March 19,2023
This week we read Hosea. He was a prophet from Israel (northern kingdom) who talked about God’s judgement to come by the Assyrians. His family life was symbolic of what was happening in Israel. God had told Hosea to marry an adulteress woman. He married Gomer who had affairs with other men. Chapter 2:5 says, “Their mother has been unfaithful and has conceived them in disgrace. She said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water, my wool and my linen, my olive oil and my drink.”
Gomer went after other men for the money and the “things” they could give her. She forsake the covenant vows to her husband Hosea, and had adulteress relations with other men.
The physical adultery that Gomer committed was like the spiritual adultery Israel committed toward God. Chapter 4:12-13 says, “A spirit of prostitution leads them astray; they are unfaithful to their God. They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar and terebinth, where the shade is pleasant.” The Israelites were looking to other Gods, and thanking other Gods for their blessings, and not the one true God.
Hosea stayed married to Gomer, even though she was unfaithful. She had three children and God told Hosea to name the children names that were symbolic with His relationship with Israel at the time (Chapter 1). Their names were: (1) Jezreel which means God will scatter (he would scatter the Israelites); (2) Lo-Rwhamah, which means no longer pitied (God would no longer pity the Israelites but send them into captivity; (3) Lo-Ammi, which means not my people (God would not recognize Israel as His people).
Thus, because Israel worshipped other Gods, they would go through a period of exile. However, the Lord still loved them and wanted to bring them back into relationship with Himself and fulfill the covenant he had with them from the time of Moses. In Chapter 2:23 God says to the Israelites, “…I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one. I will say to those called ‘Not my people, You are my people; and they will say, You are my God.” Then God charges Hosea to reconcile with his wife. Chapter 3:1-3 says, “The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though se is loved by another and is an adulteress. Lover her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raison cakes.”
God wanted Hosea to show his love to Gomer, even though she continued to have adulteress affairs (3:3). Hosea had to buy her back as 3:2 says, “So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a home and lethek of barley.”
We see an unconditional love that Hosea had for Gomer and that God had for the Israelites. The good news is that God has that unconditional love for all of us as well. He only asks that we turn away from our own spiritual adultery, and look toward the ultimate redeemer, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” This means that you do not have to change in order to be loved by Christ. He loved and died for you just the way you are. John 3:16-17 says, “ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Are you ready to turn from your “spiritual adultery?” Below is a prayer you can say.
Next week we will be reading Joel, Amos and Obadiah. Have a blessed week and let me know if you prayed this prayer.
Diving into the Bible 