I have been reading the book of Hosea, and I would like to share with you a little of what the Lord has been teaching me. For those of you who are not familiar with Hosea here is a very brief background on the book. Hosea was a prophet. The first Word Hosea had from the Lord was to marry a prostitute, and to have a family with her. Their marriage would be a way that the Lord would use to communicate to the Israelites how He saw their relationship.
First, the Lord has shown me just how deceitful and whorish my heart really is. Let's just take a look at some verses from chapter two:"Plead with your mother, plead-for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband- that she put away her whoring from her face...For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil, and my drink'... She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now'" (vs 2a, 5b). The Lord was asking Hosea to plead with the Israelites to turn from their "lovers" and return to Him. The Lord was to be their husband and they were committing adultery with the things of this world. I remember in college thinking that the Israelites were so very dumb. I mean, the God of the universe had proven faithful so many times and they had seen His miracles first hand, and yet they were so prone to wonder from Him. Then I read vs. 5 and I realized I am just as dumb as they are. How many times have I put my comfort in my job knowing that from it I could provide bread and water for my sustenance, when I have seen how the Lord has provided when I had no job? How many times have I checked my bank account only to be anxious or relieved, when my Husband owns everything, and has already "blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:3)? Lately, I have been so lost yearning for a relationship that I have neglected to spend time with the One that my soul was created for. Oh Lord, I repent for not trusting in You, for worrying over trivial matters when You are the Sovereign God over all things. Lord, forgive my forgetfulness and I thank you that You are drawing me back to You. I am so thankful that You have not allowed my lovers to overtake me, but that You have. Thank you for not letting go and giving up on me. Thank you that you take me back, that You have allowed me to see the error of my ways.
Secondly, the Lord has taught me exactly how much my sin cost him. In chapter three of Hosea we find out that Gomer, Hosea's wife, went back to work in prostitution. So he went and "bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley" (vs. 2). What does that mean? It cost Hosea 5.82 ounces of silver and 330 liters of barley. The fact that he had to use to different currencies shows us just how dearly it cost him to buy her back. It was not cheap for Hosea to buy back his wife. Being a prophet wasn't exactly the highest paid job in the B.C. days. Now, Hosea buying Gomer back was just a picture of what the Lord would do for His people. He would buy them back at great price—at the cost of the blood of His Son. Whoa.
(to be continued)
First, the Lord has shown me just how deceitful and whorish my heart really is. Let's just take a look at some verses from chapter two:"Plead with your mother, plead-for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband- that she put away her whoring from her face...For she said, 'I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil, and my drink'... She shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them, and she shall seek them but shall not find them. Then she shall say, 'I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now'" (vs 2a, 5b). The Lord was asking Hosea to plead with the Israelites to turn from their "lovers" and return to Him. The Lord was to be their husband and they were committing adultery with the things of this world. I remember in college thinking that the Israelites were so very dumb. I mean, the God of the universe had proven faithful so many times and they had seen His miracles first hand, and yet they were so prone to wonder from Him. Then I read vs. 5 and I realized I am just as dumb as they are. How many times have I put my comfort in my job knowing that from it I could provide bread and water for my sustenance, when I have seen how the Lord has provided when I had no job? How many times have I checked my bank account only to be anxious or relieved, when my Husband owns everything, and has already "blessed me with every spiritual blessing in the Heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:3)? Lately, I have been so lost yearning for a relationship that I have neglected to spend time with the One that my soul was created for. Oh Lord, I repent for not trusting in You, for worrying over trivial matters when You are the Sovereign God over all things. Lord, forgive my forgetfulness and I thank you that You are drawing me back to You. I am so thankful that You have not allowed my lovers to overtake me, but that You have. Thank you for not letting go and giving up on me. Thank you that you take me back, that You have allowed me to see the error of my ways.
Secondly, the Lord has taught me exactly how much my sin cost him. In chapter three of Hosea we find out that Gomer, Hosea's wife, went back to work in prostitution. So he went and "bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley" (vs. 2). What does that mean? It cost Hosea 5.82 ounces of silver and 330 liters of barley. The fact that he had to use to different currencies shows us just how dearly it cost him to buy her back. It was not cheap for Hosea to buy back his wife. Being a prophet wasn't exactly the highest paid job in the B.C. days. Now, Hosea buying Gomer back was just a picture of what the Lord would do for His people. He would buy them back at great price—at the cost of the blood of His Son. Whoa.
(to be continued)
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