yahwism:"I am Yahweh who brought you out of Egypt." This evolved into what is later called "Salvation Theology", the covenant. This could be expressed as God after ha...