He Cannot Change Who He Is

Did you know that the little book of Hosea is one of the most pivotal books of the Bible?

Joshua and Jesus each lived about 700 years on either side of Hosea, and they actually all share the same name—though it looks and sounds different because of the dialects of their time.

Why did God inspire Hosea to write his book, and why, of all things, did He ask him to marry a prostitute?

Ultimately, God inspired the writers of Scripture because He knew humanity would either forget what He truly wants or twist His will to fit our own desires. He breathed a description of His character to Hosea exactly when He did—right between Joshua and Jesus—because by the time His Son came to Earth, even the church leadership would struggle to recognize Him.

Hosea’s story shows God’s love and compassion for outcasts, His elevation of relationships over rules, and His desire for connection rather than correction. All of this was at odds with the teachings of the day. This Old Testament book prepares the people of the New Testament to recognize Jesus when He comes. God wants an intimate relationship with us, as close as an adoring husband, forever, in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion (Hosea 2:16–19), even though we act as unfaithfully as the temple prostitutes of Hosea’s day.

That is why this little book—and each of the other 65 books of the Bible—is so vital to us today. They reveal God’s true nature and surprise us with His mercy and love toward all mankind.

The purpose of the Bible is to give us a fuller picture of who God is and how He has committed Himself to mankind, despite our lack of commitment to Him. As 2 Timothy 2:11–13 (NKJV) says: “This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”

It is in His very nature. God remains faithful, even when we are faithless. He sees you as part of Himself!

That is why reading the Bible regularly is so vitally important. While the devil continually tries to discourage us and convince us that we are lost, the Bible reminds us that we serve a God who will never turn His back on us.

He cannot change who He is. In every generation, despite our faithlessness, God remains faithful.

Yours in Faith,

Roy