Read: Hosea 1:1-3
“Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the LORD.” (v. 2 NIV)
The four most frustrating words I heard as a teenager were, “Because I said so.” From my perspective, some commands my parents gave me made no sense. Yet because I trusted them, I obeyed.
Our passage today introduces the book of Hosea with a command from God that also seems to make no sense. God told Hosea, God’s faithful servant, to marry an adulterous woman. The Israelites had violated their sacred covenant with God by worshiping other gods. By instructing Hosea to marry a promiscuous woman, God was placing Hosea in a position to experience first-hand the suffering a husband endures when his beloved wife is unfaithful. While probably not what Hosea would have chosen, his personal suffering gave him a deeper appreciation for the heartbreak God experienced through Israel’s betrayal. Hosea’s obedience to God, even when it didn’t make sense, allowed Hosea to vividly convey God’s intimate feelings toward us and offers us a peek into the pain we cause God when our hearts wander from him.
Has God asked you to do something that doesn’t seem to make sense? Do you trust him enough to obey anyway? Perhaps the reason God is asking isn’t for your benefit, but to reveal himself to others. —Kelly Slaybaugh
As you pray, ask our loving God to help you trust and obey him so you may be an instrument for his glory.
About the Author
Kelly Slaybaugh lives in Wake Forest, North Carolina, is a student at Asbury Theological Seminary, and an “empty nester.” She loves connecting with God through nature and outdoor activities.
