Hose Is Sent to A Prostitute
Hosea 1:1-9, 2:23, 3:1-2, Ephesians 2:1-10
Have you ever been betrayed? Out of all the negative emotions we can experience, a sense of betrayal has to be one of the most sour.
In the first verses of Hosea, God calls the prophet to “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her” (Hosea 1:2a). But…why? Why would God send Hosea to marry someone who would leave and betray the marriage covenant they were to make? If we continue in the same verse, we see that God was painting a picture for His people. “...for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord” (Hosea 1:2b). It must have been difficult for Hosea to marry a woman that he knew would betray him. Yet, this is exactly what the nation of Israel was doing to their Lord as they disobeyed the one who loved them most. Hosea’s marriage paints a picture of God’s relationship with Israel.
After marrying his wife, Gomer, Hosea soon gained three children. God called Hosea to name their first son Jezreel, a name representing the end of the kingdom of Israel. Their second daughter would be called Not My Loved One, and a son named Not My People.
Most of the time, the name “No Mercy” doesn’t reach the top 10 on the list of popular baby names. But God had a reason for using these names. He wanted Hosea’s children to showcase what would happen to the people of Israel if they did not turn away from their wicked ways. Hosea was sent to the people of Israel as an example and a warning to the people around him. His life was a testimony of what it looked like to live in obedience in even the simple things, such as giving God authority over the names of his children.
Let’s take a moment to recap what we’ve seen so far. Hosea is asked to marry a promiscuous woman, Gomer. He is called to give his children names that are representative of God’s wrath. He is called to serve God as a prophet and deliver a difficult message in the midst of Israel's resistant and unruly people. Hosea’s life was not easy.
Although it was difficult, Hosea remained faithful to God’s authority over him. God also delivered a ray of hope for the wayward nation in his obedience to call up the Israelites through his marriage, family, and message.
“I will plant her for myself in the land;
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.’” (Hosea 2:23)
“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 (Hosea 3:1-2).
Like Hosea, God will often use us to help our friends see the parts of their lives that don’t reflect Christ. However, we also get to be the deliverers of good news: that though we all fall short of the glory of God, Jesus is the mercy we do not deserve. Do you see it? In a way, we are all just like Gomer–running and betraying the one who loves us most. And yet, Jesus pours his unconditional love upon us. He has bought us with a price and now adorns us with the finest robes. Come, find peace in Christ’s undeserved kindness towards His wayward beloved (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Are there any hard conversations that you need to initiate this week? When you approach uncomfortable situations with others, are your words seasoned with both truth and grace? Is there any sin you need to bring before Jesus in your life? As you confess, remember that, like Israel, we receive love that we don’t deserve and are invited into God’s covenant family through the blood of Jesus (Hosea 2:23).
