In the book of Hosea, we have a poignant story of a prophet married to a prostitute, and of a husband’s undying love. The love story between Hosea and his wife Gomer symbolizes God’s love for us, even when we fail.
Here’s the background: God formed a covenant with Israel that can be likened to a marriage union. But after Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel split into a northern kingdom, Israel, and a southern kingdom, Judah.
Hosea, the only prophet from the North, preached at a time when lying, bloodshed, oppression, injustice, and prostitution were rampant.
To underscore Israel’s sins, God commanded Hosea to take a wife, who would violate her marriage commitment and to love her despite her faults, as a picture of God’s unconditional love toward His chosen people.
Hosea’s book is the story of this troubled marriage, and his sermons or chapters accentuate the enduring love of God.
Many Christians will never he unfaithful in marriage, but we’re all sometimes unfaithful to our Lord. We drift from allegiance to Christ and allow other preoccupations and pursuits to replace Him in our affections.
“Spiritual adultery” – loving something or someone else more than we love God – is destructive and to be forsaken.
As Hosea shows us, God’s love is deep, intimate, tender, and protective. In His love we have endless forgiveness and heavenly security.
Key Thought:
Spiritual adultery occurs when we drift from our allegiance to God and allow other preoccupations to replace Him as the focus of our affection.
Key Verses:
“And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord” (Hos 2:19-20).
Key Action:
It’s time to seek the Lord until He comes and showers His righteousness on us.
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hos 10:12).