Mistress to Bride

I love the book of Hosea. Well I love the whole Bible, but I don't want this post to be a novel, so I'm going to focus.

In case you don't remember, this is the account of the Lord asking Hosea to take a promiscuous woman as his wife. Hosea's a pretty good guy, and loves God with all he is. If I were him, I'd be pretty confused. But he's obedient and marries her anyway. Well it's no surprise that she is unfaithful to him in their marriage. In Old Testament times, this was grounds for divorce. Hosea easily could've said, "I tried, but it's just not worth it". But he doesn't. He continues to extend faithful love to her, though she mocks their marriage and the Lord by sleeping with other men.

I hope you know me well enough by now to know where this is going. Jesus Christ somehow is able to put up with us, and the ways we mock Him. Every time we lash out at someone, we have failed Him. Every time we look to someone or thing other than our Father to please us, we have failed Him. We perpetually fail Jesus and fall short of His glory, but still our God relentlessly pursues us (Isaiah 41:4). If only we could learn to accepted ourselves as His Beloved.



I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness, and you will know the Lord. I will sow her in the land for Myself, and I will have compassion on No Compassion; I will say to Not My People: You are My people, and he will say: You are My God. Hosea 2:19-20, 23

But you must return to your God. Maintain love and justice, and always put your hope in God. Hosea 12:6