Redeeming love, how can it be?
Hosea, called by God to live out his prophesy and marry a woman of adulterous nature; a harlot. Told to have children with this woman and name them Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-Ruhamah (not loved/ no mercy), and Lo-Ammi (not my people). Through Hosea, God is speaking to all of Israel. He is saying, you have turned away from the me, who gave you plenty; and you have worshiped Baal as a lover who provides. But this is not the end! After it is said that God will take Israel's fruitfulness, and "expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers" and "...ruin her vines and fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers" Hosea 2:14-16 says, "'Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (Achor means trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. In that day', delcares the Lord, 'you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master'.'"
Hosea, called by God to live out his prophesy and marry a woman of adulterous nature; a harlot. Told to have children with this woman and name them Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-Ruhamah (not loved/ no mercy), and Lo-Ammi (not my people). Through Hosea, God is speaking to all of Israel. He is saying, you have turned away from the me, who gave you plenty; and you have worshiped Baal as a lover who provides. But this is not the end! After it is said that God will take Israel's fruitfulness, and "expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers" and "...ruin her vines and fig trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers" Hosea 2:14-16 says, "'Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor (Achor means trouble) a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt. In that day', delcares the Lord, 'you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master'.'"
Wow. At this I am floored. Hosea must buy his wife, Gomer, for a great price in the third chapter. But God changes the names of the children. God sows. Loved. My people. We see this theme revisited in the New Testament: we were not his people and there was no mercy, but in fact WE ARE a chosen people. 1Peter2.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK TO GOD. He changes your name to love. He changes you to be sown instead of scattered. Hosea is a story of the hope found in the Lord. Hosea is to love Gomer as God loved Israel. Betrothed to Himself. We are his bride.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK TO GOD. He changes your name to love. He changes you to be sown instead of scattered. Hosea is a story of the hope found in the Lord. Hosea is to love Gomer as God loved Israel. Betrothed to Himself. We are his bride.
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