Week 10: The Holy One in Your Midst (Psalm 99; Hosea 11:8–9)

The Big Idea

We often think God's holiness is the reason he punishes and his love is the reason he forgives, as if the two pulled against each other. Psalm 99 and Hosea 11 show something deeper: God's holiness is the very ground of his mercy. Because he is God and not a man, he does not give up on his people.

Before You Read

Psalm 99 is a worship song celebrating the LORD as King. It has a refrain that comes back three times, a little like the seraphim's triple "holy" in Isaiah 6. Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel (often called Ephraim) in its last years before it fell to Assyria. Israel had chased other gods again and again. In Hosea 11, God remembers loving Israel like a little child, teaching him to walk and lifting him up (vv. 1–4). Then he speaks of the judgment Israel deserves (vv. 5–7). Then, in verses 8–9, something breaks open in God's own heart. Admah and Zeboiim, named in verse 8, were cities destroyed along with Sodom and Gomorrah (Deuteronomy 29:23).

Read

Read Psalm 99 slowly, twice, and at least once aloud. Then read Hosea 11:1–9 the same way, giving special attention to verses 8–9.

Observe

1. In Psalm 99, find the three places where the psalm says God is holy (vv. 3, 5, 9). What comes right before each one?
2. What does Psalm 99:1–2 say God's people and the nations should do in response to his reign?
3. What does verse 4 say the King loves and establishes?
4. Which three leaders are named in Psalm 99:6–7? What did they do, and how did God respond?
5. Verse 8 describes God in two ways at once. What are they?
6. In Hosea 11:8, how many questions does God ask? What emotion do you hear in them?
7. What does God say is happening in his heart (11:8)?
8. In 11:9, what will God not do, and what reason does he give?

A Word to Notice

Qadosh (kah-DOHSH), "holy," appears as a title for God in Hosea 11:9: the Holy One. Isaiah used this kind of title often, and Hosea uses it here at the most surprising moment. You might expect God to say that because he is holy, he must destroy them. Instead he says the opposite: because he is God and not a man, the Holy One in their midst, he will not come in wrath to destroy. Human anger often runs hot and settles scores. God's holiness means he is not like us, and that includes his mercy. His otherness is not only what makes him dangerous. It is what makes his compassion bigger than ours.

Interpret

1. Psalm 99 calls God an exalted King and also the God who answered Moses, Aaron, and Samuel when they called. How do greatness and nearness fit together in this psalm?Consider: The King enthroned above the cherubim is the same God who speaks from a cloud and answers prayer. Holiness does not make God unreachable; it makes his nearness a wonder.

2. Psalm 99:8 says God was forgiving and also an avenger of wrongdoing. How can both be true?Consider: God's forgiveness never pretends sin does not matter. He forgives, and he also deals truly with evil. A holy God is neither soft nor harsh; he is just and merciful at once.

3. In Hosea 11:9, God says he is God and not a man. Why is that the reason he will not destroy Ephraim?Consider: People give up on each other. We run out of patience and act out of wounded pride. God is not like that. His holiness sets him apart even from our limited kind of love.

4. Hosea calls God "the Holy One in your midst." Why is it significant that the Holy One is in the midst of a sinful people rather than far away from them?Consider: All through this study, holiness has been dangerous to approach. Yet God keeps choosing to dwell among his people. His presence is both the danger and the hope.

5. Cross-reference: Read Romans 5:6–10 and Romans 3:25–26. How does the cross show God being both just and merciful, both holy and loving?Consider: At the cross, God does not set aside his holiness to forgive us. He satisfies his justice and pours out his mercy in the same act. He is both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Apply: Let the Text Read You

1. When you think of God's holiness, do you mostly feel fear, distance, comfort, or something else? How does Hosea 11 challenge or confirm that?
2. God says he is not like man, who gives up and settles scores. Have you assumed God's patience with you has limits like yours does with others? Where do you need to hear that he will not come in wrath?
3. Is there someone you have given up on? How might God's holy mercy reshape the way you see them?
4. Psalm 99 says God answered when Moses, Aaron, and Samuel called. What would it look like to call on him this week, honestly and expectantly?

Pray

Holy One, you are not like us. When we deserve to be handed over, your heart is moved for us. Thank you for being both just and merciful in Jesus. Make me trust your holiness, and let your mercy change how I treat others. Amen.

For Groups (optional)

• Discussion starter: Ask, "Growing up, did you think of God's holiness as good news or bad news? Why?"
• Have the group read the three refrains of Psalm 99 aloud together, then read Hosea 11:9 together, and talk about what each emphasis adds.
• Encourage those who struggle with fear of God's anger to sit with Hosea 11:8 this week, reading it each morning.

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Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.