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Truly Devoted
Read Hosea 1:1–3:5
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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.”
3. So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.
4. And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence.
5. I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.” Hosea 1:2-5
You can tell how devoted fans are to a team by the way they act when the team isn’t winning. You can also tell how devoted a dating couple is by how they act when they’re separated by distance. And you can tell how devoted a spouse is by how he or she acts when the partner develops a severe disability.
In this reading, Hosea pays a huge price to maintain his relationship with God. Some people may think this is too high a price to pay, but not Hosea. He is devoted to God, and he obeys God regardless of the cost. As you read Hosea’s story, consider whether you would be willing to go that far for God.
God often required extraordinary obedience from his prophets. For Hosea that meant marrying a woman who would be unfaithful to him (Hosea 1:2-3). But God had good reasons for commanding Hosea to do this. Through this marriage, God would illustrate the way Israel had been unfaithful to him despite the fact that he remained faithful to them.
Sometimes God’s commands make no sense to us at all, and the obligation to obey them seems really unattractive. But those who devote themselves to God, like Hosea, obey his teachings and commands without hesitation.
Always obey God, even if you don’t understand his purposes. He has given us his commands for our own good, and he will reward us with more than we deserve for obeying him. What has God told you to do that you have put off? Obey him in response to his love for you.
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