Love keeps going to a deeper and deeper level in the book of
Hosea. As if it wasn’t enough for Hosea
to marry an unfaithful whore (Hosea 1).
As if it wasn’t enough for Hosea to remain with her despite her whoring
around (Hosea 1-2). As if it wasn’t enough
for Hosea to pursue her even in her waywardness (Hosea 2). And now he is called to love her again when
she not only has been whoring around, but also is “loved by another” (3:1). It
is terrible enough to just be a prostitute for money, but now she appears to be
in an actual relationship with a man.
And yet, Hosea still loves her. God
loves us in the same manner!
Gomer is so destitute and washed up in her sin that she is
for sale for only 15 shekels of silver. Hosea’s
wife is on the auction block. The normal
price for a slave in that day was 30 pieces of silver. Her sin had taken its toil and she wasn’t
worth much. Our sin does the same to
us. “The
wages of sin is death … what did you benefit from that which you are now
ashamed of” (Rom. 6)?
With all of this background, Hosea/God pays the price to
purchase his own wife. “Greater love hath no man than this, that he
lay down his life for His friends” (Jn. 15). Jesus bought us out of the slavery of sin
with His blood! “For God hath redeemed us, not with perishable things such as silver
and gold, but with the precious blood of the Lamb” (1 Peter 3).
And with this purchase, comes a needed conversation about
where the relationship goes from here.
Hosea tells Gomer that the days of whoring around are over (v. 3) and
that it is time to dwell with him and put aside all other relationships. In other words, for this marriage to work, it
requires exclusivity!! And God says the
same to us. If we are going to have a
healthy and growing relationship with God, we must repent of our sins and
forsake our other “lovers.” Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must
deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
For more on the great sacrifice Jesus has made to purchase
us out of slavery, and the 6 essential ingredients that go into a healthy relationship
with God, listen to my sermon on Hosea 3 at http://www.livinghopeathens.org/category/sermons/
