Hosea

Have you ever read the book of Hosea?  I have, and I confess that I didn't like it; however, last night, I may have changed my mind.

Our Bible study is using a curriculum by Rick Slaughter, called "A Different Kind of Christmas." The chapter we discussed last night is called Scandalous Love, and it was centered around parts of Hosea 2.

If you haven't read it, or if you don't remember it, Hosea was a prophet, and God told him to marry Gomer, who was a prostitute.  In effect, he married someone who he knew would be unfaithful, who more than likely didn't love him, and whose children might be his - or might be someone else's. Imagine that.

And yet, that is what God does for us.  He loves us, even when he knows we might not love him.  He knows we will be unfaithful, and yet he is a faithful God.  God enters the covenant with us knowing we will fail to hold up our end of the covenant.... that we will be unfaithful.  That we will worship other gods.  Imagine that.

Slaughter called it the "de-sanitized version of the Christmas story."  It might be the most profound Christmas story I'll hear all December.