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Some call the Old Testament God’s biography and a history of the Hebrews. The New Testament furthers the story with the life of Jesus and the beginning of Christianity.
More than that, though, the Bible is the ultimate love story. It tells of a God who tirelessly pursues his people, desperate to draw them closer. Though he punished them for doing wrong – including the adulterous behavior of worshiping other gods – in his immeasurable mercy and love, he forgave them.
He’s a God who loves so deeply, he gave his life so his Beloved could live.
It’s no accident Jesus calls us his Bride and he the Bridegroom. Those words describe an intimate relationship above all others, including that of a parent and child. Thinking of it that way, I’m not surprised the Story ends with a wedding. It touches the romantic in all of us. Best of all, each one of us plays an important role in this story.
At times God places his servant in circumstances representing what God wants to communicate to his people.
Hosea is one. God required him to “take yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2 NIV)
After rebuking his people for their sins God said, “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” (2:14)
He charged Hosea to reconcile with his own wife even after she “was loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” (3:1)
We can turn away from God and try to replace him with more worldly things. Still, no matter how grievous our sin, he will pursue us. All the way into the desert of our despair, he will speak tenderly to us, forgive us, and take us home.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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