A series on the book of Hosea
(Click on the link below to read the
verses.)
Hosea 1:1-3
[The story
about Hosea is a story about the relentless love of God. Hosea was a prophet who
spoke out against the idolatry of the Israelites as they pursued the pagan gods
of Baal and Asherah. His life became an allegory about the unfaithfulness of
Israel and the relentless love of God.]
As a sophomore in high school, I made the Junior Varsity basketball team.
I can still remember one of the drills that we used to practice every day. It
was called the “three man weave”.
This is where you and two of your teammates, run the length of the court first
by passing the ball to one of them. Then you run behind him. It goes back and
forth like that until you reach the other basket and shoot a layup.
The purpose of the drill was to prepare us to run a fast break during a
game. However, we never used the three man weave in an actual game. But, even
though it didn’t seem to serve any purpose, we practiced it every day. We did
it not just because the coach said to, but because we trusted that he knew what
he was doing.
Sometimes obeying God is like that. We really don’t understand the reason
for what is happening. It doesn’t make sense. Life feels like it’s spinning out
of control. I can imagine that’s how Hosea felt to the nth degree.
In today’s verses, we learn that “the
word of the Lord came to Hosea”. This gave him the authority to preach.
Then there’s a “time stamp” given through the list of kings that ruled during
Hosea’s ministry. Finally, a person’s ancestry was very important in the
ancient world. Therefore, we’re also told who his father was.
But then, Hosea received a very bizarre calling from the Lord.
2 When the Lord first began speaking to
Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that
some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate
how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against
the Lord and worshiping other gods.” NLT
Wow! Can you imagine the shock that Hosea might have felt? His calling wasn’t that of a high-profile prophet who would share the word of the Lord with a Jewish king. Instead, he was to marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her.
Plus, as a single, young man, marrying a prostitute to start your family
with, wouldn’t have been his lifelong dream. This was an awful calling that
would lead to a lifetime of pain and heartache.
Questions must have flooded Hosea’s mind. “Why God? Will she be a temple
prostitute? Will our children even be mine?” You also wonder if Hosea felt
completely overwhelmed with doubt about God; anger towards him; and confusion
about the purpose of his life.
Whatever the case may be… he obeyed.
3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and
she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son. NLT
You may not have received a bizarre calling in your life from the Lord.
But sometimes, like Hosea, life doesn’t go the way we plan or expect. And when
that happens, we just need to keep running the three man weave, and trust that
the Lord knows what He’s doing.
Copyright
www.lifelinebasketball.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment