Idolatry = Adultery; Hosea 1-3

May the mumbling commence!

Idolatry equals adultery.  The Lord asked a difficult thing of the prophet Hosea.  The Lord asked Hosea to marry an adulterous wife.  Read about it in these passages from Hosea Chapter one:

When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." (Verse 2)

Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them.  Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them – not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the Lord their God." 

After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son.  Then the Lord said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God. 

Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'  The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. (Verses 6-11)

Just as we began to learn with the Ten Commandments, there is a close connection between idolatry and adultery.  The nations of Israel and Judah were going to other gods and showing their love to them rather than to the Lord.  When Hosea and Gomer had children the Lord named the children to illustrate the growing separation between God and His people.  Lo-Ruhamah means “not loved” in Hebrew.  Could you imagine a woman named “not loved”?  And my wife thought some of the names I thought up for our son were bizarre!  Lo-Ammi means “not my people” in Hebrew.  What a handle for a young man!  I think I will stick with my given name – Matthew!  Even so, the Lord continues to shower His people with gifts that they misuse and refuse to acknowledge come from Him.  Read Hosea 2:8 –

She has not acknowledged that I was the one

who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil,

who lavished on her the silver and gold –

which they used for Baal.

If our relationship with the Lord can be compared to a betrothal, then what would a healthy marriage look like?  Read about what it will be like when all other attractions dissolve and only the Lord is left:

"In that day," declares the Lord,

"you will call me 'my husband';

you will no longer call me 'my master.' 

I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips;

no longer will their names be invoked. 

In that day I will make a covenant for them

with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air

and the creatures that move along the ground.

Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land,

so that all may lie down in safety. 

I will betroth you to me forever;

I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. 

I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. (2:16-20)

So, let’s leave behind the Baals of our lives and embrace the one true Lord.  Embrace the righteousness, justice, love, compassion, and faithfulness of the Lord.  Let’s acknowledge what the Lord does in our lives even though we are too often unfaithful to Him.  Let us show it in our faithfulness to our loved ones even when they betray us – it will be a reflection of God’s love to the world.  As the Lord commanded Hosea, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is 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 (3:1b)." 

Enough mumbling for today… 

Peace Out