Focal Passage: Hosea 1:2-9; 3:1-5
In 2005, the Guinness Book of World Records said that Percy and Florence Arrowsmith held two records — the longest marriage of a living couple (80 years) and having the largest married couple’s aggregate age (205 years).
Before they died, they left good advice for those who want to have a lasting marriage. Percy humorously said the secret to his long marriage was just two words, “Yes, dear.”
Good advice perhaps, but Hosea and Gomer’s marriage was a bit more complicated.
God’s redemption is greater than our unfaithfulness. Some of my favorite songs highlight this grand truth! One such song written by Keith and Kristin Getty reminds us, “What love could remember, no wrongs we have done. Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum. Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore. Our sins – they are many, His mercy is more.” Our guilt is no match for the grace and mercy of God! In fact, He is more ready to forgive us of our unfaithfulness than we are ready to ask. Hosea marveled at God’s ability to love those who reject Him!
God’s love is greater than our unloveliness. A natural question that arises is this: If people fall into sin and turn their back on God, will He still love them?
If people who have a relationship with God reject God’s love, disobey and prostitute themselves by loving someone or something else more than God, will He reject them? Hosea’s answer to this question to this is that no one has ever deserved or earned God’s love. But because of God’s character, it’s always a free gift to those who are unworthy! His love for His people is not diminished by temporary rejection.
Despite the ugliness of Gomer’s sin, she is loved. She is bought back by Hosea and brought back to Hosea’s home. This only emphasizes the depth of God’s love for us. There’s a popular phrase that says “love is blind.” But we must remember that God’s love is not blind. He knows when His people do not love Him, yet He makes every attempt to restore the relationship between Himself and His people. No one should ever question the availability of God’s love.
The question is rather: “Will people respond rightly to God’s love?”
Loving or not loving people is a conscious choice we make. We can choose to ignore and dismiss people too. Hosea could’ve made another choice, but he soon began to realize that God didn’t make the choice to ignore or dismiss His own people despite their own unfaithfulness. Hosea experienced the heart-wrenching, agonizing nature of sin among his own people.
As the people remained unfaithful, playing the “harlot,” Hosea began to understand how God feels about the sin of His people, because of His undying love! From seeing God’s love, Hosea had a new care and affection for Gomer. Hosea chose to love Gomer instead of casting her aside and leaving her in slavery.
In this unexpected and unconventional method of God dealing with Israel, and in the process of pain and abandonment, the ultimate victory of love was born! God Himself has demonstrated this kind of love to us and we are called to demonstrate it to others!! B&R