Buying Back the Lost Hosea 3
What’s the most valuable earthly possession you have, the thing that you would invest absolutely everything in to obtain or to keep? We pay a lot for property; our homes are a vital part of our lives. While we might invest in a nice car, or clothes, or we work hard to gain training and experience to get a better paying career, where we live probably tops that.
But what earthly thing is of even greater worth than that? I would say that the relationships we have with those who we love in our immediate family are the closest, are they not? Those of us who are parents, can I tell you: if your child was sick and dying and the only cure was an expensive procedure costing perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars, you would do everything in your power to find the money. You would sacrifice everything, even your living arrangements. While our children have their faults, we wouldn’t think twice to sacrifice ourselves for them.
What about when your spouse has outright rejected you? They have walked away from your security, commitment to you and the relationship. That is heart breaking, but sadly it happens. Divorce is a horrible reality with many choosing that path. We have the situation here in the book of Hosea between Hosea and his wife Gomer.
Background: - Hosea is representative of the God of Israel. Israel had turned away from following the Lord. The 2 kingdoms were divided – 10 northern tribes and 2 southern tribes of Judah. Hosea was a prophet to the 10 northern tribes. He had a long ministry from about 760BC to 720BC. We know the spiritual climate of the time and the date of his ministry by the kings that are listed. The Southern Kingdom stayed faithful (within reason) to the Law of the Lord, but the Northern Kingdom was being judged for shedding innocent blood, idol worship and the associated social activities as a result. Among those were adultery and prostitution. Hosea, the prophet, was commanded to go and take a wife who was known as a prostitute. He took Gomer and she had 3 children to him. These all have significant names that refer to what the Lord would do regarding Israel.
But sometime after marriage and children, Hosea’s wife Gomer went back into prostitution. We are not told why; we can only make assumptions. It is not as though there was a need for the money, because Hosea was able to by her back for 15 shekels of silver. Gomer left her husband and her children and returned to what we would say was a life of slavery, where there was no love. In fact, we would say that she returned to an abusive lifestyle. Why would she do that, why would anyone do that?
But Gomer is also a type. She is reflective of the Lord’s bride Israel. She represents the nation that had walked away from abundance, peace, protection and love, even sacrificial love. We know that Israel is still in that same state of rebellion today. We pray that one day they would see Jesus, know Him as Yeshua, as their Lord and Saviour from sin.
But can I say that Gomer can also reflect our nature as Christians, the nature of the Church. We know as Christians we can be a rebellious bride. You see, Gomer was bought out of prostitution initially. Isn’t this like us? We were brought to Jesus. He paid for our sin. We went from death to life. We came into the presence of the king. We had that first love; we had accepted Christ as our Saviour – everything was new.
Do you remember this time? I certainly do. I had a profound sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit. I loved learning the Scriptures; I loved being around Christians; had an intense desire to read and study the Bible and the pinnacle of the week was church. We saw many coming to Christ; the church grew and I was able to lead many to the Lord myself.
After a few years, things started to change in me. I got married and started having children and life happened: rent, building/buying a house. Church attendance and serving was still a high priority, but there were situations in the church that were a real challenge. My job was taking a lot of time and it was hard to stay focussed on Christ. God, by His grace, kept me as He has for most, if not all, of you.
But I saw many, even some that I had baptised, starting to fall away. Not only that, some who had been mentors to me walked away from the Lord: very discouraging. There were times when my heart felt distant from the Lord. I missed the intimacy and power of the Holy Spirit – that life. I was lethargic, lacking spiritual energy or drive. That initial spark and energy was gone. Ever been there, spiritually dry?
I think it is possible that is what happened to Gomer. I’m surmising. She had life, kids, security, but there was something that drove her away from the security of her husband. This can happen with us spiritually.
Maybe the same had happened to Hosea and that caused the withdrawal initially; we are not told. Hosea was told to go and love her again. “"Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress.” (verse 1) There’s no sugar coating this. This was more than ‘no love’ in the marriage; there was outright separation and adultery happening, by his wife Gomer, by another man/or men. Hosea was asked to go again and love her. That was a hard call. He had already loved and married her out of prostitution and was now asked to do it again.
Hosea complied. It says, “So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley.” This was the price for a slave (20 shekels). Then, he told her she must live with him, not to return to her old ways, but to stay with him and he will dwell with her.
What does this represent? We are told, “For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.” (verses 4, 5)
Gomer was many days without her husband; Israel also will be many days without their King. They were without a king. Yet afterward they will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. Who is this? King David was long-dead at the time of writing Hosea by 300 years. This is King Jesus – Yeshua.
You know when Gomer was away from her husband, she was not divorced. When we wander away from our Lord even for a season, He loves us with a sacrificial love. He has bought back the lost with His blood. This time of year, we celebrate the gift of Jesus to humanity. It is impossible for Him to stop loving us. The cross unites the heart of a spiritual Gomer back to restoration.
So, regardless of the closest earthly relationship we have, regardless of what we would give up, our Lord has sacrificed more than we could ever know. His love never fails us. A work of grace in us acknowledges that all earthly relationships will pass, but the saving relationship with Christ lasts into eternity.