September 18, 2008
Spiritual Adultery
For
she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my
water, my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.’
“Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her
in, so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not
overtake them; yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will
say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better
for me than now.’ For she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and
oil, and multiplied her silver and gold—Hosea 2:5-8
The
Israelites were constantly straying from the Lord. They would get so entangled
in the cultures around them that they would intermarry with them and begin
dabbling with their pagan practices. Before long, they were walking in outright
rebellion to the instructions of the Lord.
Hosea
was told to marry a harlot, Gomar, as a prophetic picture of the spiritual
adultery Israel and Judah were committing against the Lord. The Lord’s message
spoke of how the people chased other lovers when they went looking for any other
source than the Lord. His solution was to take away all provision and prevent
the people from finding a solution anywhere else other than in Him. Then they
would return to Him.
Do
you ever find that when you are struggling for provision whether it be
financial, emotional, peace, health, etc. that your last resort is to cry out to
the Lord? Often times, we run to get an extra job, a loan, run to the health
food store, the doctor, or a friend for advice before we run straight to the
Lord. Why do we first try to fill our lack through worldly ways?
We
forget that we are foreigners and aliens in this world (1 Peter 2:11). Our
citizenship is in heaven, therefore, we are subject to our King. Jehovah Jireh
is our provider! We need to recognize that He is the giver of all good things,
and He already knows what we have need of before we ask. We must run to Him
first, and let Him show us how He plans to provide our needs.
Although
God prefers mercy and forgiveness, He will strip us of anything that draws us to
another lover. He is a jealous God. We must not be seduced by the world around
us. A little enticement leads to rebellion. We must be separate from the world.
We must be faithful to our God and know that it is He alone that provides for
us.
How
can He move supernaturally if we constantly run to other lovers to meet our
needs. Seek Him first. Wait expectantly for Him to move.
As
your husband, He desires to take care of you. Don’t be guilty of adultery!
Janet
Fairbrother