Whether she was promiscuous or chaste before the marriage is of small consequence to the living-parable that Hosea & Gomer were to illustrate. God told Hosea that the woman he married was going to be unfaithful to him.
Ouch! How painful is that?
More painful than being told, "The child who is born to you shall die" (2 Sam. 12:14)?
Or, "Set your house in order, for you shall die" (2 Ki. 20:1)? Or "Son of man, behold, I am about to take the delight of your eyes away from you at a stroke; yet you shall not mourn or weep, nor shall your tears run down" (Eze. 24:16)?
We could multiply examples, but God has often given instruction and information that is difficult to accept, has a surface harshness, or an apparent incompatibility with his otherwise revealed will (e.g. Gen 22:2).
[i:889198b375](As an aside, I preached through Hosea as a fresh seminary grad--My advice to all but CHS2? Save long series' on prophetic literature for your seasoned ministry days. Advice I wish someone had given me.)[/i:889198b375]
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__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI
Made both Lord and Christ--Jesus, the Destroyer
Acts 2:36 - 1 Cor. 10:9-10 & 15:22-26 - Hebrews 2:9-15 - 1 John 3:8 - James 4:12
When posting friends, kindly bear those words of earthly wisdom in mind:
Oh, that God the gift would give us
To see ourselves as others see us.
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