Day 29 - 40 Days in the Old Testament
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 29 | THE SPIRITUALLY ADULTEROUS NATION
40 Days in the Old Testament
Day 29 | THE SPIRITUALLY ADULTEROUS NATION
THE SPIRITUALLY ADULTEROUS NATION
Hosea 3:1
“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods.”
Hosea opens the section we call the "minor prophets" (so named only because their books are shorter than the majors).
Hosea lived in a time before either the Kingdom of Israel or Judah had been conquered. His primary audience was the northern kingdom of Israel with the nation of Assyria nearby flexing their mighty power and one by one requiring neighboring countries to “pay tribute” or face being conquered.
Hosea had a tough assignment from the LORD, he was to purposefully marry a woman who was sure to be unfaithful to him and then take her back again and again, as a way of demonstrating to Israel how much God loved them.
“The Lord says, ‘Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.’” (Hosea 14:4)
One of the things ALL children of God need to know is that God never gives up on us. No matter what, He always loves us. After all, God is LOVE and thus is always eager to forgive and – like the New Testament story of the prodigal son – desires to welcome us back if we will just turn in His direction and walk towards Him. But, since God is JUST, this doesn’t mean there are no consequences for our unfaithfulness; yet He is always willing to help us pick up the pieces and rebuild if we will – as Hosea tried to get Israel to do – ask forgiveness and repent (turn around). God’s love is unlimited, and He desires His children to turn towards Him.
Prayer: LORD, thank You for your faithfulness to us, Your children. Help each of us to become more and more like Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Hosea 3:1
“The Lord said to me, ‘Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods.”
Hosea opens the section we call the "minor prophets" (so named only because their books are shorter than the majors).
Hosea lived in a time before either the Kingdom of Israel or Judah had been conquered. His primary audience was the northern kingdom of Israel with the nation of Assyria nearby flexing their mighty power and one by one requiring neighboring countries to “pay tribute” or face being conquered.
Hosea had a tough assignment from the LORD, he was to purposefully marry a woman who was sure to be unfaithful to him and then take her back again and again, as a way of demonstrating to Israel how much God loved them.
“The Lord says, ‘Then I will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever.’” (Hosea 14:4)
One of the things ALL children of God need to know is that God never gives up on us. No matter what, He always loves us. After all, God is LOVE and thus is always eager to forgive and – like the New Testament story of the prodigal son – desires to welcome us back if we will just turn in His direction and walk towards Him. But, since God is JUST, this doesn’t mean there are no consequences for our unfaithfulness; yet He is always willing to help us pick up the pieces and rebuild if we will – as Hosea tried to get Israel to do – ask forgiveness and repent (turn around). God’s love is unlimited, and He desires His children to turn towards Him.
Prayer: LORD, thank You for your faithfulness to us, Your children. Help each of us to become more and more like Your Son Jesus. Amen.