God's unusual assignment for Hosea--and the message for us
Published: Mon, 10/24/22
|
Sessions Include:Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Micah
|
Israel has forsaken the Lord. So through the prophet Hosea, they are about to learn just how things stand between them and God: “You have lost your way, and you’ve turned to other gods. There will be dark consequences for you; there always are. But that does not mean My love has changed one iota. I love you now; I will love you through the hard lessons you’ll be learning; and I will love you when you come back to My waiting arms.” Hosea is charged to deliver this message in one of the strangest and most strikingly dramatic ways you can imagine. At the beginning of Hosea’s book, God gives His prophet this shocking command: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD” (1:2). What would it have been like to be a fly on the wall and hear God saying, “Hosea, I have a job for you. I want you to marry a woman who will be unfaithful to you. Let her dishonor your name, and when she does, I want you to hold fast to your marriage vow.” “But, Lord…” “Think of it as a living parable, Hosea.” “A parable?” “It’s like a play. You’ll be playing My part; your wife will represent Israel. I need to do something really dramatic that will mirror the wickedness of the people so they can see their unfaithfulness to Me.” “But Lord, this is not really the kind of marriage I had envisioned.” “Believe Me, Hosea; I know from experience what you’re getting into. But trust Me on this. When your wife keeps committing adultery and you don’t throw her out on the curb—when you love the unlovable and keep taking her back—your faithfulness will be so counterintuitive that the people will have to confront a truth they’ve lost about My unwavering faithfulness and love for them.” In obedience to God, Hosea took the harlot Gomer to be his wife. Jeremiah, David. 2012. God Loves You: He Always Has--He Always Will. New York City, NY: FaithWords. Check out the new Bible Study, Amos, Jonah, Hosea, Micah It is available on Amazon, as well as part of the Good Questions Have Groups Talking subscription service. (Like Netflix for Bible lessons.) |
