Butterfly Bible Studies » Blog Archive » Journey Into God’s Love: Day 1

The Broken-hearted Prophet

Read Hosea Chapters 1 & 2

Why is Hosea called the broken-hearted prophet? I think it’s because of the sad experiences in his personal life. The book of Hosea illustrates a picture of the similarity between his love for his unfaithful wife and Jehovah God’s love for unfaithful Israel. Here is a quote I found (author unknown to me) on Hosea’s purpose for writing the account.

“Hosea’s book is written to remind the Israelites (and us) that ours is a loving God whose loyalty to His covenant people is unwavering. Despite Israel’s continuous turning to false gods, God’s steadfast love is portrayed in the long-suffering husband of the unfaithful wife. Through the symbolic presentation of the marriage of Hosea and Gomer, God’s love for a wayward people is displayed in a rich metaphor in the themes of sin, judgement, and forgiving love.” End Quote

WHAT A FAMILY! WHAT A PICTURE!

Hosea Chapter 1

What would you do if God asked you to marry someone named “Gomer”, who He knew was adulterous’? Then, in the same breath He calls your unborn children unfaithful’! WOW! I guess my name isn’t Hosea, because I think, I would have to think about it. I don’t know if I would get the “Big Picture”. I would probably ask God, “Now tell me why I should do this”? In verse 2 God tells Hosea, “I want you to do this because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery“. Apparently, that was enough said for Hosea.

As we read on in chapter 1 God gives Hosea and Gomer’s children some profound (deep and insightful) names. Hosea’s first son is named Jezreel’ (pointing to the judgement of Israel). Next, there came a daughter named L0-Ruhamah’ (meaning, she who never knew a father’s love), and last, but not least L0-Ammi’, a son, whose name means ‘for you are not my people’ (not my kin). All named by God himself. Wouldn’t that depress you.

“Yet”, in verse 10 of chapter 1, we see ”a turn around” by God. He says, “Yet…In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God’. (And) The people of Judah and the people of Israel ‘will be reunited’ (kin)….for great will be the day of Jezreel (judgement).”

POETRY!

Hosea Chapter 2

I will not take the time to write this “Beautiful” poetic passage of Scripture down. If you need to re-read it, please do. Verses 2-13 look like revenge to me, but that’s just me. Yet, I love verse 14. It says (of Gomer-of Israel), “…I am going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her“. How “Beautiful” is that? Verse 23b says, (again), “I will say to those called ‘Not my people’, ‘ You are my people’, and they will say, ‘You are my God’ “.

“Our God, who is rightly disturbed and angered by our unfaithfulness, still pursues us, to draw us into His Love.” Quote from my Women of Faith Study Bible

Scripture to ponder: Hosea 2:23 “…I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one. I will say to those called ‘Not my people, You are my people; and they will say, ‘You are my God.” NIV

Thought and Scripture to Ponder: God Never Abandons Us ~ “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:18 NIV

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Posted in: Bible Studies

Tags: God's Love

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 10:32 pm and is filed under Bible Studies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

One Response to “Journey Into God’s Love: Day 1”

Kim December 4th, 2009 at 4:15 pm

Okay so you have me hooked on waiting for the new devotion – already loving this series!

Orphans – you have brought one of the most amazing verses out from my personal life. I think so many of us don’t even know really what that word means. So it’s hard for us to understand that God will not leave us. We have little comprehension in the US as to what an orphan looks like, feels, needs, etc and therefore miss the the overwhelming power of the Lord never leaving us.

Orphan – a child permanently bereaved of his or her parents. Think about that for a minute – PERMANENTLY! A minor bereft through “death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from both parents”. (Wikipedia) While at it get on google images and look up orphans in India or Africa just to get the full effect. An orphan has lost that person who meets all their needs, they have nothing. And I don’t just mean physically nothing – I also mean emotionally nothing. You can see it in their faces.

It’s something we can’t comprehend well – it’s sad, cold, dirty, empty, desolate – really take a look at the pics. When we can truly see what it means to be without like the orphan – WOW! Our eyes are opened to what He is saying He will do for us!!

AJ and Selam came to us with the clothes on their back. And that was only b/c someone had mercy and provided them with those clothes. Their hands were empty and so were their hearts. But… the VERY MINUTE I held them I gave them everything I had. What was mine now became theirs. They had a caretaker, a defender, a comforter, and someone to meet all their needs. I have watched Him come to my children through me and I can’t even begin to explain the awareness it has had in my life regarding the love He has for me.

No matter what my circumstances are He will always come for me! I crossed oceans, I gave up things to afford to cross oceans, I decided to face racism for my orphans, I cried tears after tears begging God to bring them home to us – If I will do all that for two small orphans I am literally in awe wondering what He does for us as His orphans.

I love you momma!