No tags yet.
Hosea was a prophet in the Bible who spoke to the people on behalf of God. I imagine God having a sweet, godly woman picked out to be Hosea’s wife. However, that’s not what God imagined. God told Hosea to go marry a prostitute. That’s right, a prostitute! He wanted to speak clearly to the people through this marriage and show them how it actually represented the relationship they had created with God.
This is what God said about them:
Hosea 5:4-5
Their doings will not permit them to return to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is within them and they know not the Lord [they do not recognize, appreciate, give heed to, or cherish the Lord].
But the pride and self-reliance of Israel testifies before his [own] face. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim totter and fall in their iniquity and guilt, and Judah shall stumble and fall with them.
God shows us how just like an unfaithful spouse would leave and prostitute themselves out to other lovers is how God’s people can leave Him and turn to other things to be their gods. There is a spirit of harlotry that works in a person to be unfaithful to God just as this spirit works in a person to be unfaithful to their spouse. It’s interesting that it is not the things we would think like lust or lack of self-control that is at the root of this unfaithfulness. God’s wisdom gives a better look at the root of it.
1. Pride
Pride is the biggest reason we believe we don’t need God in our life and it is the biggest reason we would believe we don’t only need our spouse. Pride tells us that we’ve got it all together. We see the shortcomings of others while minimizing our own. Pride shows us everything we deserve to have and why the rules shouldn’t have to apply in our situation. Pride underappreciates those around them while expecting others to appreciate them. Pride doesn’t see a need for God or see the all the reasons we need the spouse God has placed in our life. Lastly, pride says that it’s okay to hurt you because my wants are more important than your well-being.
2. Does Not Recognize
The spirit of harlotry is at work when a spouse takes the other spouse for granted. They take for granted all the little things the spouse contributes to the family. All those special somethings that made them fall in love are now just arbitrary actions, which mean nothing anymore. When we get recognized at work, we feel special and appreciated, and it’s no less important to be recognized in our home. The spirit of harlotry ignores. It focuses on other’s good qualities, but can’t see all the wonderful qualities in their own spouse. It does not recognize all the wonderful, even if small, beautiful things God has given them. It no longer takes note of all the ways God is good to them every day.
3. Does Not Appreciate
Anyone who walks away from God fails to appreciate all the goodness God brings to their life. Anyone who walks away from their spouse to play the harlot fails to appreciate the goodness found in their own marriage. When we appreciate someone, we lift them up and focus on their value. The spirit of harlotry works in us when we go day in and day out without constantly finding things about our spouse or God to be grateful for.
4. Does Not Give Heed To
It is such a wonderful thing to be seen. Remember when you and your spouse first started dating - Remember that feeling when they were across the room from you, and you looked over to see them looking at you? Didn’t it feel good to be noticed by them? After years of being married, it still feels just as good to have your spouse be attentive to you. It’s an indescribable feeling to have someone who has been with you for years still take the time to observe you, show care for you, and truly focus on you. The spirit of a harlot gives their attention and focus to many things, but hardly gives it to their spouse. It will not take even a few minutes to give attention to what God would say to them each day.
5. Does Not Cherish
We cherish what we treasure. Believe it or not, our biggest treasure is not our house or nice car. It’s not our expensive gadgets or big screen TV. It is our spouse. We are very protective over what we treasure. We get a brand new car and we give a speech on how everyone is not eating any food in this car. We give the speech on how we are keeping this car looking nice! Fast-forward about a year and you’ve got grease stains on the seats, dirt on the floors, and an inch of dust all over the dashboard. We easily forget all that we aspired to in the beginning when our daily lives take over. We have to cherish our spouse as our greatest treasure. We must be determined to not let the newness wear out. And above all, we must make protecting the treasure of our marriage our number one priority. We must refuse to let others contaminate it, dirty it, or scar it in any way. When we do that, the spirit of harlotry will have no place in our family.
Father God, I understand the spirit of harlotry goes much deeper than just lust. It’s unfaithfulness to someone I’ve been called to be faithful to. Please help me to not be so prideful that I think I’m better than my spouse. My spouse needs You, but I need You, too. Please help me have an attitude of gratefulness toward You and my spouse. Please help me appreciate Your goodness to me and help me appreciate all the wonderful little things my spouse adds to my life. Please help me see and esteem my spouse as a treasure. Lastly, please help me protect my spouse’s heart. May my actions never contaminate the sacredness of our marriage or scar my spouse in any way. I don’t want to live with that and I don’t want my spouse to have to either. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me and my marriage.
http://francinerivers.com/books/redeeming-love