“God’s Proposal to You”

Engagement of Carl Stegen & Suzelle Vermaak

Hosea 2

19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies.

20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.

Israel had many lovers with whom she was immoral against the Lord God. The people of Israel were physically and spiritually adulterous. They forsook God and ran after the gods of the nations about them. They burned incense to Baal and were in love with all the perversions that Baal worship led them into.

They cared only about their temporal comforts, well-being and pleasures. God’s Word and commandments meant little to them, and they were busy with their silver, gold, purfumes and sensual clothing. Today, many who call themselves Christians are living such a life. They are carnal, sensual and care only about material things and they lose sight of the One who truly loves them and has called them into a relationship with Him.

If your life is like the Israelites of that time, God will be your adversary (see James 4:4). Even if you clothe yourself in hypocrisy, sooner or later He will reveal you for what your are and judge you as He judged Israel.

However, in the midst of the judgement God pronounces, He still shows mercy. He proposes to make an everlasting covenant engagement with you (3:19, 20), if only you will turn to Him with all your heart. Only a fool would reject His mercy and continue in sin. Receive this gracious invitation from Christ Himself who wants to be eternally covenanted to you, despite your sinful past. Through His forgiveness He makes all things new.

Christ’s bride must prepare herself for Him, by cleansing her garments and washing them in the Blood of the Lamb (Rev 19:7).