Hosea's Love

The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

Hosea 3:1-3

At God's command, the prophet Hosea had begun one of the most surprising and scandalous love stories in all of Scripture by marrying a "promiscuous woman" named Gomer who was likely a prostitute (Hosea 1:2-3). You might think that Gomer would count her blessings to have received such grace and been rescued from such a life. Instead she grew to despise Hosea's love and publicly humiliated the prophet of God by returning to her old life of promiscuity. Apparently, Gomer returned to a life of prostitution.

Now, at God’s command, Hosea must go and get his wife. Can you imagine?! The prophet of God, a holy man, having to purchase his wife back from prostitution?! Hosea humbles himself and spends what little wealth he has to redeem his wife from her own bad decisions. But why would God tell Hosea to marry Gomer in the first place? And why would He tell Hosea to go redeem her and take her to himself again? 

Hosea and Gomer’s marriage was a picture of God’s relationship with His people, Israel. Gomer's betrayal perfectly captured the unthinkable way Israel had betrayed God by whoring herself out to worship Baal, and Hosea's faithful, forgiving love perfectly depicted God's grace for His people. Israel was committing spiritual adultery by worshiping the Baals. Hosea and Gomer’s marriage would shock the people into seeing how poorly they were treating God and how amazing His love and grace toward them was.

Hosea's love is a powerful reminder for us that God forgives the worst of sins... even those we commit after salvation. Israel had been God's covenant people for many years before Hosea’s time. Yet, what was God’s response to their betrayal? He shows them through Hosea that He is willing to forgive them and bring them back to Himself if they will only repent and faithfully serve Him once again. If Hosea could forgive and love adulterous Gomer, if God could forgive idolatrous Israel, then surely He can forgive you and love you. He may punish you but He won’t abandon you. So, don’t think for a second that God can’t or won’t forgive you! Simply repent. Ask Him to forgive you for each and every sin you've committed against Him and then move on. It's covered in the blood of Christ.