2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." 3 So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
5 For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, "I will go after my lovers; they give me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink."
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths. 7 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 with me then than now."
8 She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished upon her silver and gold that they used for Baal. 9 Therefore I will take back my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season; and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness. 10 Now I will uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand. 11 I will put an end to all her mirth, her festivals, her new moons, her sabbaths,
and all her appointed festivals. 12 I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
of which she said, "These are my pay, which my lovers have given me."
I will make them a forest, and the wild animals shall devour them.
13 I will punish her for the festival days of the Baals, when she offered incense to them
and decked herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers,
and forgot me, says the LORD. 14 Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. 15 From there I will give her her vineyards,
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she shall respond as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
(Hosea marries a prostitute whom he cannot trust- an image of God and His unfaithful people)
Thoughts: What happens when we forget God? What hapens when we go after other gods? Does the true and living God care? Hosea describes it as spiritual adultery. In our culture where adultery doesn't matter as much as it used to- everyone is doing it- then spiritual adultery doesn't matter as much either.
But God reminds the people- if you forget who gave you all you have, He will take it back. If you leave the One who provides for you, do you expect that He will continue to bless you? God says He will take the people back to the way they were before they met Him- in the wilderness- in slavery- and then perhaps they will desire Him again.
People fuss at God as if they were spoiled children. They say, "If God made me, He must give me all I want, and must meet my expectations of goodness and provision. If He does not, then I will not believe in Him." God desires that we believe in Him because He loves us. But it hurts us more than it hurts Him when we rebel and turn away- as an wife who becomes a prostitute.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to be faithful to you- though all the world fall away.
5 For their mother has played the whore; she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, "I will go after my lovers; they give me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink."
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns; and I will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths. 7 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 with me then than now."
8 She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished upon her silver and gold that they used for Baal. 9 Therefore I will take back my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season; and I will take away my wool and my flax, which were to cover her nakedness. 10 Now I will uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of my hand. 11 I will put an end to all her mirth, her festivals, her new moons, her sabbaths,
and all her appointed festivals. 12 I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
of which she said, "These are my pay, which my lovers have given me."
I will make them a forest, and the wild animals shall devour them.
13 I will punish her for the festival days of the Baals, when she offered incense to them
and decked herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers,
and forgot me, says the LORD. 14 Therefore, I will now allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. 15 From there I will give her her vineyards,
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she shall respond as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
(Hosea marries a prostitute whom he cannot trust- an image of God and His unfaithful people)Thoughts: What happens when we forget God? What hapens when we go after other gods? Does the true and living God care? Hosea describes it as spiritual adultery. In our culture where adultery doesn't matter as much as it used to- everyone is doing it- then spiritual adultery doesn't matter as much either.
But God reminds the people- if you forget who gave you all you have, He will take it back. If you leave the One who provides for you, do you expect that He will continue to bless you? God says He will take the people back to the way they were before they met Him- in the wilderness- in slavery- and then perhaps they will desire Him again.
People fuss at God as if they were spoiled children. They say, "If God made me, He must give me all I want, and must meet my expectations of goodness and provision. If He does not, then I will not believe in Him." God desires that we believe in Him because He loves us. But it hurts us more than it hurts Him when we rebel and turn away- as an wife who becomes a prostitute.
Prayer: Help me, Lord, to be faithful to you- though all the world fall away.
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