Lover of your soul ∙

Lover of your soul ∙

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness. – Jeremiah 31:3

Hosea 11:8-10

 8 Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go . . .? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.

 9 No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy.

 10 For someday, the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west.

What is an object lesson? Object lessons are tangible items or visual aids that communicate or illustrate abstract ideas, principles, life lessons, or other important concepts. Teachers employ object lessons to enable learning. Physical objects or visual aids are used as part of instruction.

Object lessons enhance recall of the teaching. These lessons are frequently well-known events, figures, individuals, or three-dimensional visual objects that stimulate interest.

As children of the King, we acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ as the ultimate Teacher. Being the paragon of instructors, He repeatedly employed object lessons to communicate. These object lessons effectively captured people’s attention and aided their comprehension and retention. He used parables that drew from familiar everyday experiences to convey profound spiritual truths.

The Father used Hosea and Gomer’s relationship as an object lesson. Gomer was the unfaithful wife of Hosea, the prophet. The story revealed two very important concepts. First, it highlighted the unfaithfulness of the nation of Israel towards the Father. Israel had sinned against Him by following other gods. Secondly, it underscored the Father’s unwavering faithfulness and loyalty to His people, even in the face of their rebellion and idolatrous unfaithfulness.

The Father personally instructed Hosea to undertake a perplexing, bewildering, and seemingly incongruous directive: to marry a promiscuous woman who was a prostitute. Hosea was to settle down, establish a family, and have children with her (Hosea 1:2). This matrimonial arrangement was intended as a vivid illustration, serving as an object lesson to depict Israel’s adulterous conduct towards the Father. Israel was regarded as the Father’s “wife.” Israel was guilty of gross immorality and unfaithfulness to Him.

Following the birth of three children, Gomer took off and abandoned him. She reverted to her previous way of life, entering into a relationship with another man.

Subsequently, the Father issued Hosea an even more puzzling, bewildering, and counterintuitive command.

Hosea 3:1 Then the LORD said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”

Hosea complied and bought back his wife by purchasing her back for fifteen shekels of silver and a quantity of barley.

Hosea vividly portrayed the Father’s undying loyal love and devoted affection for unfaithful Israel. Hosea’s enduring love, undiminished by Gomer’s lack of fidelity, mirrored the Father’s steadfast love and commitment to His wayward and idolatrous people.

Israel is the Father’s treasured possession, the apple of his eye, a pearl of great price. The Father’s resolve to stand by them remains unshaken, regardless of circumstances, no matter what.

Yet Israel is like an adulterous spouse who rejected the Father and sought her happiness and security elsewhere. How tragic!

The Father has emotions. Have you ever considered how He might have felt throughout all of this? Undoubtedly, this must have caused Him profound pain and hurt Him deeply. Pause for a moment. Can you visualize Him with tears in His eyes, running down His cheeks, revealing a broken heart? The Lord Jesus Christ offers some perspective on this matter.

Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

Love and marital fidelity are a 2-way street. Both parties must be willing.

Malachi 1:2 “I have always loved you,” says the LORD. But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father treasures all children of the King. He is faithful and will not give up on us.

Father thank You for Your love that never gives up on me. You are loyal, faithful, and devoted no matter what. Help me to love You wholeheartedly.

INSIGHT

Hosea reveals the Father’s longing for uninterrupted intimacy with those He loves. His longing and passionate love are revealed in His anguished, doleful words.

Hosea 11:8-10

 8 “Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go . . .? My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows.

 9 No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy.

 10 For someday the people will follow me. I, the LORD, will roar like a lion. And when I roar, my people will return trembling from the west.

What does this have to do with us, children of the King? Everything!

The Father longs for an intimate relationship with each one of us. He would and did do everything possible to get your love. His great love is displayed in the most significant, most magnificent act of love of all time. The Father sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to make such intimacy and fellowship possible. The Father is the passionate and faithful Lover of the soul of each child of the King.

“Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives” (Stanley).

Hosea’s prophetic calling sets him apart among the Old Testament prophets. Hosea went beyond mere prophecy; he brought it to life through his own actions. His life’s journey is the ultimate illustration, reflecting the Father’s enduring affection for Israel despite their unrequited love. Despite Israel’s unrepentant infidelity, the Father pursued reconciliation, restoration, and blessings for His beloved people.

All children of the King have the same assurance: His love for us is a love that will never let us go (Romans 8:37-39). When we stray away from the Father, He yearns for our return. He is the lover of our souls, and He will not give up on us.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

“Once God sets His love on us and we accept His love through faith in Jesus, nothing can ever break the bonds of love that He creates: ‘No one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand’ (John 10:29)” (Stanley).

Whom or what do you treasure as the Father treasures you?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 9-10-1

© Dr. H 2023