“I will make you my wife forever,
showing you righteousness and justice,
unfailing love and compassion.
I will be faithful to you and make you mine,
And you will finally know Me as LORD.”
Hosea 2:19,20
NLT
The Meaning of the Name:
All through out Scripture, God uses the marriage metaphor to give us the sense of the relationship He wants with each of us.
In the book of Ruth, Boaz is a captivating picture of Jesus the Redeemer, coming to rescue us and sweep us away with His love.
In the Song of Solomon, we are invited to peer into the private moments of a couple in love. The poetry poured onto those pages cannot help but point us to a relationship with God that is far more intimate than anything we have ever before experienced.
Then Hosea is ordered by God to marry an unfaithful, unworthy woman—just so He can demonstrate in tangible story how much He longs for us regardless of our filthy history.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul uses the same symbolism to capture God’s heart for the Church. He speaks of nourishing and cherishing us, of washing us, of presenting us as lovely brides to the One who waits to draw us close.
Do you know Him in that way?
Can you shed your stiff image of a God waiting to pounce on you at the slightest provocation? Do you understand how deep His love runs for you? That He is crazy for you?
He is the only One who is always faithful.
He is the only One who will never leave you or disappoint you.
He is really the only One who loves you just the way you are.
After all, He is… your Husband.
Ephesian 5:25-27
Isaiah 54:5-8
Hosea
Isaiah 62:4,5