Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman
who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the
LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin
cakes of the pagans.” Hosea 3:1
No human can comprehend God’s
love for His children! Our limited experience of human love hinders us from
understanding God’s unconditional love for us. We can see a picture of this
love in the life of Hosea.
Hosea was a righteous man, but
God told him to marry a sinful woman. Hosea obeyed and took Gomer as his wife.
He cherished her and treated her with dignity and respect. Never before had
Gomer experienced this kind of love, but she soon grew dissatisfied. She began
giving her affections to other men. She became so involved in adulterous
pursuits that finally she abandoned Hosea altogether. Other men used her until
she had nothing left to give. Then they sold her into slavery. After this, God
gave Hosea an amazing command: “Go and buy her back.” Despite the intense pain
and hurt that Gomer had inflicted on him, God told Hosea to forgive her and to
pay any price to bring her back into his home.
God’s message is clear: When we
reject Him and turn our devotion elsewhere, our rejection carries the same pain
as an adulterous betrayal. After all God has done for us, it is
incomprehensible that we should reject Him. It is even harder to fathom that
God could love us even after we have rejected, ignored, and disobeyed Him. Yet
God’s love is completely different from ours. His love follows us to the depths
of our sinfulness until He has reclaimed us. His love is undaunted when we run
from Him, and He continues to pursue us. What incredible love He has
demonstrated to us!
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