Hosea & Gomer

Our culture does a terrible job of preparing people for marriage. In fact, one can argue that our society does a better job preparing us for divorce than marriage. People date, give their bodies to each other and live together. When it doesn’t work out, one of them takes their toothbrush and leaves. Yes, we’re well-trained in moving on.

Today we are looking at the very painful and beautiful marriage of Hosea and Gomer. There was every reason for divorce in this marriage, but God had something else in mind.

Hosea was a prophet during a time when Israel was enjoying unprecedented prosperity - and engaging in “spiritual adultery”. They were cheating on God, in love and engaged with other women – materialism and other gods.

…the Lord said to him (Hosea),
“Go, take yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness,
because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”
So he married Gomer…
Hosea 1:2, 3

Why would God tell a prophet to marry a prostitute?? They were to be a living illustration of God’s love for Israel and for us.

After a time, Gomer begins to believe the most common misconception about marriage: What I’m missing is better than what I have.

She said, “I will go after my lovers, who give me my food and my water,
my wool and my linen, my oil and my drink.”
Hosea 2:5

In a good marriage, a spouse will meet about 80% of the other’s needs and expectations. No one can meet 100%. So there’s this 20% deficit, which at times seems very big. Gomer went off with men who met that need, trading the 80% she had, to get the 20% she didn’t have. She bought the lie.

God’s Response to Spiritual Adultery:

• Righteous Anger

She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold…. Therefore I will take away my grain… and my new wine. I will take back my wool and my linen. So now I will expose her lewdness before the eyes of her lovers….
Hosea 2:8-10

That’s God – and that’s anger! I don’t like that picture of God. What kind of a god gets hurt and angry? One who loves.
God’s anger is followed by:

• Unfailing Love

… 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 a door of hope.
Hosea 2:14, 15

Achor means trouble. “I will make the valley of trouble become a door of hope.”
There are two ways to have a great marriage: do everything perfect (not possible), or walk through the valley of trouble until you find the door of hope. Friends and culture will tell you to leave. God could have left Israel – and we wouldn’t be here today worshiping Him.

The story of Hosea and Gomer gets worse. She leaves him, even though he has shown his love for her again and again. God gives a message to Hosea:

“Go show your love to your wife again,
though she is loved by another and is an adulteress.
Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods…”
Hosea 3:1

There is no assurance for Hosea when he does this – no guarantee that his marriage won’t end badly.

We all resonate with the Lord’s Prayer.
But forgiveness and love are not New Testament things –
they have always been at the very heart of God.

How does the story of Hosea and Gomer end?
I couldn’t do what Hosea is about to do. This is love at a level that doesn’t make sense….

Hosea went to his wife’s pimp – and bought her back.
He took her home and loved her.
That’s what Jesus did for us.
He went to the cross and bought us,
bringing us back into the house of God and loving us.

This is not a message for guilt - you can’t change your past. But you can change your today and impact your future.

Forgive and love as you have been forgiven and loved.

 

Application Thoughts:

Do you expect your spouse to meet 100% of your needs and expectations? What would it take for you to adjust your ideal to a realistic expectation?

Have you been tempted to think that what you’re missing is better than what you have? Do you know that that’s not true?

Spend some time thinking of how God has forgiven and loved you.

If your marriage is facing trouble today, are you willing to look for a door of hope?

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