Post Ten, Forgiveness

Tuesday 23 July 2013

We left off yesterday with the harlot having acted shamefully.
Hosea 2: 5...
For she said, "I will go after my lovers.
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my flax, my oil and my drink."

And God having said,
Hosea 2:8
"For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil,
And lavished on her silver and gold,
Which they used for Baal.
Verse 2:9
"Therefore, I will take back My grain at harvest time
And My new wine in its season.
I will also take away My wool and My flax
Given to cover her nakedness.
Verse 2:10
"And then I will uncover her lewdness
In the sight of her lovers,
And no one will rescue her out of My hand."

But then... and this is where the story becomes so sweet...God never turns His back on her, He never just leaves or walks away, He stays... He is committed to her even though she became discontent, sought other lovers, and did not even recognize that it was God who had given her everything she had, everything she needed.

No, He did not walk away, He forgave her.
Hosea 2:14
"Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Bring her into the wilderness,
And speak kindly to her."

How He Loves Us by The David Crowder Band

He not only forgave her, He romances her, He speaks kindly to her, and He separates her from everything that would take her attention away from Him.

I think this is something that God does when He wants to do something beautiful in us, He separates us to get our attention. Just look at Noah, Moses, Joseph, David - as a shepherd, and so many others, Paul. And Jesus, Himself, shows this example in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross. I think this has something to do with worship - I am still working on it, but to worship the Lord in Spirit and Truth it has to be personal, separate, even if you are standing in the midst of a congregation.

The Lord loves us so jealously that He will not turn His back on us. There is nothing that we can do that would surprise or shock Him. Once we are His, we are His, we belong to Him and nothing can "rescue" us out of His hand.

Thank you Lord Jesus!

This is not the end of the story, not even close. There is much more to come...