Grapes in the Wilderness

Hosea chapter 9 verse 10 is a remarkable description of how delicious to God was his "finding" of Israel. Set in the context of Hosea's ministry of highlighting the unfaithfulness of Israel in their covenant relationship with God, the description is designed to reinforce the seriousness, and ugliness, of Israel's devotion to idols instead of God. The God who finds it delicious to save ought to find that he is delicious to his people.

Instead, God declared through Hosea that his covenant people found it far more delicious to commit spiritual adultery with their idols than to take delight in the God who took delight in them. Of course, this is not merely a matter of Old Testament history. It is a sad feature in the story of the Church down through the ages and up to the present day. Indeed it is also indicative of the tendency within every Christian to give in to the "flesh" rather than fight it and "walk (in line) with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16)

Surely one of the most powerful incentives to pursue a life of taking the greatest delight in God, of finding the salvation we have in Christ and fellowship with God delicious, is the basic fact that God found it delicious to save us in the first place. Above every other experience that of living in communion with God ought to be our highest delight. One of my reasons for beginning this blog is simply to remind myself every day of this and thus respond accordingly by taking delight in God. I hope and pray that some of the thoughts published will help others to do the same.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you." (Psalm 73:25)