Allure Me, O, My Lord!

Originally Published: October 30, 2007

“Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now. For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness. And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand. I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts. And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.” (Hosea 2:6-17 KJV)

Yes, God is speaking of Israel in these verses, but let’s put that truth aside for the moment. These verses could be the ”femiinine” equivalent to the “prodical son”.

As a believer and follower of Christ Jesus, the scary part is that I can totally relate to the woman in these verses! Far too often I find myself feeling much like stubborn, hard-hearted Israel, always wandering after things that do not satisfy. Why? I know going into them that they won’t begin to touch on my real need, but I can’t seem to quench the desire. That desire for instant gratification of perceived needs and ”gotta haves”. Or, the desire for some type of spontaneious diversion from ever increasing weariness, pain, suffering and sorrow. I find myself actually believing that this immediate ”okay” thing or this immediate “good” thing, or worse, this immediate “not good at all” thing is an acceptable alternative for what I what I know is God’s “best” thing for my life. Woe is Israel! Woe is me!

Woe is me, because what I am doing is settling for an “idol”, and let’s call it what it truly is, what God says it is, worshipping Baalim! Now, none of us want to admit that we worship Baalim, but we do! Everytime we go for the instant or the immediate–everytime we go for that substitute, we are picking up “idols” and calling them our lovers. God helps us all, calling them our “god”.
Oh, I pray that you heard God refer to these “idols” as our lovers! Dear one, as believers when you and I hold those “idols” in our right hand we have entered into an adulterous affair. Why? Because we are the “bride” of Christ Jesus!

Marriage is a holy and sacred ”covenant” between a man and a woman, which was initiated, instituted and blessed by Almighty God. Marriage is a “blood” covenant. Marriage is a solemon and binding covenant and should only be entered into after having being been most seriously weighed and considered.

Please hear me, my intent is not to bring condemenation, but the truth is when we enter into this holy ”covenant” called marriage we are to be “virgins”. Yes, both the male and the female. The marriage covenant is not fully consummated nor binding until after the wedding night. The intimate ”knowing” of one another, with that blood evidenced is the final seal or stamp upon the marriage contract.

As believers, we are ”married” to Christ Jesus. Our marriage to Christ is the most holy, and sacred of all covenants. We enter into this convenant knowing that it was ”sealed” by the shedding of Our Lord’s own precious blood! Why on earth God would still claim us as His “bride”, I’ll never know, but God Himself is our Ishi, our Husband! To seek after other lovers is unthinkable, yet still we chase after them.

I’ll tell you the truth, I’m tired of chasing! I want to be hedged in! I need to be hedged in! Amen? That is not a bad thing. No! God’s hedge is a necessary wall of needed protection. Oh, and it is within the boundaries of that hedge that we find our place of comfort and rest! Glory to God, dear children, Christ Jesus is that Hedge!

You know, I want so badly to be “allured”! Don’t you? Oh, my heart and soul yearns to be adored and sought after. To be spoken gently to. Can’t you just hear the Lord whispering tenderly in our ears of His unfailing love?

How long will we run from His sweet wooing? I’ll tell you. We’ll run until God leads us to that “wilderness” place. Oh, I’ve been there. My pastor calls it a “dent” in the road. You’re going along thinking everything is just fine and ”Bam”! The good news is it’s not the bottomless pit!

Oh, you’ll think it is because you’re stuck, in a rut and going no where! Wilderness experiences can get ugly! How long did it take Israel? 40 years? Round and round they went, passing God’s best time after countless time! Going in circles is not good, but it does make you cry out to the only One who knows the Way out of your present wilderness!

The Valley of Achor–a Valley of Trouble! It was there that the fierceness of God’s wrath was poured out upon Achan for troubling Israel with his idolatry (Joshua 7). In that valley, in one day, Achan and his entire family lay dead under a heap of stones! Indeed, all Achan’s possessions including the very items he coveted were buried under that heap with him.

Oh, I pray you see the beautiful picture that God is painting for Israel. How well she remembers God’s fierce wrath! Now, our great God extends the Branch of peace and goodwill to Israel and all other weary idolators–all weary sinners! Now, instead of God’s wrath we graciously receive God’s mercy! God has done a new thing through His precious Son, Christ Jesus! it is through this Doorway of Hope that our God leads us–straight to His mercy and grace! What rest! I’ve been there, too. Why on earth I try to flee and chase after other gods is a complete and utter mystery to me.

Oh, here among the vineyards God has planted for my pleasure, I am like a young virgin, playing upon the string instruments, the tamborine shaking high over my head. My heart is light and I find myself merrily dancing–my feet barely touching the the rich furtile earth beneath me! I can’t help but sing the praises of my Lord and my God! What joy is mine inside these boundaries of God’s protective Hedge! Oh, the sweetness of God’s wooing!

Virgin? Did this person seriously say virgin? Yes! You see, my marriage to the Lamb has not been fully consummated. I await that day when I will be joined in the flesh as I am in the the spirit with my Beloved. How I long for that moment when I am ushered into His presence, for that instant I hear His voice, the sound of that trumpet and that shout! Then, my Savior, My Ishi will be mine forevermore!

Praise be to our God who has become our Salvation, Our Hope and our Ishi!

Pray for Israel!

Pray for me!

I’ll be praying for you!