Today’s Reading: Hosea

God gave Adam & Eve the wonderful opportunity to live in intimacy with their Creator. He provided generously for them, yet they chose to disobey. They disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose, and satisfied their own desires instead of faithfully following God. This began the pattern of sin, generation after generation, until God’s beautiful creation was deeply in need of a Savior — a sacrificial lamb.

God gave the nation of Israel this same opportunity. He rescued them from slavery and gave them a land flowing with milk and honey. He showered them with blessings, asking them to stay on His path of righteousness and worship Him only. But they disregarded God’s plan, ignored God’s purpose and satisfied their own desires instead of chasing after everything God desired for them.

When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” – Hosea 1:2b

At times God calls us to a higher level of obedience. Occasionally He asks us to do something out of the ordinary because He has something extraordinary to do through us. God told Hosea to marry the prostitute, and Hosea responded in obedience.

The prophet Hosea’s life became an example of the unfaithfulness of Israel to their God. Hosea married a prostitute who continued to be unfaithful to him despite his generous love to her. Hosea’s anguish over his wife’s sins represents the heart of our God who grieves when we choose to love ourselves or something else more than we love Him. There were consequences to Gomer’s unfaithfulness, which came from a heart full of mercy, just as God’s punishment and the natural consequences of our sins come out of a heart of mercy for the purpose of redemption.

THE LOVE STORY OF HOSEA AND GOMER IS A STORY OF GRACE.

Hosea loved Gomer, but she was unfaithful time and time again. Though Gomer did not deserve it, Hosea would go in pursuit of her each time she strayed away from him and into the arms of another man. He would pay a price to win her back and bring her home. Hosea’s love for his wife despite her infidelity parallels God’s love for His people, even when we give ourselves to something other than Him.

You have left me as a prostitute leaves her husband; you are utterly defiled.
Your deeds won’t let you return to your God.
You are a prostitute through and through, and you do not know the Lord. – Hosea 5:3b-4

God created us to live in relationship with Him. Our relationship with God is like a marriage that requires fidelity and faithfulness. Not only does God want to be worshiped, He wants to be loved. God does not just want our empty words, He wants our sincere obedience. The Lord wants to be known by us so that He can show us how completely He knows us. For Him to offer us this kind of bond, even after we have sinned against Him, is evidence that we serve a God of grace — a God who shows us unmerited favor.

THE LOVE STORY OF HOSEA AND GOMER IS A STORY OF JEALOUSY.

Not a sinful jealousy that selfishly wants another person all to themselves, but a passionate love that wants the full devotion of another person for the sake of the one they love. Chasing after the things of this world only leads to sadness and regret, but true love wants their partner to experience the full life of blessings that God has planned for them. Hosea pursued Gomer’s love because he knew how beautiful life could be for both of them if they were faithful to the covenant relationship of marriage.

God had done so much for His people, yet generation after generation turned their hearts from Him. God wanted to redeem them, but they rebelled against Him (7:13). God was jealous of the love they were giving to everything except Him. He wanted their full attention; God wanted them to fully know Him and the beautiful life He had to offer them.

“I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me, more than I want burnt offerings.” – Hosea 6:6

THE LOVE STORY OF HOSEA AND GOMER IS A STORY OF MERCY.

Hosea’s love for Gomer was sacrificial, life-affirming, passionate and redemptive. What a great example of Christ’s love for us! While we were still sinners, Christ died for us! His love for us is sacrificial — He gave His life on the cross! Three days later, He conquered death and rose to life in order that we might experience eternal life. His passionate love for us is displayed in the greatest act of history! His heart of mercy held a PLAN OF REDEMPTION. Jesus loves us with a redeeming love that restores us.

“Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces; now he will heal us. He has injured us; now he will bandage our wounds. In just a short time he will restore us, so that we may live in his presence. Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.” – Hosea 6:1-3

God, we thank you for your grace — for your unmerited favor. We recognize that you have been in pursuit of our hearts before we even recognized your great love for us. May today’s time in your word remind us that we serve a God of kindness and grace, who not only patiently offers us salvation but who desires our full adoption into His family. Thank you for pursuing my heart with a patient love. I am grateful for your grace, but I recognize my need this morning to be faithful to my relationship with you. I don’t want to be so comfortable with your willingness to forgive me that I abuse the grace you so generously offer. Thank you for meeting with me this morning. I love you. Amen.