- For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days. Hosea 3:4-5 – We see Hosea put in perspective for us the bigger picture of what God was doing behind the unique commands he was being given. Like Hosea’s adulterous wife, Israel had turned from their love of the Lord. The result for Israel would be no political support or stability, no spiritual life with God, and no direction from the Lord. Their choice to break their covenant with the Lord would find them in a dark place, but when Israel would return to the Lord, like Hosea’s wife would return to him, then Israel would find the goodness and life they were truly seeking. For us the picture we must see is that the path towards sin leads not to our good. It’s leads to instability in all areas of life and a blindness to the directions of the Lord. When though we walk on the path of seeking the Lord, we’ll find the life and goodness that the people of Israel found when they turned to the Lord. The lie of the world is that it offers you all you need, and the truth of the Lord is He offers you all you need. Both are offering the same and you must choose which path you will go to find such blessing. Allow these sort of passages to reveal the deception of the enemy’s words to you and reveal the truth of God’s word to you. Life, fulfillment, joy, rest, grace, and salvation can only be found on the path of following Jesus. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2942
- And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins. (v.1) God’s love and plan of redemption is truly displayed everywhere in scripture. God is commanding Hosea His prophet to seek once again his wife that has gone astray. She has walked herself into a life of sin and shame, giving herself away in all manners. God though didn’t command Hosea to stand in judgement, but to seek out and rescue his wayward wife. This is exactly what God did for us with Jesus. We were that wayward wife. Lost and broken; caught in a world of sin that had entangled us and enslaved us. Even if we wanted out, we couldn’t. God though didn’t sit there in judgement over us, but had compassion and sent His Son to rescue us. He was offering to us a new life and a new relationship that was totally different than the one sin was giving us. He still is offering that to us. Most likely if you’re reading this, you know Christ already. Then my message to you is you aren’t lost anymore. You don’t have to carry the title of wayward, adulteress, or sinful anymore. Your title is wife. Meaning you’ve been bought, rescued, and taken back into the loving arms of your husband. You’re safe again and loved again. When we realize that, truly taking to heart what that means for us, why would we ever want to stray away from that again? – Daily DEVO 26
- And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” Hosea 3:3 – I have as a note in my Bible next to this passage, “No longer is your title wayward, adulterous, or sinful; your title is wife.” What we see in this passage tucked away in the Old Testament is the Gospel. That God wants to take you back, strip off all the bad titles the world and you have given yourself, and remind you that you are His and you are loved. Remember the Gospel isn’t about God condemning you with titles like failure, sinner, or disposable, it is God reclaiming you as His child, His own, His love. Be sure to share this Gospel. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 553
- So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. Hosea 3:2 – Fifteen shekels of silver was half the price of common slave from what we see in Exodus 21:32. Barley was used in the offering of one accused of adultery yet this little amount was not even half of what a slave would get for a food allowance a month. All this was to point out the worthless state Gomer had gotten her into. Her redemption price was less than a slave. Yet for us, what was our redemption price? The Son of God died on a cross and rose again for us. If we are taking our worth from the cost it took for God to redeem us, then we are worth everything to God. Some silver couldn’t buy us back, no barley could cover our adulterous actions, yet the blood of Jesus could do it all. So yes you’ve been bought back and the price God paid was His own Son. You are so valued by Him and so love by Him. Seek to dwell on that truth today. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1671
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