Eternity

I will take you to be My wife forever. I will take you to be My wife in righteousness, justice, love, and compassion. I will take you to be My wife in faithfulness, and you will know Yahweh.

Hosea 2:19-20

Have you ever been to a restaurant that serves a “soup of the moment”? Really? You can no longer commit to serve a “soup of the day”?  Oh how we love to live in the moment. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in the importance of being “present” in the moment. But, sometimes in our momentary society, we lose sight of the Eternal. The Old Testament prophet Hosea tells the story of God’s relationship with Israel. More specifically, it is a story of the stark contrast between God’s enduring, faithful love and Israel’s fickle nature. Hosea “lives out” the message of God when he marries a promiscuous woman. His marriage illustrates God’s marriage to the wayward people of Israel. In the midst of this story, we gain a glimpse into the depth of God’s love. Notice that God is able to speak of eternity with ease. “Forever” is a concept that only God can fully understand. Though we cannot understand the infinitude of God’s love, eternity is essential to our faith. It should stretch our comprehension and makes us reach beyond today. Yet, eternity slips away. We are so easily distracted by things we “crave” in the moment. Kierkegaard warns against the effect of temporary passion when set against the Eternal.

Does not passion’s insidious temptation and its apparent excuse center in that deceptive ignorance about itself because, in the instant, it has forgotten the Eternal?

Søren Kierkegaard

Perhaps the best way to consider eternity, is to consider God's love. God’s response to Israel is intended to redirect our focus. God chooses His bride. God’s love is a forever love. His faithfulness does not diminish over time. It is because of His great devotion, that we are able to “know” the"unknowable".