"A Prophet & A Prostitute" • Manna Quarantine Devotional #88
Dear Manna Family,
We are studying the lives of Bible characters and our study today is about an arranged marriage between a prophet named Hosea, and a prostitute named Gomer.
Hosea, whose name means “salvation,” was active as God’s prophet in Northern Israel from about 755-710 B.C.
At that time, Israel was economically prosperous, but spiritually bankrupt.
Idol worship was rampant as Israel turned away from God, their first love, and committed spiritual adultery with many false gods.
When Jeroboam 2 died in 753 B.C., anarchy prevailed.
Between 753 and 722 when Israel was conquered by Assyria, Israel had 6 kings, 4 of whom were assassinated by their successors.
And we think we live in uncertain times!
Hosea 1: 2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD.”
God is going to use Hosea’s marriage as a dramatization of HIs relationship with Israel.
Hosea represents faithful God, and Gomer represents unfaithful Israel.
It’s likely that Gomer became a prostitute after her marriage to Hosea.
In the Bible, adultery was a picture of spiritual infidelity and unfaithfulness.
Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness consisted of idol worship and trusting in foreign alliances instead of trusting in God.
It’s easy to point fingers at Israel, but the truth is, anything you value more than God has become your idol.
The theme of Hosea is God’s loyal love for Israel, despite their spiritual adultery.
It’s about sin, judgment and salvation based on God’s forgiving love.
As hard as it must have been, Hosea obeyed God’s command.
Vs 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
Ultimately Gomer had three children.
God named all three children to illustrate His attitude toward Israel.
Jezreel means ‘God will scatter,’ and refers to Israel’s coming exile following Assyria’s invasion.
Lo-ruhamah means ‘she is unpitied or unloved.’
God’s love is unconditional, but for a time, He is going to withhold mercy and impose judgment upon Israel for her sins.
Lo-ammi means ‘not my people.’
God is rejecting Israel and renouncing the covenant He made with them; ‘you are not My people and I am not your God.’
It is like a divorce decree where a husband turns his back on his unfaithful wife.
However, God’s rejection of Israel is not the end of the story.
Vs 3: 1 Then the LORD said to me,
“Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”
Vs 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley.
Vs 3 Then I said to her, “You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you.”
Gomer’s adultery had broken her relationship with Hosea, and they were separated.
She had probably become the legal property of someone who hired her out as a temple prostitute.
God commanded Hosea to pursue his estranged wife, and love her despite her infidelity.
This is a searing image of God’s unquenchable love for His people.
This second command to Hosea may have been more difficult that the first one.
However, Hosea obeyed God and bought Gomer back, probably at a slave auction.
The total purchase price was about 30 pieces of silver, the price paid for a common slave.
Hosea and Gomer lived in the same house, but they remained celibate for ‘many days.’
Forgiveness is immediate, but restoration of trust takes time.
Like Hosea loved Gomer, God loved us, even when we were at war with Him.
All Christians have been redeemed from the slave market of sin with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
This is a lesson not only in radical love, but also in radical obedience.
We are commanded to love others like Jesus loved us.
We are also commanded to obey our heavenly Father just like Jesus and Hosea obeyed.
Now is a good time to ask God to help us to do both.
Remember, God designed us to ‘do life together!’
Love and prayers,
Brad
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