Lived Out Lesson

I still remember object lessons that taught great truth to me even as a young kid. The truth sticks a bit better with me if I can visualize it. I believe the Lord teaches me truth in that way sometimes as well.

Hosea was a prophet that lived out the object lesson for the people he lived among and spoke the word of the Lord too. Check this out…

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.’ 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. (Hosea 1:2-4 NIV)

Hosea not only married an adulterous woman, but the Lord told him what to name his kids. Hosea’s marriage and family experience parallels the way the northern kingdom of Israel is living before the Lord. They have abandoned the Lord and begun to worship idols that they made rather than worship the One Who made them. I can’t imagine the pain and the struggle that is ahead for Hosea, but He’s walking right through it anchored the Lord.

Fast forward to Christ and His church. He uses the marriage example to portray the type of relationship He wants with us. He is the Groom and His church is the bride. The Lord loves His bride and He wants His bride to reciprocate that love. He did love us first and that should count for something. My love for the Lord should be reflected in my love for His bride, the church. I should take my role there very serious and contribute all I can to the growth of the bride. The Lord wants my deep commitment to Him to resemble a marriage commitment that keeps other distractions out and where my commitment to the relationship is bedrock strong.

Pressing On!

Dwayne