We Are His People; He Is Our GodBeispiel

Read Hosea 3:1-5

You are the bride of Christ.

Whether you are married, want to be married, or are called to singleness, all humans can relate to the fantasy associated with marriage--the longing to be seen, loved, and cherished.

All people can also relate to the fact that the innate longing to be loved perfectly is not satisfied in human relationships. Even the best marriages have their hours, days, or seasons of strain when one or both partners fail to uphold their promise to love one another unconditionally. If you think back on all of your relationships, I am sure you can think of many times when you have failed to love others well and when you have been let down by those you love (I know I can!). Sin, by its very self-serving nature, puts a wedge in our relationships both with people and with God.

Although sinful nature prevents any person from being able to satisfy the hunger to be totally known and totally loved all the time, the Bible tells us that is exactly how Jesus relates to us. In Hosea and many other prophetic books, God compares his relationship with his people to the relationship between a husband and wife. In the book of Hosea, God takes this metaphor to another level, comparing himself to the husband of an adulteress wife who forgives his partner when he would be more justified in rejecting her!

In the New Testament, John the Baptist and Jesus himself pick up this marriage metaphor, stating that Jesus is the bridegroom coming to receive his people as his bride. Centuries of being betrayed, forgotten, half-heartedly pursued, and sinned against did not change God’s loving relationship with his people because, like the perfect marriage--Jesus’s relationship with his people is not only intensely intimate but also unshakable and enduring.

Jesus has made a steadfast commitment to love and redeem you. Regardless of how you may feel about yourself or your actions, his love for you remains unwavering. His love is not influenced by your fluctuating self-perception or behavior. It is a constant covenant, a daily affirmation of his enduring love for you. Every day, God loves you all the way.

Reflect

• Rule breaking in a civil setting (such as driving faster than the speed limit) is different from rule breaking in the confines of an intimate relationship (such as lying to or cheating on your significant other) because rule-breaking within a relationship has an element of personal betrayal. Do you tend to think of sin as a civil or a personal betrayal? Why is it important to consider that your actions are personal to God?
• In Hosea and Gomer's relationship, who is the victim of injustice? Does Hosea reject Gomer because of her betrayal? Does God reject people on the basis of their sinfulness? Would it be just if he did?