Hosea 11:1-4, 8-9 / Matthew 10:7-15
The God that we believe in is the God of mercy and compassion, forgiving and loving.
But it must also not be forgotten that God is the God of justice and He punishes sin and unfaithfulness.
This is obvious in the Bible especially in the Old Testament.
When the people sinned and were unfaithful and did things that angered God, like idolatry, God sent prophets to warn them over and over again.
But when the people stubbornly refused to repent, God punished them by sending natural disasters and enemies to conquer them and even let their enemies destroy the Temple.
It is a sad thing but it is quite obvious from the history of God's people, that the only way to wake them up from their sinfulness is to inflict disaster and tragedy on them.
Indeed we must learn the lessons for the history of God's people. It is not just that sin will result in punishment.
Rather the important lesson is that God is merciful and compassionate, loving and forgiving.
We just have to be faithful and obedient, and blessings will be overflowing in our lives.