Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Hosea 2:14-23), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [16] The Bible very often likens the relationship between God and his people to the marriage relationship between a husband and wife (Psalm 45; Song of Songs; Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 2:2; Hosea; John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33; Revelation 19:6-9; 21:2). Does this make sense to you? What are some facets of marriage that are easy to imagine applying to your relationship with the Lord? What’s difficult about this metaphor? What does the Gospel reality of your inclusion in the corporate Bride of Christ (the Church) mean for your earthly marriage (or singleness)?

• [16-17] Does spiritual adultery makes sense to you as a way to describe sin? What aspect(s) of sin does this highlight? What would sinlessness look like, with this paradigm? What has God done, what is he doing, and what will he do about his Bride’s serial unfaithfulness?

• [18-22] The renewal of the divine marriage covenant draws up into it all creatures, the heavens, the earth, and the fruits of the earth—including the cultivating works of our hands. (There are echoes here of the Genesis 1 and Genesis 9 “fruitfulness” mandates and covenants.) Why does the restoration of humanity in relationship to God mean the life of the world, the New Creation? What could the restored world be like?