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An Illustration of God's Love for Idolatrous Israel

¹ The Lord said to me, "Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery. Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols." ² So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her. ³ Then I told her, "You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with another man, and I also will wait for you." ⁴  For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols. ⁵  Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king. Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings in the future.