When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to
Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the
land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD.” –
Hosea 1v2
I really
feel for Hosea. I also admire Him. I also am challenged by his willingness to
serve God. We don’t hear much about him, but he was quite a guy called to quite
a task. The nation had to learn just how bad their turning from God was.
Israel, like the church, was often referred to as God’s bride.
Object
lessons can be effective teaching tools. Visualising a lesson can make it more
real and help it to sink in.
Israel had
been unfaithful to God over and over again. They just did not seem to get it.
God called His prophet Hosea to a very difficult task in order to show the
nation a picture of their sin. He told Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute who
was going to keep practicing her profession after they were married.
This very
unusual situation is going to teach a great lesson on love and mercy and
forgiveness. It is a wonderful picture of those things.
But imagine
being the man called to this ministry. Talk about feelings of rejection and
hurt! That is exactly the reason though – to show how loving and compassionate
and patient and merciful God is.
We need to
think about Hosea the next time we complain because our ministry seems tough or
unfair,
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