If you knew your spouse would be unfaithful to you, would you still marry? A challenging question to say the least, and one that a man of God once was likely forced to consider.
"The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD'" (Hosea 1:1-2).
God's directive to Hosea was clear: marry a prostitute and have children by her. This unholy union would serve as an object lesson to the people of God regarding their unfaithfulness to Yahweh God, their true Husband.
I cannot imagine the personal anguish God's directive brought to Hosea. Marriage is designed for the nurturing of trust and unguarded openness; it is the realm of the closest possible human relationship. Unfaithfulness is the ultimate betrayal to this unique relationship, and Hosea is instructed to marry knowing full well that this will be the outcome! I'm sure we cannot know the personal anguish this man of God experienced.
The harsh truth is, we've all been unfaithful in our marriage. And our Spouse knew we would before we ever married. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We are a type of "Israel of God" through Christ, and thus are the bride. But we have not always lived according to our wedding vows. We have been adulterous with the world; we have indulged in forbidden pleasures.
Far more marriages than we will ever know have been rocked by the betrayal of unfaithfulness (no doubt there are those reading who know this firsthand). The monumental struggle for forgiveness on the part of the wronged spouse is an indescribable anguish. And our Spouse is intimately acquainted with that anguish in offering us forgiveness:
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved ), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Live life today in the wonder of a Faithful Spouse who is willing to forgive our unfaithfulness, and let that forgiveness be powerful motivation for purity in lifestyle and faithfulness in service.
Steve
"The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD'" (Hosea 1:1-2).
God's directive to Hosea was clear: marry a prostitute and have children by her. This unholy union would serve as an object lesson to the people of God regarding their unfaithfulness to Yahweh God, their true Husband.
I cannot imagine the personal anguish God's directive brought to Hosea. Marriage is designed for the nurturing of trust and unguarded openness; it is the realm of the closest possible human relationship. Unfaithfulness is the ultimate betrayal to this unique relationship, and Hosea is instructed to marry knowing full well that this will be the outcome! I'm sure we cannot know the personal anguish this man of God experienced.
The harsh truth is, we've all been unfaithful in our marriage. And our Spouse knew we would before we ever married. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We are a type of "Israel of God" through Christ, and thus are the bride. But we have not always lived according to our wedding vows. We have been adulterous with the world; we have indulged in forbidden pleasures.
Far more marriages than we will ever know have been rocked by the betrayal of unfaithfulness (no doubt there are those reading who know this firsthand). The monumental struggle for forgiveness on the part of the wronged spouse is an indescribable anguish. And our Spouse is intimately acquainted with that anguish in offering us forgiveness:
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved ), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:4-7)
Live life today in the wonder of a Faithful Spouse who is willing to forgive our unfaithfulness, and let that forgiveness be powerful motivation for purity in lifestyle and faithfulness in service.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:39 AM
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