“’I will punish her for the days of the Baals [false gods] to which she burned incense. She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry and went after her lovers [idols]; but Me she forgot,’ says the Lord.”
Our Lord is faithful in love. He desires faithful love to be mutual. Israel had failed the relationship by giving to other idols what should have been given to the Lord.
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her. I will give her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.”
The Lord took her away from the place of her failings in relationship and caused her to be fruitful in a place that was not normally considered a place to bear fruit – namely a wilderness. She became aware of God’s mercy toward her and His love for her was a door of hope. She began to sing to the Lord as in the days of her first love for Him.
“’And it shall be, on that day,’ says the Lord, ‘that you will call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘My Master,’ for I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals [idols], and they shall be remembered by their name no more. In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, with the birds of the air, and with the creeping things of the ground. Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, to make them lie down safely. I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”
“Heavenly Father and Christ Jesus the Son, thank You for Your faithful love for us Your people. Thank You for loving us so much that even when we disappoint and fail You, You do not give up on us, but You bring about favorable circumstances for us to be renewed in our love for You. You restore us in the qualities that make You so beautiful and unique in this world. The qualities of righteous and just living, as well as lovingkindness, mercy, and faithfulness. Thank You for revealing Yourself to us so that we know You and walk with You as Your betrothed. We look forward to the day when You bring us to Your house, and we will dwell in Your house forever. In the Name of Jesus Your Son Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.”
The Scripture verses are from Hosea 2:13-20 NKJV
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