Reckless Love: God's Pursuit and Restoration in Hosea

And centuries later, another bridegroom would come. And while we were unfaithful, while we ran, while we sinned, Jesus stepped into our slave market. But instead of silver and barley, he paid with his own blood. In first Peter chapter one, you were not redeemed with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. Hosea paid with silver. Jesus paid with himself. This is a love that restores. [00:59:18] (45 seconds)  #LoveThatRestores

And there should be a limit. There should be a thing where he says, no, that that I'm done with you. You're it. I'm over this. I'm done and he says, no, I'm still going to be chasing after you. God's love isn't reckless because it's careless. It's reckless because it's relentless. It doesn't make sense to us. Why? Why would you pursue people that reject you? Why would you pay for people who have betrayed you? Why would you restore someone who broke covenant? And it's a basic part of the story. It's fundamental because his love is not based on our worthiness. It's based on his character and god is described more than anything as two things, holy and loving. They're one that they go together. Holy and loving. [01:04:04] (88 seconds)  #RelentlessNotReckless

You've been worshiping other gods. You've been chasing other lovers. You've been trying to fill the void. You've been trying to dull the pain and numb the stress and deal with the situation and use anybody else other than god and you've walked away from it. But god is not done with you yet. The same god who told Hosea to go and bring her back is the same god that wants to bring you back today. You don't have to clean yourself up, and you definitely can't earn it. You don't have to deserve it because you won't anyway. You just have to respond to the call to come back home. Because his love may look reckless, but it is relentless, and it is reaching out even now. [01:12:21] (47 seconds)  #ComeBackHome

And then comes the moment that just absolutely wrecks me in this story. Because when you read this whole book, it's not a very long book. Gomer ends up enslaved and broken. She's been used. She's She's been discarded. And god tells Hosea to go again and go get love that woman that's been loved by somebody else. Hosea goes to the slave market and buys back his own wife. And it's not even for a lot of money. Don't miss this. He pays for something that's already his. He pays the price for something that should have already been his. But because it wandered away, there had to be a price to pay to get her back. That's reckless. That's not logical. That's not fair. [00:57:59] (79 seconds)  #BoughtBackByLove

God doesn't just forgive. He restores it back. What about in Joel chapter two twenty five? I will restore the years that the locusts have eaten from you. He doesn't just buy Gomer back to shame her. He restores her. Hosea chapter three verse three, you are to live with me many days. In other words, I'm not just interested in freeing you. That's the first step. I want to rebuild you. I want you to understand today the heart of god. He doesn't save you to embarrass you. He saves you to restore you. You're not just rescued from sin, you're restored to a relationship with him. [01:01:31] (57 seconds)  #RestoredNotShamed

Gomer chose other lovers. Just as many times, we will replace god with other things. We will replace god with other things and brokenness is the result of this misplaced love. We will replace god with many things and we don't realize it until it gets to the point where brokenness is starting to be the result of it. All nothing reveals itself as an idol until it's on the throne. Nothing reveals itself as your new god until you've completely knelt and bowed before it. [00:48:58] (45 seconds)  #GuardAgainstIdols

God chose Hosea to love Gomer before she was faithful. That's important. She wasn't the housewife yet And god chose Hosea to pursue her and love her before she was faithful. In the same way, god has chosen you and I before we were faithful to him. Romans five eight, while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us. And this love story includes a broken heart Hosea two verse five, for their mother has played the whore. [00:48:07] (38 seconds)  #ChosenBeforeFaith

Now, it doesn't mean you can't go on vacation or whatever. Like, no, there's not a roll call, okay? But the reality is serious. Like, we will allow things as our pursuit of success will get in the way of learning and growing and being a part of it and we are chasing a lover that will never love us back. Let me tell you about your job. It's amazing and it will replace you two weeks after you're gone. Two weeks after you're, before you're completely gone, the ad is already on Indeed. [00:51:43] (36 seconds)  #JobsDontReplaceGod