This is a study that I first wrote before Nisa’s birth and before the present trial that God has placed in our path. More than ever the depth of God’s love for His people as illustrated by Hosea’s call and response to that call inspires my heart and lets me rest in the knowledge of His Grace.
“When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry ; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.” So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.” Hosea 1:2-3
“Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” Hosea 3:1
Hosea is first and foremost a love story. It is a live action representation of the redemptive love story called The Bible. When I first read this amazing story I glossed over these two passages. I did not really conceive of what God was asking of Hosea.
It is in chapter three that the reality of Hosea’s call becomes clear. Suddenly all of the technical sniping about the legal ramifications and the arguments over interpretation seem shallow. Hosea was called by God to create in life a wonderful picture of His love for us, the love that culminated on a cross outside of Jerusalem and was fulfilled by an empty tomb! It is a love that is sacrificial, one that accepts rejection and seeks redemption. It is love that forgives offense and pursues atonement but it is a love that recognizes the requirements of holiness and demands a response. It is a love that understands that in the absence of that response destruction comes.
“Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the LORD Until He comes to rain righteousness on you. You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors” Hosea 10:12-13
In this case I like the NIV’s translation of CHECED (rendered kindness by the NAS), “unfailing love”. I think this considers well the overall theme of Hosea.
“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love…”
This foreshadows Jesus’ response to the Pharisees in Matthew 22 when asked what the greatest commandment was. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind soul…You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
The formula is simple: Righteous living = Love. God called Hosea to graphically demonstrate this love, the love of Righteousness. He also calls us to love the un-lovable and shows us that this can be done without sacrificing righteousness. Hosea never accepted and/or condoned her sin but he went and loved her, went and redeemed her where she was at. In just the same way Christ came to our sorry estate and loved us, redeemed us. Now he waits for our response. Just as Hosea required a response from Gomer,
Then I said to her, “You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you.” Hosea 3:3
Here the story of Hosea ends and the application to Israel begins.
“Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, And the righteousness will walk in them, but transgressors will stumble in them.” Hosea 14:9
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