This post is Day 27 in a series of studies about “The Fig Tree”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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The Fig Tree – Day 27

Hosea was an Old Testament prophet told by God to take a prostitute wife who would be unfaithful to him, but each time she left him he had to go and take her back. This would be a picture to Israel, of how they had treated God, abandoning Him.

Hosea 9:10

When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert. When I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the first figs of the harvest. But they went to Baal Peor and worshiped shameful idols. They became as disgusting as the things they worshiped.

The Thought

Hosea was an Old Testament prophet told by God to take a prostitute wife who would be unfaithful to him, but each time she left him he had to go and take her back. This would be a picture to Israel, of how they had treated God, The One who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and who had continually loved them in spite of their abandoning Him.

The beginning of this verse tells us how excited God was to have this relationship with His people; finding grapes where they don’t usually grow and seeing the signs of promise in the fig tree. But after the initial love affair Israel went astray and turned to other gods. Throughout the Bible God refers to people turning from Him as though it was an extra marital affair, partly because worshipping idols often involved sexual activity.

The particular event that is referred to in our verse today is in Numbers 25 and makes for sad reading. There was immorality, promiscuity and murder! It sounds like a modern day thriller!

Action

Can you feel God’s disappointment as His people let Him down? When you feel disappointed at something or someone remember that God has been there before you. He knows how you feel.

Remember that God told us a long time ago that He was a jealous God and would punish us for our rejection of Him (Exodus 20:5). The punishment happens naturally as we find ourselves not relating to Him so well as we have done previously.

Ask Jesus today if there is anything taking His place in your life.