She Did Not Know

It is both amazing and consistent how God his relationship to his people as a husband to his wife. Throughout Hosea 2, you can hear the pain and agony in God's voice as he talks about how Israel has gone following after other nations and their gods in search of fulfillment. Sometimes I tend to think of God as all powerful and perfect, without blemish. Sorrow causes pain and scarring that doesn't go away easily. When I read this text, I see God waiting, longingly for his bride to come back, all the while having his stomach tied up in knots–-she doe not realize what her life is doing to his. We also see this attitude in the Father of the prodigal son in Luke 15 and in numerous other places where marriage is related to the relationship of Christ and the Church. i am also reminded of a passage from The Singer, by Calvin Miller, when the little girl whose legs have been healed puts her hands into the mangled hand of the Singer. She asks if it hurts, to which the Singer replies not anymore, but the scars never fade. The end of the chapter in Hosea, shows us God's great love in that he wants to take us back if we will only come home--his love is stronger than our rebellion; however, the scars remain. She did not know it was I who gave…