Hosea 3:1 (KJV) A Reason To Love

Hosea 3:1 (KJV)
Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

The passage is speaking ultimately of Israel and the setting, as I understand it, includes today. It refers to a time when the children of Israel[1] is without:

• King
• Prince
• Sacrifice or
• Fellowship with God

Though they seem so far away from God, still He loves Israel and is for Israel. One day, under God’s directing hand, they will return to Him. 

I see in this verse a secondary lesson; a reason for us all to love the unlovely, to reach out in kindness to the worse of us. I see a reason to be for the wicked, the sinner, the prisoner, and the one who has offended us. Because God loves them. 

I am not saying that we forget what they have done. Hosea didn’t with his wife. God doesn’t with Israel. There was a process of restoration and a time of proving. I am only saying that we ought: 

• Never to give up on them, 
• Never to quit praying for them, 
• Never to quit loving them, 

never stop being willing to restore them if they will but return to seek and fear the Lord. 

---

[1]To include both Israel, the Northern Kingdom and Judah, the Southern.

To my readers:
First of all, thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. Secondly, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and more than 4500 earlier Daily Visits with God visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books are available at:
My author spotlight at Lulu.com:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/marvinmckenzie

My author Page for Kindle/Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/author/marvinmckenzie

Hosea 3:1 (KJV) A Reason To Love

photos from pexels.com

Please consider helping our church’s teen department by signing up for cash back shopping at http://www.dubli.com/M04VB. This program has three levels of participation, the first being completely free.