Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 5,451
Forward: There exists a difference of opinion and beliefs among the Bible commentators of old as to whether or not this is to be taken literally or figuratively. I don’t think we can resolve that issue. So the best we can do is to learn from it the lesson that God has for us to learn which does NOT give all Christians permission to marry someone of ill repute, i.e. a prostitute.
Hosea 1:2-9 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
2When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
3So Hosea went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6Gomer again conceived and gave birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive them. 7Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
8After she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, Gomer conceived and gave birth to a son. 9And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.”
My Understanding
Hosea was a servant of the Lord. God did something with him that might seem a bit strange and unusual in our world today, yet something that was not all that unusual for God with His prophets of old. He often had His prophets act out prophecies, or for the prophets themselves, and their family members, to represent or to symbolize the messages God wanted to give to His people.
For instance, Isaiah said that he and his children were “signs and symbols” in Israel from the LORD Almighty (see Isaiah 8). And, here, in Hosea, we have a picture of God asking Hosea to marry an adulterous woman and to bear children of unfaithfulness, because they, as well, were to be signs and symbols in Israel concerning Israel’s spiritual condition, and with regard to Israel’s relationship with God.
I believe, as well, that what God asked Hosea to do allowed Hosea to feel some of what God felt concerning the children of Israel and their relationship with Him, which helped Hosea to write in such a way to where he could actually feel, from personal experience, what he was writing about.
The Lord has often done this with me through dreams and visions, which serve as allegories - illustrative and symbolic works in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things, and expressing deeper spiritual truths. When the Lord does that, He gives me insight, from His perspective, into situations that I might not, in the natural, have any indication about or might not understand the deep spiritual truths the Lord has for me to see in the circumstances of my life and in my world.
So, sometimes God allows us to walk in His shoes a little so we know what He sees, thinks, and feels, as though we are experiencing it ourselves. It helps us then to know God’s heart, and to be more passionate and compassionate in ministry, I believe. And that is what He did with Hosea.
The Situation of The Time
The people of Israel were guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord. So, God planned to judge the house of Jehu for the massacre of Jezreel, and said He was going to put an end to the kingdom of Israel. He said He would no longer show love to the house of Israel, nor would He offer them forgiveness.
Yet, He would show love to the house of Judah and He would save them by the Lord their God, not by weapons of warfare. He said that Israel was no longer His people, and that He was not their God. Yet, there was hope. One day the Israelites would be like the sand on the seashore. In place of where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” they would be called “sons of the living God.”
What this reminds me of is how the physical nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, so they, as a nation, ceased to be the children of God. Scripture teaches us that unbelieving Jews are now the same as Gentiles, i.e. they are considered to be descended from Ishmael, not from Isaac, whereas those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are those who are the children of promise, and thus they are true Israel.
The physical city of Jerusalem is now synonymous with Hagar, because she is still in slavery with her children, whereas the spiritual city of Jerusalem, from above, is the mother of true followers of Jesus Christ. All unbelieving Jews and Gentiles are children of the slave woman, whereas all believers in Jesus Christ are the children of the free woman (see Galatians 4:21-31).
Israel Today: [Matthew 21:43; John 8:18-19,38-47; John 10:16; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9; see also Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19]
In Summation
Sometimes God allows us who are of faith in Jesus Christ to go through difficult circumstances so that we can feel what God feels, and so it will deepen our relationships with the Lord, so we will draw closer to God, and so we will now follow Him wherever He leads us in doing whatever He has called us to do, even if it is somewhat different from what is generally regarded as “normal.” And if we end up being writers, it will give us greater passion regarding the things which we write about, too, by God’s grace.
Sometimes we have to experience things for ourselves before we really feel in our inner beings what God wants us to be passionate about enough to where we will speak the hard truths to the people, many of whom will not listen, because they will regard our words as “too hard.” So He will take us trough trials and tribulations to test our faith and to strengthen us in our faith and to make us more passionate and compassionate people who are not just speaking words, but who literally feel what we are speaking of.
And right now, in the year 2026, there are so many people professing faith in Jesus Christ who are living like the Israelites of Hosea’s day who God was chiding for their adulteries. So many are living immoral lives, in sexual immorality, in idolatry, in adultery, and in unfaithfulness to God and to their spouses (if they are married). And those who are deliberately and habitually sinning against God are not regarded of God as those who belong to Him. So they will not be saved, and they will not inherit eternal life with God.
The only path to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God is through biblical faith in Jesus Christ which requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord in surrender to Him as Lord (Master) of their lives.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Do You Feel What God Feels?
An Original Work / August 25, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
[A Prayer of Devotion to God Alone]
Hosea 1:2-9 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
2When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He told him, “Go, take a prostitute as your wife and have children of adultery, because this land is flagrantly prostituting itself by departing from the LORD.”
3So Hosea went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
4Then the LORD said to Hosea, “Name him Jezreel, for soon I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
6Gomer again conceived and gave birth to a daughter, and the LORD said to Hosea, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I should ever forgive them. 7Yet I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will save them—not by bow or sword or war, not by horses and cavalry, but by the LORD their God.”
8After she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, Gomer conceived and gave birth to a son. 9And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your God.”
My Understanding
Hosea was a servant of the Lord. God did something with him that might seem a bit strange and unusual in our world today, yet something that was not all that unusual for God with His prophets of old. He often had His prophets act out prophecies, or for the prophets themselves, and their family members, to represent or to symbolize the messages God wanted to give to His people.
For instance, Isaiah said that he and his children were “signs and symbols” in Israel from the LORD Almighty (see Isaiah 8). And, here, in Hosea, we have a picture of God asking Hosea to marry an adulterous woman and to bear children of unfaithfulness, because they, as well, were to be signs and symbols in Israel concerning Israel’s spiritual condition, and with regard to Israel’s relationship with God.
I believe, as well, that what God asked Hosea to do allowed Hosea to feel some of what God felt concerning the children of Israel and their relationship with Him, which helped Hosea to write in such a way to where he could actually feel, from personal experience, what he was writing about.
The Lord has often done this with me through dreams and visions, which serve as allegories - illustrative and symbolic works in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things, and expressing deeper spiritual truths. When the Lord does that, He gives me insight, from His perspective, into situations that I might not, in the natural, have any indication about or might not understand the deep spiritual truths the Lord has for me to see in the circumstances of my life and in my world.
So, sometimes God allows us to walk in His shoes a little so we know what He sees, thinks, and feels, as though we are experiencing it ourselves. It helps us then to know God’s heart, and to be more passionate and compassionate in ministry, I believe. And that is what He did with Hosea.
The Situation of The Time
The people of Israel were guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord. So, God planned to judge the house of Jehu for the massacre of Jezreel, and said He was going to put an end to the kingdom of Israel. He said He would no longer show love to the house of Israel, nor would He offer them forgiveness.
Yet, He would show love to the house of Judah and He would save them by the Lord their God, not by weapons of warfare. He said that Israel was no longer His people, and that He was not their God. Yet, there was hope. One day the Israelites would be like the sand on the seashore. In place of where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” they would be called “sons of the living God.”
What this reminds me of is how the physical nation of Israel rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, so they, as a nation, ceased to be the children of God. Scripture teaches us that unbelieving Jews are now the same as Gentiles, i.e. they are considered to be descended from Ishmael, not from Isaac, whereas those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are those who are the children of promise, and thus they are true Israel.
The physical city of Jerusalem is now synonymous with Hagar, because she is still in slavery with her children, whereas the spiritual city of Jerusalem, from above, is the mother of true followers of Jesus Christ. All unbelieving Jews and Gentiles are children of the slave woman, whereas all believers in Jesus Christ are the children of the free woman (see Galatians 4:21-31).
Israel Today: [Matthew 21:43; John 8:18-19,38-47; John 10:16; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 9:4-8,25-28; Romans 11:1-36; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 3:16,26-29; Galatians 4:22-31; Ephesians 2:11-22; Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 3:12-15; Titus 2:14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-16; Hebrews 8:6-13; 1 Peter 2:9-10,24; 1 John 2:22; Jude 1:5; Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9; see also Genesis 17:7-9; Genesis 18:19]
In Summation
Sometimes God allows us who are of faith in Jesus Christ to go through difficult circumstances so that we can feel what God feels, and so it will deepen our relationships with the Lord, so we will draw closer to God, and so we will now follow Him wherever He leads us in doing whatever He has called us to do, even if it is somewhat different from what is generally regarded as “normal.” And if we end up being writers, it will give us greater passion regarding the things which we write about, too, by God’s grace.
Sometimes we have to experience things for ourselves before we really feel in our inner beings what God wants us to be passionate about enough to where we will speak the hard truths to the people, many of whom will not listen, because they will regard our words as “too hard.” So He will take us trough trials and tribulations to test our faith and to strengthen us in our faith and to make us more passionate and compassionate people who are not just speaking words, but who literally feel what we are speaking of.
And right now, in the year 2026, there are so many people professing faith in Jesus Christ who are living like the Israelites of Hosea’s day who God was chiding for their adulteries. So many are living immoral lives, in sexual immorality, in idolatry, in adultery, and in unfaithfulness to God and to their spouses (if they are married). And those who are deliberately and habitually sinning against God are not regarded of God as those who belong to Him. So they will not be saved, and they will not inherit eternal life with God.
The only path to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God is through biblical faith in Jesus Christ which requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord in surrender to Him as Lord (Master) of their lives.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]
Do You Feel What God Feels?
An Original Work / August 25, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
[A Prayer of Devotion to God Alone]
