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God's unending love
Wednesday, 13 January 2010 13:04

He Will Never Stop Loving Us

The Scene

God has a message for His people.  But, instead of sending a verbal or written message in the usual fashion, He petitioned for a living illustration.  Hosea was the lucky object of this divine illustration. 
God’s instruction to Hosea was this, “Go marry an adulterous harlot. Take as your own the children who will be born as a result of her adultery and harlotry.”  (NIrV) (1:2) Not only was he to marry her, but was expected to raise not just his children by her, but also the children she had by her other lovers.
After marrying Gomar, Hosea gave her everything she needed, a home, a loving husband and a father to her children.  He also would be able to pass on a Godly heritage…  She had everything she needed, but she continued to run back to her lovers.  So too, God said, “My people had all they needed in me, but they continue to go back to the dead idols.” 

God tells Hosea, “Go and love your wife AGAIN.  She has run off with another man (or sold herself as a harlot).  So, Hosea went and bought her back. (3:2) Again, God says, “My people have turned to other gods. And they love to offer sacrifices to Baal. In spite of that, I still love my people." (3:1) … and I will win them back. 

The Scripture

Hosea 1-4: 
Questions to Ponder

What would it have been like for Hosea?  As a young person he probably dreamed of marrying and settling down with 10 kids and a nice Hebrew wife.  What picture do we get in chapter 1 of what his family was like?  Read the description of the children carefully.  Were they all his?  When God asked Hosea to marry Gomer, did He not factor in the emotional stress it would cause Hosea and his children?

In chapter 3 God tells Hosea to go buy his wife back from the slave market.  Do you think he was excited to do this?  God tells Hosea, “Go love your wife again.”  Do you think this would have been a hard command to follow at this point? 

God was using Hosea’s life to illustrate the relationship He had with Israel.  Think about this, ultimately, God was glorified by Hosea enduring living with a harlot and her unfaithfulness.  Think about that in relationship to the events God allows in our lives.  Can we endure hardship in order for God to be glorified?

If you replace Gomer with your name and mine, and let Hosea represent God, what does God go through as He seeks to unconditionally love you and me?  What are the “lovers” in our lives that we follow after in place of God?  What is it going to take for God to “win you back?” 

The School Master

God loves us desperately.  Even more than a man can love his wife.  Even though at times we prostitute ourselves to our work, to our pleasures to whatever distracts us from our true love, He is still working to "win us back."  At times He has to endure our unfaithfulness and let us experience the ramifications of our lack of trust and dependence on Him, all the time, He is still there to "win us back."  May you get a small glimpse of just how desperately your savior loves you and be encouraged in His unending, unfailing love for you today.