Saturday, December 10, 2011

God's Love Continues

"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son." - Hosea 11:1

Who of you are fathers or mothers and would not do anything to save your child from harm? It is second to nothing in our hearts and minds when it comes to our role as loving parent. There have been times in my children's life when I have wanted to engage and save them from themselves through advice and counsel, only to have them venture down a path anyway. This in no way reduced the amount of love I have for them, if anything it intensified it as I sought more ways to influence and help them in their quest for life.

Why would the Lord be any different? His love for the children of Israel was deep, through generations and generations. Still as with any child, their disobedience was prevalent and contined to drive a more determined effort. You recall the love that God had for Israel as he destined them to multiply and to dwell in the promised land. Through the battles of David and the wealth and wisdom of Solomon, He continued to bless them. When they sought wickedness and evil in Sodom and Gomorrah, He loved them enough to allow Abraham to argue for their salvation. There are countless times the Lord has shown His love for his children despite their rebellious nature as Israel matured.

You recall when God, through Moses, called His children out of the bondage in Egypt. Despite their complaints and rebellion in the wilderness making and worshipping idols, He fed them. He brought them to the promised land, albeit many years later after Moses death. His love never wavered for His chosen people. This prophecy in Hosea bridges these examples of love from their history to God's love of the future.

You see the Messiah will come out of Egypt as well, breaking the bondage of sin in our lives. Through His life and death on the cross God's love was never more prevalent to His people than through the death of his son. This prophecy is fulfilled in Matthew 2:13-15. God sends and angel to alert Joseph and Mary to take Jesus to Egypt and escape death by Herod's mandate. Showing once again the deep love of His children and specifically His Son. Years later, Joseph and Mary return from Egypt with the Christ child to live in Nazareth from then on. Here again we find through God's prophetic word and His subsequent action the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy in the one known as Jesus Christ.

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