Love So Amazing

The narrator states, "If there is anything which especially affronts God, it must surely be the sight of men and women (whom He has created) bowing in worship to sticks and stones..." Reading this I had imagined God being annoyed, looking down on us incredulously, and thinking "Sheesh! My people are so foolish, so ridiculous!"

But it's more than that... God was more than annoyed, He was deeply deeply hurt.

And to help us understand the extent of His hurt, He asked Hosea to marry an adulterous woman. Gosh, how heart wrenchingly painful painful painful it must have been to be absolutely sure that your wife was sleeping with other men and having children by them. Of all the pains we can experience in this world, I think the greatest pain must surely be when our heart is broken by the one we love. (And the other greatest pain is losing a child... which God experienced too.)

The 1st child from the adulterous relationships was named Jezreel, 2nd child was Lo-Ruhamah (means not loved), and 3rd child was Lo-Ammi (means not my people). God must have been so hurt to have declared to His children that He does not love them anymore and that He will no longer see them as His children. My heart feels sad even imagining that happening to me... if God told me He didn't love me anymore and He did not want to be my Father anymore... wow, I don't know if I would be able to breath anymore, I would be too sad.

Despite His bleeding heart, God chose to forgive and love His people (Hosea 3:1-3)... AMAZING.

"... how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ... this love that surpasses knowledge..." Ephesians 3:18