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And it shall be at that day, said the LORD, that you shall call me Ishi; and shall call me no more Baali. Hosea 2:16 KJV

I have been considering this verse for some time now.  And it has become a very personal and poignant verse to me.  It shows the spiritual progression of a man if he continues to seek hard after God.

Jesus first called his disciples “servants” John 15:15, then He called them “friends” John 15:15, then He called them “brethren” Matthew 28:10 & John 20:17, and then He called them “sons” Romans 8:14 & 2 Cor. 6:18.  This is a beautiful illustration of spiritual progression/maturity.

In the Old Testament we don’t see very many people “Standing” before the Lord, but we have a record of many kneeling or on their face.  It took Abraham many years of walking with the Lord before he could stand before the Lord.  The same can be said of Moses, Joshua, David, Ezekiel, and Daniel. These men matured into the position of standing.

Standing before the Lord is a position of maturity.  This is a position of son-ship and not necessarily servant-ship.  I now look upon my son Finney as my equal, no longer as under me, so-to-speak.  He has matured to a place that he has a standing with me in mature matters and I can trust him with sensitive matters; and I can also entrust him with my affairs and his inheritance. These men matured into sons from servants.  Remember that the Lord said, “A servant abides not in the house, but the son abides forever.” Just take a moment and think of the import of what He is really saying here. We must progress into sons!! We must.

As we continue on in our spiritual pilgrimage with the Lord, He is becoming more and more to us.  When we are first saved, He is “Savior”, and then after a while (when we see our true selves, and what His will really is), He then becomes “Lord”, and after a while longer He becomes “Father.”

Let me give the above Hosea 2:16 verse from a different translation: “In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’ (Ishi); you will no longer call me ‘my master (Baali).‘

God is bringing us all to a place where He is no longer just Master, Savior, Lord, Father, Brother, etc.; but He is bringing us into the wedding chamber where we will call Him “my Husband.” Jesus wants to be a Husband to us.  What does a husband do? He provides for his wife, he protects his wife, he has his wife’s best interests at heart, he puts her first, he is always thinking of her, he is always speaking well of her to others; and he just loves her unconditionally.

This is what God is really doing for His children behind the scenes.  (Like Moses in Hebrews 11…can you see Him who is unseen?)  He is preparing a bride for His Son.  A bride!! How can you tell a woman is a bride? She has on a wedding dress and she wants all her friends to see the dress, and all she can think about is the vows she is about to make at the altar.  I have a sneaky feeling that God the Father will be the one officiating the wedding.  And this will be one wedding you won’t want to miss!!

Paul said that he wanted to present us as chaste (untouched and pure) virgins to the Lord see (2 Cor. 11:2).  How can someone really tell by just looking whether or not a woman is a virgin?  You can’t tell.  Only the woman really knows the truth of whether she is or isn’t.  And only you know whether you are a virgin (spiritually speaking) in the eyes of God or not.

If you have repented of all known sin and you are following Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and are obeying Him, and are keeping His commandments, and are keeping yourself unspotted from the world – then I have good news for you from the New Testament: in His eyes you are a virgin and fit to be betrothed and married to His Son.

Make no mistake about it, no Father/father is going to allow His/his Son/son to marry a woman whom He/he knows has been sleeping around with other men.  When we sin, this is the same as committing spiritual adultery against the Lord.   God is not going to allow just anyone to marry His Son.  Any Father/father only wants the purest virgin for His/his own virgin Son/son.

These are spiritual realities that follow a natural course.  God is very serious about who will marry His Son and who won’t!!  Make no mistake about it my friend, only the virgins will be allowed to marry Him and sit as His table.  Only the virgins will be the overcomers.  Only the virgins will inherit all things. Because two things happen to a woman when she marries: her name changes and she inherits all her new husbands possessions.  She takes his name and she gets his things.

But not everyone can or will be able to call Him “Husband.” Why does my wife, Mary Ann, call me her husband?  Because I am.  How?  Because we are married.  She can’t call another man her husband, just as I can’t call another woman my wife.  It doesn’t even make sense.  We dated, we were betrothed, we were married.  And we’re together forever in this life and we’ll be best friends in the next one.  Hallelujah.  She wears a ring that tells all who would be interested “I’m taken –I’m loved – I’m married!!” And you also are wearing a ring of betrothal (even if you can’t see it).

We all at one time lived in darkness (even as Christians), we all followed the course of this world and were in bondage to sin, sins, and sinning.  But a Man came and saved us in every way a person can be saved.  He laid down His life for His future bride.  He was able to see that which was unseen.  He could see a wedding day, and a marriage dinner, and an eternity together.  Can you see the same thing?  It took me many years…but I can see it.  It’s just around the corner; it may just be today.  I’m watching and I’m waiting and I’m anticipating His soon return.  The bridegroom is coming!! He is coming and I’m finally ready to be a wife to Him for all of eternity and sit at His table just as Mephibosheth (which means “beloved of the Lord”) sat at David’s table all the days of his life and ate and fellowshipped with the king.

And I will betroth thee (make you My wife) unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.  Hosea 2:19

God the Father is searching in the earth for virgins; those who are pure in His eyes and unspotted from the world. They have come out of the world and are no longer touching the unclean things.  As Revelation 19:7 says, “the bride has made herself ready.”  The husband-to-be doesn’t go into the changing chambers and help his future wife put on her wedding garment.  No, he waits for her to change and for her to make herself presentable, and for her to walk down the isle.  When she’s finally ready to walk the isle, her father walks her down and gives her in marriage.

Will the Father be walking you down the isle, or will you be found naked and ashamed and shut out of the wedding ceremony?  The choice is totally yours and yours alone.  You have to be able to see the finish and live right now for it.  Because if you are living for the finish, then in all reality you are living your life totally for Him.

Let’s walk the isle together hand in hand as our Father walks us down and presents us to His Son Jesus on that glorious day.  And let us say in unison “I DO”!!!  Is your ring on?  If you’ve lost it…then hurry, and go find it again.  It’s right where you left it.  “Behold, the bridegroom cometh” GET YOUR RING ON NOW!! For only a betrothed one can become a wife.  Please don’t miss out…please don’t miss Him.  At the midnight cry, when you least expect it, He will have come…stolen away His bride…and then disappear into the night.  A timeless love story!!

Proverbs 9 talks about “Wisdom” who has set a banquet table, and “Folly” has also set her table.  Which table will you be found sitting at when the dinner bell rings?