Hosea 11:1-12:1 Wait!
“Wait! I STILL LOVE THEM. Even though they deserve nothing but contempt and destruction. I can’t do that.” God’s heart STILL loves Israel.
I asked the other day, if it was ONLY Israel that Jesus came to save, would He still have come? His heart tells me today that the answer is YES.
God has just finished speaking of the “hate” that has grown for His rebellious people. He is so angry He says He wants to END THEM by removing even their children from them; their greatest joy. But then He looks back over the time He has spent with them. He brings out the ‘scrapbook’ and looks at all the ‘good’ times. YES. The bad ones are also represented in the ‘scrapbook’, but the good ones touch His heart and soften it. “I’m bigger than hatred. I’m GOD. Not a man. I will rise above this anger and turn instead to discipline. I WILL bring My children back to Me! Whatever it takes!!!”
I KNOW this to be true because, if God DIDN’T love them, He wouldn’t care what they did. “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:19). You might like the neighbor’s kids but you don’t ‘spank’ them because you don’t LOVE them as your own. God is trying to get His MOST rebellious child back in line. His OWN; NOT the neighbors. NOT one He ‘leaves at the firehouse’ to be someone else’s problem. The one He anguishes over, and will do WHATEVER it takes to get them back in line.
In Hosea, God likens Israel/Ephraim to a wife. God loves His bride more than ANYTHING else. He will DIE for her! He can HATE what she has become but He does not ‘hate’ her. He loves her and wants her back. He will do EVERYTHING He can to bring her back to Himself.
My mom told me a story about her parents and a question that was asked of her father. I don’t know how the conversation or encounter started, but one of the kids asked their father “Who do you love more? Us or mama?” Without hesitation, my grandfather answered to his children, “Mama. I can always have more children but there is only ONE mama.” That is God’s love for His bride, Israel.
YES. Israel CAN and DOES do wrong. But that doesn’t mean God stops loving her.
This also applies to the Church. The Church is Jesus’ bride. She is the one that was born of His suffering. The one that came about through His blood. She is made up of EVERYONE (Jew AND Gentile) who accepts the work He has done for our salvation. He gave His life for His bride! What more can ANYONE do? YES. The church also makes mistakes and parts wander here and there. Revelation tells us of seven of these parts. But Jesus NEVER stops loving His bride. He NEVER divorces her! Just as God NEVER divorces Israel. She WILL come to Him in the end.
As MUCH as God loves His bride, He will NOT overlook her sin. He will discipline her and bring her back to Himself. NOT out of cruelty but out of a DEEP, ABIDING LOVE. The SAME is true for EACH of us that have become part of Christ’s bride. He will do WHATEVER it takes to bring us back to Himself. Out of LOVE!
NO MAN can match His love or even fully comprehend it. But PRAISE GOD, we HAVE IT!
Father God, THANK YOU for loving me! THANK YOU for the discipline I so truly need. THANK YOU that NOTHING can tear me from Your heart. And, THANK YOU that NOTHING can tear You from my heart! I am my Beloved’s and He is mine! My heart is made glad again after the pain it was feeling yesterday from Your words. THANK YOU for HOPE. Even in the darkest places I could ever go, Your love STILL reaches out to me and draws me back to You.
