Hosea 3:1

Hosea 3:1 says, Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.  God was again comparing the relationship between Israel and Himself to a husband and wife.  God still loved the people of Israel, even if they had failed to remain true to Him. Our disobedience never stops God's love for us, but it can take away the benefits of His love.  We cannot simply profess that we are His people and ignore His leadership.  Verse two adds, So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:  While Israel was disobedient to God, He would still be at work in the world to bring them back to Him.  We know that we are His because He has bought us with a price, salvation through the sacrifice of Christ.  If we remain disobedient to Him in any aspect of life, we cannot expect to receive the full blessings of God.  If He is our God, He will sustain us even in our unfaithfulness.  In rebellion against God, the nation of Israel proved to be worthless to Him as the people who were to share His love and redemption to the world. As followers of Christ, sharing the gospel of Christ with the world is our responsibility, and if we fail to put God first in all we do, we too will be worthless in carrying out our commission.  Verse three continues, And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.  I believe that God is promising us that we can be certain that when we are faithful to Him that He will be faithful to us.  We need never question if we are following Christ in vain.  Even if everything in the world seems to be falling apart, God will still be with us to see us through, if we are His by faith in Christ.  Verse four states, For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:  God was warning the people of Israel that the were going to be be taken captive.  They were not only going to be deprived of the freedom to govern themselves, but they were going to be deprived of places of public worship.  There are places in the world today where people really do not have the right to govern themselves and are also not allowed to freely worship in public.  This did not then nor does not now mean that people could not nor cannot worship God if they truly believe in Him.  It just means it may be more difficult or costly.  Verse five adds, Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.  The people of Israel had rejected God, what it meant to be true descendants of David, and fear or respect for God. They had the promise of God that when they returned to Him that they would be restored as His people.  We cannot claim to be God's people and at the same time claim to be free to live any way we want to live.  We must always put the will of God first.  When we fail to do so, we can be certain that God awaits with open arms to welcome us when we do return.