Hosea Chapter 1. Faithful as a Prostitute.
God wants to portray to Israel how God perceives his relationship with them. So he tells the prophet, Hosea, to marry a prostitute as a way of showing Israel that they were unfaithful to him.
Hosea had three children with his adulterous wife. Each child's name was a picture of God's relationship with Israel.
1) 1st Son's name was Jezreel because that's where Israel's destruction would occur – in the valley of Jezreel.
2) Daughter's name was Lo-Ruhamah which means “not loved” because God would no longer show love to them because they rejected him as God.
3) 2nd Son was named Lo-Ammi which means “not my people” because Israel rejected God so God did not call them his people.
What picture would God portray in describing my relationship with him?
Am I faithful or faithless? This chapter made me think of Hebrews 11 which is the faith chapter where God talks about the many men and women who were of faith. It's like they were the Hall of Famers of Faith. It's easy to say “I'm faithful” because I still believe in God but am I “Faith Full…Full of Faith?” Am I a man of faith during the tough times. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God….”
So when life gets tough or my future is unknown or I'm having to make a decision for my life, am I FAITHFUL – FAITH FULL – am I Full of Faith, or am I Full of Doubt? Full of Anxiety for the unknown? Do I lack trust for God's intervention at the right time?
God, help me be Faithful / Full Of Faith in all circumstances that lie before me.