RTW June 26
A Willing Love…
Then the LORD said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover.”
Hosea 3:1a
My Takeaways
Something Old
A sheckle would be worth approx. $557 in today’ value. Which makes 15 worth $8355.
This is picture of God and His beloved Israel, but also paralleled with those who have been grafted in to God’s family.
A love willing to
- Pay any price to get us back (John 3:16)
- Forgive the past, no matter how sinful we’ve been (1 John 1:9)
- Impose discipline to bring us back to Him (Hebrews 12:11)
- Blesses when we return (2 Corinthians 9:8)
Something New
The LORD loves the unfaithful. I love this so much!
The LORD’s love for unfaithful Israel. Hosea 2:14-23
Something to Do
Don’t take this love for granted.
“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence.” Hosea 6:1-2. God’s love is as much int he tearing to pieces as it is in the healing; as much in the injuring, as in the bandaging of the wound. These verses reminded me of this song by Shane & Shane: https://youtu.be/qyUPz6_TciY
4:6 – My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Lack of knowledge of God = death. BUT…
6:3 – Oh, that we might know the LORD! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring. Seek to know Him = LIFE!
New: God is including the priests in his accusations. (4:4, 4:6, 5:1)
To do: “Press on to know Him” – not on a superficial level as I tend to do – but deeper. In His Word, in prayer.
Well said!
-Do I tremble in of awe of the LORD and His goodness?
-God desires our love and for us to know Him, more than any sacrifice we could make for Him. Focus on knowing Him and loving Him rather than what I can do for Him. The doing will naturally flow from knowing and loving Him.