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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