I’ve been reading in Jeremiah for a while now (as you can probably guess by my previous blog post), and I just can’t get over the amazing truths I have found in this precious book.
In chapter 3, there is, unfortunately, so much truth in the picture painted in these verses:
God says, “If a husband divorces his wife
And she goes from him
And belongs to another man,
Will he still return to her?
Will not that land be completely polluted?
But you are a harlot with many lovers;
Yet you turn to Me,” declares the Lord.‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord;
‘I will not look upon you in anger.
For I am gracious,’ declares the Lord.
…”Return, O faithless sons,
I will heal your faithlessness.”
While reading this, I was immediately reminded of the story of Hosea and Gomer - and knowing that the way Gomer treated Hosea is exactly how I treat my amazing God. I am continually living in spiritual prostitution - even after I have been freed from it. God is my groom, waiting patiently for His bride to return - ever loving, ever patient, ever true to His bride - even when she is unfaithful.
I just love what the Lord says to Hosea in chapter 3 - He tells him to go again and love Gomer, even though she is unfaithful - and even though she may be unfaithful again, he is to go again and love her. Then, the most beautiful part - “So I bought her.” He had to not even go after her after she betrayed him, Hosea had to purchase her - and he did. Because even though she was not faithful to him, Hosea was so faithful to Gomer.
In chapter 2 of Hosea, we see a beautiful picture of the Lord’s unwavering, loving gaze on His bride.
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Bring her into the wilderness
And speak kindly to her.
‘Then I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the valley of Achor as a door of hope.
And she will sing there as in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord,
“That you will call Me Ishi (my husband)
And you will no longer call Me Baali (my master)
…”In that day I will also make a covenant for them
…And I will abolish the bow, the sword and war from the land,
And will make them lie down in safety.
“I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice,
In lovingkindness and in compassion,
And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness.
Then you will know the Lord.”
How. Amazing. The Lord not only continues to love us when we are unfaithful, but he rescues us and redeems us from the lovers less wild we choose for ourselves. He purchases us from the life we live - He frees us so that we can enter into this amazing romance with Him.
What an incredible thought as I venture off into the unknown for the next week and a half. And how precious that I can come before my God and call Him Ishi. My husband. My eternal love. The keeper of my heart. I am His and He is mine. The Lord has bought me with an overwhelming love and desires to share the most precious and redeeming relationship with me - what have I to be afraid of?
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