Overdoing God's will

I should have started reading Hosea on Monday. So, I have to catch up a bit.
Hosea was called to serve as a prophet some three decades before the fall of Israel. His career was rather dramatic because God told him to take a prostitute to be his wife! Hosea was to live out the relationship between God and Israel. God intended to enter into an exclusive and intimate relationship with Israel like a husband. Yet Israel worshipped other gods at the same time. She was an unfaithful wife. Some scholars explain that monotheism did not develop overnight. Therefore, it was understandable that Israel worshipped other gods at the same time. However, it was inexcusable for Israel not to stamp out polytheism after so many years and so many warnings from prophets. Therefore, she ended up being conquered by Assyria, went into exile and vanished from human history. Though Hosea belongs to the Minor Prophets, authors of New Testament quoted from him.
The prostitute Hosea took was called Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim (Hosea 1:3). She bore Hosea a son who was named Jezreel. But the reason would be rather shocking.
And the LORD said to him, "Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel (Hosea 1:4).
Wasn't Jehu chosen by God to destroy the house of Ahab? He was simply doing the will of God. Why would God punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel?
Probably, Jehu, in his eagerness to do God's will, had overdone his job, had shed too much blood in Jezreel. Assyria was also chosen by God as an instrument to punish Israel. Yet, Assyria had overdone his job. So, God punished him in return (Isaiah 10:5-12). This probably was the logic behind God's decision to punish the house of Jehu. Therefore, the first son was a symbol of destruction for Israel.
Pondering over this, shouldn't we be more cautious in doing God's will? Indeed, church history is littered with many witch-huntings and crusades where much innocent blood was shed. So, even if we have obtained a license to kill, don't overkill.
Then Gomer bore Hosea a daughter called Lo-ruhamah, which means 'Not pitied' (Hosea 1:6). What a pitiful name indeed! At the same time, God promised to have pity on Judah!
But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the LORD their God; I will not deliver them by bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen (Hosea 1:7).
Then Gomer gave birth to a son called Lo-ammi, which means 'Not my people' (Hosea 1:9). So, God declared that He would abandon Israel forever. Not quite! God continued to promise redemption.
Yet the number of the people of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which can be neither measured nor numbered; and in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Sons of the living God."
And the people of Judah and the people of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head; and they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel (Hosea 1:10-11).
New Testament authors understood this prophecy to mean the Church. For example:
Once you were no people but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:10).
As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,'
and her who was not beloved I will call 'my beloved.'"
"And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,'
they will be called sons of the living God.'" (Romans 9:25-26)
It is time to compare the Greek text and see how much Septuagint was used by New Testament authors.
καὶ συνέλαβεν ἔτι καὶ ἔτεκεν θυγατέρα. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κάλεσον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς Οὐκ-ἠλεημένη, διότι οὐ μὴ προσθήσω ἔτι ἐλεῆσαι τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ισραηλ, ἀλλ̓ ἢ ἀντιτασσόμενος ἀντιτάξομαι αὐτοῖς. (Hosea 1:6)
καὶ εἶπεν Κάλεσον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Οὐ-λαόσ-μου, διότι ὑμεῖς οὐ λαός μου, καὶ ἐγὼ οὔκ εἰμι ὑμῶν.(Hosea 1:9)
οἵ ποτε οὐ λαὸς νῦν δὲ λαὸς θεοῦ, οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντες.(1 Peter 2:10)
Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἣ οὐκ ἐκμετρηθήσεται οὐδὲ ἐξαριθμηθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς Οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος.
καὶ συναχθήσονται οἱ υἱοὶ Ιουδα καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ισραηλ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ θήσονται ἑαυτοῖς ἀρχὴν μίαν καὶ ἀναβήσονται ἐκ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Ιεζραελ. (Hosea 1:10-11 BHS, Hosea 2:1-2 LXX)
ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ὡσηὲ λέγει·
καλέσω τὸν οὐ λαόν μου λαόν μου καὶ τὴν οὐκ ἠγαπημένην ἠγαπημένην·
καὶ ἔσται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ οὗ ἐρρέθη αὐτοῖς· οὐ λαός μου ὑμεῖς, ἐκεῖ κληθήσονται υἱοὶ θεοῦ ζῶντος. (Romans 9:25-26)
Again, in prophets, St. Paul relied heavily on Septuagint. He did not freely translate the scripture himself.

God would frustrate Israel's idolatry so that she might return to Him.
Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns;
and I will build a wall against her, so that she cannot find her paths.
She shall pursue her lovers, but not overtake them;
and she shall seek them, but shall not find them.
Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband,
for it was better with me then than now.'
And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished upon her silver and gold which they used for Baal (Hosea 2:6-8).
Yes, when Israel came to her senses, she would arise and return to her God (Luke 15:17-18).
God would take the initiative to redeem us. He will do it tenderly.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.
(Hosea 2:14).
and I will sow him for myself in the land.
And I will have pity on Not pitied,
and I will say to Not my people, You are my people';
and he shall say 'Thou art my God.' (Hosea 2:23).
God would punish Israel with one son. But He would redeem with two. God's mercy is greater than His justice.

My dear Advocate, how encouraging it is to know that Your mercy is greater than Your justice. You are a God of the living. You have created us not for destruction. After days of trials and tribulation, let us live to see Your salvation. Amen.