Unequeally Yoked Marriage

 

    Marriage is a serious life decision.  It is a covenant between and man, woman, and God.  That means when it comes to choosing our spouse that we need to pray over the person we may have chosen with an open heart.  God may be telling you not to marry that person.  

    God can use any situation and he can make a bad marriage good when both people are willing to make changes.  It is foolish to go into a marriage knowing that it is not one that God would choose for you.  Why test Him?  Why put yourself in a position that may make you miserable for the rest of your life?  God can change things, but it does not guarantee that He will.

    Hosea was a prophet of Israel.  He heard from God in the early 700s BC.  His ministry began with his marriage.  God commanded Hosea to do the most peculiar thing: marry a women known for promiscuity.  God normally requires us to find another Christian close to the same level of faith that you are on.  However here, she represented God's nation and how they had abandoned God.  She continually broke Hosea's heart, but he remained faithful.

    Hosea did as God commanded and married Gomer.  She had children, but he would never know if they were his legit children.  She bore a son.  God had Hosea name the boy Jezreel which to represent how God was going to bring bloodshed to the house of Jehu.  When Gomer bore a daughter, God had Hosea name her Lo-ruhamah which literally meant no compassion.  Her name represented how God would no longer have compassion for Israel, but Judah would have His compassion.  Basically God was telling Hosea that Israel and Judah were going to go to war and Judah would win.  

    After Lo-ruhamah was weened, Gomer gave birth to another son.  God had Hosea name this son Lo-ammi which meant not my people.  This name represented how God in a way divorced the Israel nation, even if it was more like a separation because He would never abandon His people for ever.  

    The number of Israelites could not counted and they would claim to be Sons of the Living God.  The Judeans and Israelites will gather together to appoint for themselves a single ruler.  It is like an unequally yoked marriage.  God is always faithful, but His people keep insisting on doing what they want instead of following Him.  

Hosea 1