Uncomfortable (S1) - Day 32
Hosea 1: 2
2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
Wow.
Wow.
The very beginning of this book and this text is shocking. “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution.” That is just terribly difficult. I hope that God never calls me into that situation.
But wow, how much is there to unpack here?
What is strange is that Hosea is expected to be a father to these children, just like God is a father to us, even when we have been unfaithful. This is a particular kind of love that we need to learn to be comfortable with.
Why?
Because when we become comfortable with God loving those who have cheated on him, then we realize that God will be merciful to us, and we can still have him as our father.
Wow.
The very beginning of this book and this text is shocking. “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution.” That is just terribly difficult. I hope that God never calls me into that situation.
But wow, how much is there to unpack here?
- Go and marry a prostitute. What a crazy demand and order. What was God trying to do here? Was he trying to make a fool of Hosea? Was it a test of his faith? Would you have passed this?
- What does it mean to have children conceived in prostitution? Does it mean that not all of Hosea’s children would be his. It doesn’t seem that God was expecting the prostitute to stop plying her craft. Rather, it seems that God was expecting that she would continue to work in prostitution and even to bear children from those “relationships”.
- This is a weird object lesson. Do you remember those short object lessons they used to do at church when you were growing up? They would take an object and say something like “The love of God is like this avocado. . .” And then make a spiritual point out of it. This is sort of like that, but opposite.
What is strange is that Hosea is expected to be a father to these children, just like God is a father to us, even when we have been unfaithful. This is a particular kind of love that we need to learn to be comfortable with.
Why?
Because when we become comfortable with God loving those who have cheated on him, then we realize that God will be merciful to us, and we can still have him as our father.
- When have you been unfaithful to God?
- Did he accept you back?
- Why did he do that? Did he have to?
- What can you do to help someone else know that God will love them, even if it is an uncomfortable situation?
Posted in Hosea
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