Hosea 1 - 2.17.26
SCRIPTURE: Hosea 1:2,3 “When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.” NIV
OBSERVATION: Hosea was a prophet in Israel near the end of the kingdom. God certainly picked a man He knew would obey Him because what He was telling Hosea to do certainly didn’t sound like a God thing. ONLY because Hosea was in tune with God’s voice did he know it was really the Lord speaking!
Hosea’s marriage was a model of God’s love, and Israel’s unfaithfulness. This true-life story of grace and redemption illustrated what God did for the children of Israel. He took them as His spouse when, in spite of their idolatry and immorality, He delivered them from slavery in Egypt. However, disregarding God’s gracious love, they again became unfaithful by forsaking the Lord, worshipping idols, and engaging in immorality. Yet in spite of their horrible sins, God in His love was attempting to woo them back to a faithful relationship with Him. (Gene Getz).
Hosea married Gomer, who some believe had already been sexually promiscuous. In their marriage, she was unfaithful to him, but despite her promiscuity, Hosea was to redeem her from a life of sexual slavery to once again become his wife. Hosea obeyed God’s command, EVEN THOUGH he didn’t fully understand God’s message to Israel through this difficult period in his life. This story of Israel’s idolatry and God’s future plan for His chosen people was written for us. It’s a picture of what God has done for ALL who have responded to the Gospel. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).
APPLICATION: When we were born again and accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we became His future bride who will someday be presented to Him in heaven without spot or wrinkle. (Ephesians 5:27). We have been chosen by God, and we have been redeemed by Jesus, all so we can become more and more like Jesus until we are presented to Him at the marriage of the Lamb.
PRAYER: Thank You dear God for sending Your Son, Jesus, to die for this sinner. Thank You for redeeming my life from the sinful lifestyle I was living before I met You. I pray as Your blood-bought daughter that I will live wholeheartedly for You. I pray I will be so in tune with Your voice that I will obey You even when I don’t understand the full meaning behind it. I desire to know You more, hear You more, and obey You more!
- Robin Orefice
