Rescued from Spiritual Adultery
By Chad P. Wilson
June 11, 2010
Foundation Bank --
Rescued From Spiritual Adultery
By Chad P. Wilson
June 11, 2010
“As He says also in Hosea, ‘I will call them my people who were not my people, and her beloved who was not beloved.’” - Romans 9:25
Paul continues talking about his brethren, the people of Israel, in Chapter 9 of Romans. As Paul often does in this book, he quotes another part of Scripture to prove a point. In this particular instance he quotes a couple of verses from the book of Hosea. To refresh our minds, Hosea was a prophet in the Old Testament. He was called to marry a woman named Gomer. After they were married, she left Hosea for a life of whoredom, and even conceived children out of her prostitution (Hos 2:4). The name of one child is translated, “not my loved one,“ and the name of the other, “not my people.“ But Hosea was called to love Gomer, in spite of her unfaithfulness, by going to the brothel that was her haunt and buying her back as his bride again. In doing so, he took in these illegitimate children and thus changed their names to “my loved one”, and “my people.” This story of Hosea was a picture of the condition of Israel at the time. Just like Gomer, Israel had been unfaithful to her husband, the Lord God. She had played the harlot with other false gods, and was in need of rescue from a brothel of her own making. Israel, on the whole, remains in that place today. But a day is coming when God will once again restore a remnant of Israel so that they will be his people. We have not seen this yet in its total fulfillment, but “God is not slow in keeping His promises…” (2 Peter 3:9). This is Paul’s comfort, as his soul mourns Israel’s rejection of Jesus as their king.
What a beautiful picture of what God also does for those of us who are not part of the ethnic people Israel as well. We Gentiles share similarities with both Gomer and her children. Like her children, we are illegitimate heirs of sin. And like Gomer, we have pursued other wants, desires, comforts and pleasures other than that Highest Pleasure whom we ought to pursue. We have entertained “lovers” of all sorts when the perfect Bridegroom has been waiting to make us His. But thanks be to God, many of us who were “not beloved” have been called “beloved.” He has made us lovely, even though we were unlovable. “What wondrous love is this, Oh my soul?”
So here we Christians sit today, redeemed from a life of misery by that Love that will not let us go. We were formerly “not His people” (“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked….” - Eph 2:1). But He has rescued us and given us a new name! How now shall we live? What now shall we do? We should live remembering that we have been redeemed. We should not be attracted to things in this world that try to take His place. No person, thing, or idea should captivate us as Christ does. No activity or comfort should be as dear in our hearts as Jesus. He should be our highest longing and our greatest treasure. Does God’s purchase of your soul from the horrors of spiritual adultery move you to love Him with grateful vigor today?
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