I found myself growing profoundly sad reading this chapter. Israel, it seems, at every turn forsakes the Lord and runs after any god available. Verse 6 was the depth of sadness: Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the LORD and no longer served him…
Marriage is one of the word-pictures God uses for the love relationship between God and His people. It is meant to be faithfully monogamous… God to His people; His people to God. And yet Israel seems to treat its marriage to the Lord like Tiger Woods treated his marriage to Elin. Israel like Tiger maintained no discretion. Look at the list, Baal & Ashtoreth, the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammonites, & the Philistines; if someone worship it Israel did too. Nothing was too low for Israel. Sure God got angry… who wouldn’t. I mean Israel didn’t have one indiscretion and then come to her senses. Israel was a serial-adulterer.
And yet here is what blew me away; God never gave up on Israel. God continued to save Israel and to love Israel with an undying, amazing, unconditional love! Wow… that is the God we serve.
I sat for a while mesmerized by God’s incredible love for Israel and for me!
Father God, thank You for Your vast, incredible and amazing love… even when I turn my back on You, You never forget or forsake me… thank You, bless You… amen.
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