Even though Hosea had saved Gomer from a life of prostitution, married her, gave her a new identity, provided her a new home and started a family with her, she eventually gave it all up, left Hosea and went back to a life of prostitution. Can you imagine the heartbreak and rejection Hosea experienced?
But instead of telling Hosea to move on and take care of himself, God commands Hosea to do something shocking… “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them” (Hosea 3:1).
God asks Hosea, not just to forgive Gomer, not just to take her back, but to love her again! He asks him to push past the pain and open his heart to the one who rejected and betrayed him. Once again, Hosea was obedient. The story goes on to say, “So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine” (Hosea 3:2). In order to love Gomer, Hosea had to experience the humiliation of going to her pimp and buying back his own wife.
This is a beautiful picture of Jesus’ brokenhearted redemption of us. Even though we belong to Him, we rejected His love and turned to the world to fulfill our needs. But Jesus, in His love for us, suffered the humiliation of the cross in order to pay the price for our redemption. Even after He saved us, we still return to old sinful patterns and turn to the world instead of Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just endure the pain of the cross, He also endured the heartbreak of loving us even though we reject Him and sell ourselves to the world. But even though it breaks His heart, Jesus never stops loving us. He is always ready to forgive us and envelop us back in His loving embrace.
How grateful have you been for Jesus’ love for you lately?
But instead of telling Hosea to move on and take care of himself, God commands Hosea to do something shocking… “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them” (Hosea 3:1).
God asks Hosea, not just to forgive Gomer, not just to take her back, but to love her again! He asks him to push past the pain and open his heart to the one who rejected and betrayed him. Once again, Hosea was obedient. The story goes on to say, “So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine” (Hosea 3:2). In order to love Gomer, Hosea had to experience the humiliation of going to her pimp and buying back his own wife.
This is a beautiful picture of Jesus’ brokenhearted redemption of us. Even though we belong to Him, we rejected His love and turned to the world to fulfill our needs. But Jesus, in His love for us, suffered the humiliation of the cross in order to pay the price for our redemption. Even after He saved us, we still return to old sinful patterns and turn to the world instead of Jesus.
Jesus didn’t just endure the pain of the cross, He also endured the heartbreak of loving us even though we reject Him and sell ourselves to the world. But even though it breaks His heart, Jesus never stops loving us. He is always ready to forgive us and envelop us back in His loving embrace.
How grateful have you been for Jesus’ love for you lately?
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