[CS-FSLUG] TD: CS-BibleStudy: Hosea 3

[Ed Hurst]

Timothy R. Butler wrote:

> 1.) Is God referring to an earthly king in this passage when He says  
> that people will seek "David"? As with other references, could this one  
> be to the Messiah?

The context is prophecy of the Exile. As Hosea required of his straying
wife that she live in seclusion for a time without even his own conjugal
persence, so Israel would live in a time and place where sacrifice to
*any* god, including Jehovah, would not be possible. After this time of
seclusion, there would be a Restoration.

While there was indeed a restoration, and the nation did indeed live
under the rule of one from the royal house of David, it was but a poor
shadow of the much deeper promise: The New Covenant under the New David,
the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The dry and empty legalism that followed the
Restoration was certainly not what God had in mind.

As to how Hosea felt, I'm not sure I can put myself there. At times in 
the past, when I took steps to restore a broken fellowship with another, 
it was not necessarily a joyous occasion. There was still much pain and 
there was a time when I still needed to hold back for my own sake. Once 
the other person had spent some time demonstrating a persistent intent 
to do right, my feelings were stirred again. The pain of betrayal is not 
easily wiped away. I'm pretty sure Hosea was not especially thrilled by 
this command from God.

-- 
Ed Hurst
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