Skip to main content

A Universe of Love

Hebrew Word
of the Day

Tziun Derech(Landmark)
Hear Translation »

August 6, 2012

“When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord’.” — Hosea 1:2

Albert Einstein once said that the most important decision we will ever make is whether we believe that the universe is friendly or hostile. From that one decision, says Einstein, all others follow.

So, is the universe friendly? The book of Hosea answers that question, and the answer is one that even Einstein never imagined.

The book begins with one of the most unusual commandments God ever gave to a human. Hosea is commanded to seek out an unfaithful woman, marry her, and start a family with her. The Talmud gives us some background that led up to this command.

According to Jewish tradition, God comes to Hosea and says, “Your children have sinned.” To which Hosea replies, “So exchange them for another people.” When a similar statement was made to Moses, he replied, “My children? Are they not Your children too?” That should have been Hosea’s response as well. But he didn’t understand the relationship between God and His children.

God wanted Hosea to understand how He relates to Israel, and so He commanded Hosea to marry a prostitute. Hosea and his wife Gomer become an allegory for God’s love of unfaithful Israel. Hosea lived God’s pain when His love went unreturned. He experienced God’s frustration when Gomer left him for another man. Hosea now understood why God would stop at nothing to win Israel back, and he began to grasp the depth of God’s unending love.

As Hosea learned, God’s love is so great that even when His children are completely disloyal, His love for them never wanes. Everything He does is in order to win them back. Even when Israel is punished, it’s only in order to guide her back into the arms of the One who loves her.

No, the universe is not hostile. It’s not even unfriendly. The message of Hosea is that the universe is a place of love! God is madly in love with His children. And that means that everything that happens – the good and the bad – happens out of love.

With prayers for shalom, peace,


Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
President

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COMMIT TO

In the face of widespread insecurity, fear, and hopelessness, our nation desperately needs your prayers. Join us in praying for our nation, that God will heal our land.
Post a Comment
Read more

El quebrantamiento de Pedro

If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view .     Leer | Lucas 22.54-62 11 de noviembre de 2014 El orgullo de Pedro era un obstáculo para los propósitos de Dios. Cristo buscaba a un siervo-líder para que guiara a los creyentes una vez que Él regresara al cielo. El antiguo pescador era un impulsivo sabelotodo, pero el Señor vio su potencial a pesar de su arrogancia. Por eso, el gran Artesano utilizó una filosa herramienta —la humillación— para quebrantarlo. Cuando las palabras del Señor estuvieron en conflicto con la opinión de Pedro, el discípulo reprendió temerariamente a Jesús. El Salvador respondió con una virulenta reprimenda, tanto para silenciar como para enseñar ( Mt 16.21-23 ; Jn 13.5-8 ). Inclusive, Pedro incumplió su promesa de morir por el Señor cuando lo negó tres veces ...
Post a Comment
Read more

In His Eyes

July 23, 2012 Mary Southerland Today's Truth I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be ( Psalm 139:14-15 , NIV). Friend to Friend It was my first day of teaching second grade. While standing at the classroom door, greeting parents and children, I felt a tug on my skirt. I looked down into the beautiful blue eyes of Sammy, one of my new students.  His mother, who was standing beside Sammy, looked at me and said, "I guess you've heard about Sammy.  Good luck!" As she walked away, Sammy said, "She's right. I'm dumb and mean and can't read or write."  Lisa was a tall, blonde and beautiful young woman with zero self-confidence. Lisa was...
Post a Comment
Read more