Repentance, it’s irresistible!

The book of Hosea portrays a great love story.  The main characters are the prophet Hosea and his adulterous wife, Gomer.  God uses these characters to express His great love towards Israel and His heartbrokenness over their unfaithfulness. 

As Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry was lived out before a people, the Lord’s message to Israel was to be lived out by Hosea.  His marriage to Gomer was a picture to the northern kingdom of God’s love for them.

The Lord said to me, "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."                                                                                        Hosea 3:1

So deep is His love!

The times of Hosea’s ministry were turbulent.  His message to the northern kingdom of Israel was to a people guilty of the ‘sins of Jeroboam’ (1 Kings 12).  Over the 38 years of Hosea’s ministry, six kings reigned and most of those kings were murdered by their successors.  Other prophets were sent to turn God’s people back to Himself, but the people remained rebellious.  The land was in an upheaval.  Through Hosea, the Lord pours out His heart’s yearning for His people.  So tender is His love! 

"Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. "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. "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.        Hosea 2:14, 15b, 16, 17, 19, 20

Israel responded with continued rebellion and disdain for their Maker. They pulled away from the Lord’s love, protection and care. They pulled away from covenant.  In the end, the northern kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians (2 Kings 17) and the people were deported to other lands.  Yet still, God cried out for His people.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within Me; all My compassion is aroused. "   Hosea 11:8                          

^“Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God.   Your sins have been your downfall!  Take words with you, and return to the Lord. Say to Him, "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.”

 "I will heal their backsliding; I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away from him.”                 Hosea 14: 1, 2, 4

So faithful is His love!

Seeing the Lord’s great love and compassion towards His people makes me thankful to be counted as one of His own.  As I read the Book of Hosea, I’m deeply moved by the Lord’s persistent pursuit of relationship.  He continues in that pursuit today.  I’m thankful for His Holy Spirit, always drawing me closer to Him.   And should I ever fall away from the lover of my soul, through disobedience or short-sightedness, I have the great gift of ‘repentance’.  I always have the option to turn back towards Him and start afresh. With each turn I enjoy the freedom of a new beginning.  And if I live a lifestyle of repentance….always turning from things that displease Him, my life will reflect the fruit of our unbroken fellowship.  The joy of repentance!  In Psalms 51, David confesses his sin, and acknowledges that the Lord will always respond to a humble and contrite heart.  Repentance, it’s irresistible!  Here's the promise –

‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness’.                                                       1 John1:9

Be blessed!