I was reading the book of Hosea this morning and was thinking about how harsh God speaks to His people in that book. It’s one of the harsher books in the Bible where God is justly angry with Israel. They have committed adultery against their husband. Not only have they committed adultery, they have perpetually committed adultery. God even tells Hosea to take a whore as his wife, even though she will be unfaithful, so as to illustrate Israel’s unfaithfulness. But what sticks out to me more than God’s harsh words is God’s continual love and forgiveness. The first thirteen chapters of the book recount how Israel has continued to play the whore and rebel against God. But at the end of the book in chapter fourteen, after centuries of Israel committing adultery, God is still pleading with His bride to return to Him. If they do so, God says he will heal their apostasy, love them freely, and turn His anger from them. What kind of God could forgive centuries of adultery? Our God. What kind of God could forgive my perpetual adultery and your perpetual adultery? Our God
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