When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “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)
God tells a unique story of the human race through the eyes of a faithful husband and his adulterous wife. God demonstrates his deep, divine unrequited love for us through a dramatic story of a prophet and his prostitute.
God told Hosea the prophet to marry a prostitute named Gomer, a woman who would remain unfaithful to him. Hosea obeyed God and remained married to Gomer. Despite his faithfulness, Hosea was immediately left for other lovers. Yet God told Hosea to redeem her, “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…”(Hosea 3:1) Hosea bought her back at a high price, even though she didn’t deserve it.
God told the story of the Israelites through the prophet Hosea. But this story is also about us. Like Gomer, we are constantly turning to other lovers. Our hearts are misaligned and we don’t love the right things. Yet God, in his great mercy, sent his son to die on our behalf.
God proved himself over and over again to the Israelites. He continually poured out his love on them. Israel kept serving other gods. They still doubted. They still disobeyed. God never stops loving us. He keeps drawing us back. He forgives us. He lavishes his love on us. He pours out his mercy on us.
He continually whispers, “I love you, you’re never too far gone, I love you, even if you doubt me again, I love you, even though you fall back into old patterns, I love you. Come back.
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