Jesus and WomenÀpẹrẹ

Living Forward

Read Hosea 2:14-16,19-20.

You may be familiar with the message of the Book of Hosea. The prophet Hosea (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) compared God’s relationship with His people to a marriage relationship—a marriage in which Israel, God’s people, was repeatedly unfaithful to God. 

In the Hosea 2 passage, we find an almost shocking illustration of God’s covenant faithfulness to His children. The Living God marries His people in the wilderness, the desert, despite their unfaithfulness to the covenant He made with them. This passage pictures God’s extraordinary, sacrificial love. 

Israel would go on to do her worst while God did His best. She would chase after the gods of the nations. In other words, the bride in this illustration, the people of Israel, would not live up to her marriage vows. She would prostitute herself before the nations—just as Gomer was unfaithful in her marriage to Hosea (3:1). But God’s love runs longer than our sin, and His atonement covers the whole of our sin. God and God alone would keep the marriage covenant. The Lord married Israel knowing she would not be able to keep every law, every commandment, and every vow. He did it because He knew He could and would. He knew that the Lamb of God would come one day to take away every sin. 

The Lord drew Israel into the desert and spoke to her there. The place that seemed to only represent barrenness became one of restoration and redemption, of covenant pledge, of love everlasting. To me, Hosea 2 is one of the most beautiful passages in the whole Bible. It is so intimate, so intentional—the covenant love and promise of the Lord given to His people in the desert. 

The Lord often speaks to His people in a special way in wilderness seasons. We want to carry these lessons and these times of intimate fellowship from the wilderness with us as we live and walk forward. 

When was the last time you were in a desert or wilderness season? If you would like, describe the situation in a note-taking journal. What did you learn during that time? How did you see God respond on your behalf in that wilderness season? How can the things learned in that wilderness season travel forward with you and strengthen you as you live your life? 

For more of this study, including video teaching by author Kristi McLelland, visit LifeWay.com/JesusAndWomen.