The Whoring Spouse

There is a tendency when we hear or see language like this to turn away and see it as an offense to God. We don't like reading words such as "whore" for obvious reasons. That is not necessarily a bad thing. Our eyes should run from such images and ideas unless they are used of God. There are many times in Scripture where God will use harsh language such as this to reveal to us certain things we often tend to ignore. You may ask "but why does he need to use this kind of language?" God does not use harsh terminology simply for shock value. He is not so limited in his means of communication. I believe that God uses such terminology to reveal to us the seriousness of certain issues. For example in the book of Isaiah God reveals to us that our righteous acts (not our evil acts ) in His eyes are as bloody menstrual cloths. The image is not pleasant, but it reveals to us the depravity of even our "good" deeds apart from the blood of Christ to cover our iniquity. God's word is cutting and sometimes it can be particularly painful. Such is the case in Jeremiah chapter three. God compares the people of Israel to a whoring spouse. "If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her? Would not that land be greatly polluted? You have played the whore with many lovers; and would you return to me." verse 1 It only continues from there. " You have polluted the land with your vile whoredom." verse 2 "The LORD said to me in the days of King Josiah: 'Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree and there played the whore.'" God's language here could not be clearer. Israel (and Judah as well) have in God's words "...done all the evil that you could." They have abandoned all that God is for images created by human hands, as they were following after false gods. But wait, that sounds strangely familiar. Romans 1:23 says we have "exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things." We have decided in futile thinking that something we create or see is greater than the creator. We have exchanged the beauty of God for our own "beauty". We have essentially told God that He is no more beautiful than what we see in the mirror everyday and as such we will worship ourselves instead of the God who made us. At least that has been my experience. It has been the unfortunate experience of my life that the majority of what I do, I do for my own benefit without so much as a fleeting thought to the glory of God. Paul says that we are to do all things to glory of God. That is to say that everything that we say and do and think is to show some of God's character. In my situation I have found that it is not God's name I wish to make great but my own. And I do quite well. I become defensive if someone says something in criticism of my character. I am quick to guard the "honor" of my good name. Yet when God's name is defamed I sit idly by in fear that they might know that I know Him. Or worse yet I find that I am the one defaming the precious name of Christ. I myself have traded the glory of God for the image of mortal man, namely, the image I see in my own mirror. I have played the part of the whore and as such I have defamed the glory of God. If this were the end of this post perhaps conviction would only lead to guilt and self condemnation, but God desires another path. He desires to make His name great and does so by loving us and reaching down to cleanse us of our treachery. For in the later part of Jeremiah chapter three, we hear comforting words from God. "Return faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD. I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD. Return O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family and I will bring you to Zion." God offers us another way via confession and repentance. He offers forgiveness and mercy even to His whoring spouse. Thank you God for your loving kindness to me because you have opened the eyes of this adulterous heart and revealed to me your glory. May I live to that end. Amen.
DAW