Throughout the Old Testament one of the primary analogies/images of God’s relationship with His people is that of marriage.   In fact, the Jewish interpretation of the Sinai covenant is that of a betrothal ceremony- an interpretation that is found throughout the Old Testament (Jer. 2:2, 3:8-14, 31:32, Ez. 16:8).  Israel’s idolatry- their worship of other gods is most often referred to as “adultery”.  God says He will rejoice over His people as a groom rejoices over His bride. The Song of Songs is an entire book committed to the intimate marriage of God and His people.

In the Book of Hosea, God uses the prophet’s real life experiences and circumstances (namely his marriage) to “preach” His message to the people of Israel.  The terrible truth about Israel’s religious promiscuity and coming destruction is being played out in Hosea’s life for all to see.

Lessons from the life of Hosea

1.  Our relationship with God is like a marriage. This is a powerful and guiding thought for us all- singles, young people, and married adults- you will never find one like Jesus.

2.  God uses our struggles to display His power through us. If we truly live to bring glory to God, it changes everything.  Regardless of what life brings our way, God can be glorified if we remain faithful to Him.

3.  God uses our challenges in relationships to reveal His love to others. Jesus calls us to love our enemies- (anyone can love their friends).  If you’re in a difficult relationship, even now, God wants you to show others a real life parable of His stubborn, redeeming love.

4.  God calls us to love the unlovely- even those who have hurt us. God hates sin; it grieves His heart; He cannot condone it; His perfect righteousness and justice demand that He deal with it.  But He still loves the sinner and diligently seeks us out and offers us His loving forgiveness.  We need to love like that.  We need to forgive like that.  We need to drag the festering hurts we have been harboring in our hearts to the cross of Christ- where we laid our own burden of guilt one day and where we found God’s loving forgiveness- and we must leave them all there.  When we fully forgive, our minds are released from the bondage of resentment that has been building a wall between us, and we are free to grow in our relationships with each other.

5.  Our disobedience to God brings judgment and severe consequences. Clearly, the majority of the book of Hosea is about the coming judgment of God upon Israel.  Like He does with us, He gives them evidence of their unfaithfulness, He warns them of coming destruction, offers an opportunity for repentance, then He holds true to His word.

6.  God calls us into a covenant relationship with Him. It all starts as we realize how much God has done for us in Christ. Renew your covenant marriage to God.  If you have never entered into that eternal covenant (made possible only through the Cross of Christ), say, “I DO” right now.

Jonah is yacked up on the beach!

The story of Jonah reminds us that we do not set the agenda for God’s call our own lives.  You and I must get to the point where we answer God’s call on our lives with no strings attached.   Jonah shows us that delayed obedience can come with a huge price tag.  He said “no” to God then was caught in a storm, brought to a suicidal state, thrown into the sea, swallowed whole by a giant fish, and vomited up on the beach.  Just ask Jonah: When God speaks we need to respond immediately.

What are you currently going through that could be the result of delayed obedience?  Let Jonah remind us that God’s plans supersede our own plans and desires. When we chose not to obey, it doesn’t mean that God will not accomplish His purposes.  It does mean, however, that we don’t experience the joy of being used by Him.  In the end, (even though God used Jonah) it was Jonah who missed out.  There is a high price for delayed obedience!

One of the best known, engaging, and profound books in the Bible is the Book of Jonah. I’ve been living with Jonah for a couple of weeks and I’m stunned by the depth of this great story.  Most of us know of “Jonah and the whale” (great fish) but have you really considered the deep truths of the story.  Consider a few:

Lessons from the life of Jonah

1. I am called by God to bring His truth to the world- to be a witness for Him.  (1:1-2) Like Jonah, you and I have been called to be evangelists- we are all called to proclaim the great love and mercy of our great God.

2. I do not set the agenda for God’s call on my life. (1:3) You must answer God’s call on your life with no strings attached.

3. Delayed obedience can come with a huge price tag. (1:4-17) When God speaks we need to respond immediately.

4. The storms of my life will make you or break you. (2:1-10) It’s not whether or not you will go through a storm; it’s a matter of when. You’re either coming out of one, in one, or heading into one.  In the storm you will choose God’s salvation of not.

5. God’s plan for me supersedes my own plans and desires.  (3:1-10) As a Christ follower my only role is to trust and obey. Jonah wanted to decide for himself where to go and what to do.  He wanted to put discriminatory limits on God’s grace.  But unlike Jonah, God’s love is not bound my limits.

6. I may need to repent of my reasons for right-doing. (4:1-4) This is an amazing and troubling thing about this story: Disobedient Jonah was no better than obedient Jonah (in fact, he may have been worse).  He did what God wanted him to do but he loathed the people God sent him to and he loathed God throughout.  He is never positive about God, about the people, about his role… never!  He proclaimed the destruction of Nineveh and when it didn’t happen he is angry with God.  Imagine: he’s angry because God is so compassionate.  Jonah wanted God to prove that he was right.  He was using God to confirm that he was right, he wanted God to confirm his ministry, his existence- he wanted to use God for his own means.  Why do you do what you do?  What motivates you to do what you do as a Christian… really? Is it purely out of your love for God or do you have other motives?

Heart check: Am I truly grateful for all Christ has done for me? (4:5-11) At the heart of Jonah’s problem was his ingratitude.  Nothing satisfied him.  Ungrateful people are never positive people.  There is no such thing as a joyful, ungrateful person.  Jonah demanded mercy from God for himself but didn’t want the same for his enemies. Like us, while Jonah is consistently inconsistent, God is consistent throughout!  Don’t run.  Join God in what He’s up to in your life today!

Our God is a God of justice. We often speak of His righteousness, but “righteousness” and “justice” are actually interchangeable words. Matthew 6:33 could be rendered, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added to you as well.” Obviously, justice is a big deal to God. At it’s core, doing justice means doing the right thing. In so many ways we have missed the mark. Listen to the His words in Amos (an entire book on justice):

“I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice- oceans of it. I want fairness- rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.” Amos 5:21-24 (The Message)

Are you just doing church or do you practice justice? Do you simply offer commentary on the plight of the poor, the oppressed, the under-resourced, or are you actually doing something about it? If so, then you are a kingdom person; if not, read those words above again- and again- until you’re moved to action. Let justice roll in your life.

Our God is a God of mercy.  In its simplest form, mercy is an act of love to someone who does not deserve it.  At its root it means that there is some punishment or wage to be paid but it has been pardoned or paid for.  If we are to be kingdom people, we must learn to be merciful toward others.

“But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5

The problem is that we are too just.  We like justice too much.  We think, “I can’t offer mercy to them, they don’t deserve it” (They should get what they deserve).  But James tells us (2:13) that mercy triumphs over judgment (in fact, the NIV adds an exclamation point)!  Judgment, like justice is when we get what we deserve.  Mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve (judgment/punishment).  And grace is when we get what we don’t deserve.  So, mercy trumps judgment but grace trumps even mercy!  Wow.  Who are you prone to judge?  To whom do you need to show mercy?  Do it today.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7