March 6th & 10th
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
—Hebrews 13:4 NIV
God blessed them…
—Genesis 1:28 NIV
The LITERAL story. (Hosea and Gomer)
The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel:
—Hosea 1:1 NIV
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
—Hosea 1:2,3 NIV
I will not show my love to her children, because they are the children of adultery.
—Hosea 2:4 NIV
She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for Baal.
—Hosea 2:8 NIV
The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.
—Hosea 3:1-2 NIV
The LOVE story. (God and Israel)
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Homer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
—Hosea 1:2,3 NIV
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
—Hosea 4:6a NIV
The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
—Hosea 3:1 NIV
The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again…
—Hosea 3:1 NIV
Oh, how can I give you up; Israel? How can I let you go? My heart is torn within me!
—Hosea 11:8 NLT
The LIVING story. (Jesus and You)
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley.
—Hosea 3:2 NIV
The people of Israel are going to live a long time stripped of security and protection, without religion and comfort, godless and prayerless. But in time they’ll come back, these Israelites, come back looking for their God and their David-King. They’ll come back chastened to reverence before God and his good gifts, ready for the End of the story of his love.
—Hosea 3:4,5 MSG
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
—Matthew 9:12-13
BOMB DROP: Marriage exists for God more than it is exists for ME!
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Next Steps:
1. Today, I invite Jesus into my life for the first time.
2. I’m interested in being one of the 750 by taking a first look on the First Impressions team as a greeter or on the parking team.
3. My Spouse and I will make a statement with our marriage by bringing in a can(s) of vegetables or fruit for the Salvation Army.
4. I will give invite cards to 5 people inviting them to come the Easter gatherings.