THE ALLURING LOVE OF CHRIST (2 OF 5)
by Drew Hunter
Scripture: Hosea 2:1-23
This content is part of a series.
The Alluring Love of Christ (2 of 5)
Series: Hosea: The Holiness and Heart of God
Drew Hunter
Hosea 2:1-23
[Read Hosea 2:1-23]
ETERNAL MARRIAGE
The Bible begins and ends with marriage.
The first two chapters open with God brining Adam and Eve together in marriage. The last two chapters end with God's people - described as a city, a new Jerusalem - adorned as a bride for her husband. And in between these bookends is the story of God's relationship with his people; and that is a romance story. One pastor has said the story of the Bible is God saying, ''I loved you, but I lost you, and I want you back.'' The story of the Bible is the story of God pursuing a wayward bride, bringing her back, and making her ethically beautiful and eternally happy. The gospel is the message of Christ giving his life for his people, as a husband sacrifices for his wife.
Marriage is not just a human institution for our enjoyment and flourishing. It tells us something about the very purpose of our existence. It tells us about who we are. Human marriages exist as a dim reflection of an eternal marriage of Christ and the church.
The book of Hosea drops us into the middle of this story. And Hosea 2 drops us into the middle of this theme in Hosea.
HOSEA 2
The pattern of Hosea is sin and judgment, then grace.
It is a repeated cycle, and we followed it in the first chapter last Sunday. The same pattern is in chapter 2. We see the nature of Israel's wrongdoing, the justice of God's judgment, and then the surprise entrance of God's grace. This pattern exists to magnify the love of God. So, we'll follow this pattern this morning.
And as we walk through this pattern of sin, judgment, and salvation, Hosea 2 redefines each of these categories for us. It adds a layer to each category that we may not have had before, or that we do not typically operate with. This text takes our basic categories and makes us look at them from a different angle. And this new angle - ...
Series: Hosea: The Holiness and Heart of God
Drew Hunter
Hosea 2:1-23
[Read Hosea 2:1-23]
ETERNAL MARRIAGE
The Bible begins and ends with marriage.
The first two chapters open with God brining Adam and Eve together in marriage. The last two chapters end with God's people - described as a city, a new Jerusalem - adorned as a bride for her husband. And in between these bookends is the story of God's relationship with his people; and that is a romance story. One pastor has said the story of the Bible is God saying, ''I loved you, but I lost you, and I want you back.'' The story of the Bible is the story of God pursuing a wayward bride, bringing her back, and making her ethically beautiful and eternally happy. The gospel is the message of Christ giving his life for his people, as a husband sacrifices for his wife.
Marriage is not just a human institution for our enjoyment and flourishing. It tells us something about the very purpose of our existence. It tells us about who we are. Human marriages exist as a dim reflection of an eternal marriage of Christ and the church.
The book of Hosea drops us into the middle of this story. And Hosea 2 drops us into the middle of this theme in Hosea.
HOSEA 2
The pattern of Hosea is sin and judgment, then grace.
It is a repeated cycle, and we followed it in the first chapter last Sunday. The same pattern is in chapter 2. We see the nature of Israel's wrongdoing, the justice of God's judgment, and then the surprise entrance of God's grace. This pattern exists to magnify the love of God. So, we'll follow this pattern this morning.
And as we walk through this pattern of sin, judgment, and salvation, Hosea 2 redefines each of these categories for us. It adds a layer to each category that we may not have had before, or that we do not typically operate with. This text takes our basic categories and makes us look at them from a different angle. And this new angle - ...
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