The God of
Second Chances
Read:
Hosea 11
"I
will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness
and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in
faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord." Hosea 2:19-20
The
book of Hosea tells of a fascinating love story between the prophet
Hosea and his disastrous marriage to an unfaithful woman, Gomer.
Hosea was directed by God to marry this woman who God warned would be
unfaithful to him. Gomer was a prostitute. After Gomer and Hosea had
a family, she tired of her faithful husband, and went back to a life
of prostitution. How devastating to Hosea ─ after all, he was a
man. Hosea divorces her, but at God's direction, and with certain
conditions, he buys her back from a life of slavery and remarries
her. What unconditional love!
The
story of Hosea and Gomer is not in the Bible to present us with
salacious reading, but to tell a more important love story of God's
love for an unfaithful Israel. Just as Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea,
God's chosen people were unfaithful to Him. God did not give up on
them, but won the nation back to Himself. We have a God of second
chances, whose love is so remarkable He will take us back even when
we have made ourselves unlovable. Praise God for His compassion, and
for sending us Jesus Christ, who redeems us from our sin, and makes
us worthy of His love.
Pat
Deck
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