Text: Hosea 1:1-11
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8
I’ve heard of many people breaking out of prisons. But while doing a sports camp in Germany a few years back, I heard about a teenager who broke into a German prison to try and win back his ex-girlfriend who had broken up with him by phone. The 18-year-old scaled a 4-meter (13-foot) wall to get to his ex’s window before prison officials intercepted the man. The fire service had to be called in to bring him down with a ladder. I don’t know if he succeeded in winning back the heart of the young woman, but he certainly has a story to tell his grandchildren one day!
The prophet Hosea went through uncommon measures of his own to try and win back his promiscuous wife, who was repeatedly unfaithful to him. It’s one of those crazy love stories in the Bible in which God uses Hosea and Gomer’s relationship as an object lesson to show how Israel had sinned against the Lord by following other gods, and how God remains faithful even when His people are unfaithful. God called Hosea to do something very uncomfortable—to love an unfaithful wife. Hosea was put in the place where he would feel what God feels when we sin against Him, and it would hurt very much like infidelity hurts the victim of an adulterous marriage.
Imagine waking up one day, grabbing a cup of coffee, opening your Bible for your quiet time and suddenly hearing what you assume is God telling you to go and marry a prostitute. You’d probably want to really talk that out with a multitude of wise counsellors before going through with it. I’d hope so! Yet this is not far from Hosea’s reality. God gave him a very strange command: “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord” (Hosea 1:2).
Some scholars believe that Gomer was a harlot or that she had been guilty of numerous sexual sins before she married Hosea, while others hold that the description “promiscuous” was more prophetic—that is, God’s command anticipated her infidelity, and only later did she become an adulteress. Either way, this is a radical trajectory of Hosea’s life. As strange as it was, Hosea obeyed God. He married Gomer and they conceived two sons and a daughter. But after bearing children, Gomer left Hosea for another man (or, if she was originally a prostitute, to return to her former lifestyle).
Amazingly, God gave Hosea another command: “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” (Hosea 3:1). Again, Hosea obeyed, this time buying his wife back with fifteen shekels of silver and some barley. This brand of loyalty and purchase of redemption—undeterred by Gomer’s unfaithfulness—is not only a picture of God’s unconditional love toward us in our “prone to wander” ways, but a vivid illustration of the price Jesus Christ has paid in full for the redemption of our sins through his blood on the cross. Hosea’s radical obedience points to Jesus’ radical sacrifice for us.
Consider this, beloved: God’s scandalous “object-lesson” in demonstrating His unconditional love for ancient Israel at the expense of Hosea, should fill us with much hope and gratitude. God loves us too infinitely to leave us to our own demise. Jesus has paid too great a price for us to just leave us wandering in our idolatry or stuck in the mire of our sin. He will not give up on us. Aren’t you glad God does not treat us as our sin deserves (Ps. 103:10)? For He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore: “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord” (Hosea 2:19–20). Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, you are worthy of our worship, devotion, and faithfulness. Yet too often we fail you. We wander. We are not much different from Gomer. But the Good News is that you have loved us unconditionally and paid a steep price for our redemption. Help us to respond to your scandalous grace in a manner that is fitting, to always turn our hearts back to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- What is the craziest thing you have ever done for love?
- When has God called you to uncomfortable obedience, perhaps to have your heart broken by the things that break His heart?
- In what ways does Gomer symbolize us? In what ways does Hosea symbolize Jesus?
- Where have you given yourself to idolatry or spiritual adultery (James 4:4)?
- What will you do this week to respond to God’s scandalous love for you? How will you worship Him? How will you demonstrate His love toward others?
