My translation of the story of Hosea. A story of God’s grace poured out on us when we do everything to deserve the opposite.
- God comes to a young man named Hosea and tells him “I want you to get married.” Sweet. I want God to say that to me, but then the other foot drops “Heres the catch: Shes a little wild, she is quite the promiscuous woman, in fact she is going to become a prostitute, and I want to give you fair warning; some of your children will be born by other men because of her prostitution”. Hosea’s heart sank. Why!? Why couldn’t he marry a nice girl, fit for a young preacher to help him in his ministry? God had a reason for this scandalous marriage, he explained “This marriage will show how Isreal has acted like a common prostitute by breaking my heart, betraying my love and chasing after other Gods”. Hosea did what God asked enduring the humiliation of marrying a woman whom all knew was unfaithful. As time went on a miraculous thing happened when Hosea genuinely fell in love with Gomer. For awhile Hosea enjoyed their relationship while still knowing of the trouble to come. Hosea’s heart was filled with pride as he held his first child that Gomer had given him. Then it happened. Gomer began to return to her old ways. She began to party again, joined up with her old highschool friends, club hopping, and staying out late into the night. She returned to her old boyfriends, and found new men with whom to waste the night away. Hosea was heartbroken.
His wife tells of her love for him during the day, but betrays him during the night. Gomer became pregnant again- Hoseas heart must have sunk as he realized this child was not his own. The woman he loved so much refused to stay true to the one man who truly loved her. As time went on Gomer began to spiral out of control as one bad decision after another led her further and further away from her husband. Finally Hosea returned home to find a note that fulfilled what God had already told him would happen. Gomer had left Hosea to fulfill her lust with other men. Hosea would hear reports of every new guy she was wasting her love on. Hosea spent many long nights alone both angry at his wife for being so foolish, yet ready to take her back under his protection because of his true love for her. Finally God spoke to Hosea again saying “Hosea, go find your wife again. You and I both know she is committing adultery with another man, but this illustrates my unending love for Israel. Even though they have turned their back on me countless times, wasting the gifts I lavished on them, and turning to meaningless ways to find love- I love her. I will never stop loving Israel, but this time will be different. This time I will change her, never again will she run off, she will live with me- I will protect her, I will take car of her”.
Hosea called around and found out from her friends that Gomer had hit rock bottem. In fact, she was being sold as a slave downtown. Hosea found her standing on the slave block being auctioned off…she didn’t look good. She was weak, anemic, and her days on the streets had an obvious effect on her. She had lost all the beauty of her youth, she was skinny from hunger, and no longer very desirable, but Hosea looked upon her and saw the woman of her youth. Hosea remembered first meeting her, he remembered the butterfly’s in his stomach when they were dating, he remembered their honeymoon, and remembered when she was a faithful wife and mother. Hosea remembered when he CHOSE Gomer, and again lifted his arm high and bid on his own wife. “15 pieces of silver!” Hosea cried out. The other men backed down from their bids knowing Gomer truly belonged to Hosea. Though Hosea should be humiliated- he wasn’t. He had his first love back. He had bought her with a price.
