God's Tough Love: If God Really Loves Me ...

Hosea 1:2-11; 3:1-5
Related Sunday School Lesson, Family Bible Series, Feb. 6

When individuals are asked to describe God, often they describe a "Santa Claus" type of figure or a grandfatherly individual. Usually these descriptions highlight the qualities of God's kindness and gentleness, which surely do exist. But while God is kind and gentle, He is also much more. His personality and character go far deeper than these qualities alone.

Too often we describe God as we would like for Him to be, and we do not allow the Bible to fully define for us who God really is. The Bible clearly identifies God as loving. And we generally think of this love as soft and cuddly, like a teddy bear. Yet the Bible also portrays God's love as powerful and dynamic. His love is often evidenced by strength and toughness.

As we study the book of Hosea over these next few weeks, we will especially see God's tough love. Although Hosea offers passages which are difficult to interpret, we must not let these challenges sidetrack us from the obviously clear message of God's tough love.

Love's Discipline (Hosea 1:2-9)

"On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:5 NAS).

God's tough love is first seen as He disciplines His people. Hosea's wife, Gomer, represents the unfaithfulness of Israel to God. Just as Gomer committed adultery against her husband, Israel was committing spiritual adultery against God.

Using the names of his children, Hosea pronounces judgment upon the nation of Israel. The names of the three children communicate the strong correction of God: Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-ruhamah (not loved), and Lo-ammi (not my people).

Just as God disciplined the nation of Israel, He disciplines His children today. When we stray from walking with Him, He works to get our attention and to bring us back to Himself. At times God's discipline may seem severe, but in reality it stems from His deep love for us (Hebrews 12:6). God's discipline is as gentle as it can be, but as harsh as it needs to be.

Think About It ... What would be more loving: For a parent to allow a child to continue in behavior the parent knows to be dangerous, or to discipline that child as necessary in order to teach and protect the child?

Love's Promise, (Hosea 1:10-11)

"Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered . . . You are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10 NAS).

Even in the midst of announcing God's discipline, the promise of Israel's future was declared. The discipline would only be temporary, and then the promise of God's blessings would be realized. These blessings included the multiplying of Israel's population and the reuniting of Israel's divided kingdoms.

It goes without saying that discipline is never enjoyable. In fact, often we doubt God's love for us when He corrects us. Besides the assurance in Hebrews 12 that He disciplines us because He loves us, we must also realize that God's love is not based upon our "feeling loved." Instead it is based upon God's unwavering character and His never-ending promises: He will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Great is His faithfulness (Lamentations 3:23)! He has loved us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

Think About It ... In your relationship with God, would you describe yourself as having responded faithfully to His love for you? Or, like Gomer, are you still chasing after things with greater passion and desire than your love for Him?

Love's Redemption, (Hosea 3:1-5)

"Then the Lord said to me, 'Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods'" (Hosea 3:1).

God directs Hosea to faithfully love his wife even when she is not deserving of his love. In so doing, Hosea illustrated God's love for His undeserving people, Israel.

Redemption is beautifully portrayed by Hosea's anomalous marriage. We stand aghast at a woman so openly unfaithful to a man so fully committed to loving her. Yet we see in Gomer a picture of Israel and, indeed, of ourselves.

Mankind has never been deserving of God's love. But God does not love us because we are good: God loves us while we are still sinners, and He demonstrates that love through Christ dying for our sins (Romans 5:8). Jesus Christ redeemed us by paying the penalty for our sins. And by receiving the gift of eternal life through Christ's work on the cross, we truly realize love's redemption.

Think About It ... Can you recall the moment when you accepted Jesus' death as the payment for your sins? If so, would you rate your love and zeal for Him now as great or greater than it was then?

Biblical Truth: Because God loves His people, He responds to their unfaithfulness with disciplinary actions.