Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
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, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
– Hosea 1:1-2
Devotion
After the exodus from Egypt, God formed a covenant relationship with Israel. This covenant relationship was depicted as a marriage: Yahweh was the husband, Israel His wife. Of course, any covenant requires faithfulness on the part of those in the relationship. Unfortunately, Israel proved to be a constantly unfaithful wife to Yahweh. Often, God would ask prophets to engage in symbolic actions to illustrate His message to Israel. The most dramatic of all the symbolic actions came through Hosea. To illustrate God’s relationship with an unfaithful Israel, Hosea was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman. Thus, Hosea’s home life became a living parable of the heart-breaking relationship between God and Israel. What a sad commentary the home life of Hosea presented to his people. His wife was unfaithful and his children were illegitimate. Surely the nation watching Hosea would have heard the message loud and clear: This is how God feels about His marriage to Israel.
The Big Question
Those who have trusted Christ live in a covenant relationship with Jesus. Jesus is the bridegroom and we are His bride. In what ways have you been possibly unfaithful to the Lord? How has the story of Hosea and Gomer impacted you?
Spend some time in prayer meditating on what God revealed to you today.