Hosea - Scandalous Love

Text: Hosea 1-3

Radical Obedience

(God directed Hosea for an object lesson)

Take a woman of harlotry and have children of harlotry (1:2)

Hosea marries Gomer

Three Children (“of harlotry” 2:4)

Jezreel: “God scatters” (1:4)

Lo-ruhamah: “not-pitied” or “without mercy” (1:6)

Lo-ammi: “Not my people” (1:8-9)

Hosea obeyed God’s command as an example of God’s love toward wayward Israel.

Unfaithfulness

Gomer played the harlot

Was repeatedly unfaithful.

Israel played the harlot

Going after other lovers (2:5)

Attributing her sustenance to false gods (2:5)

Pursuing her lovers (2:7)

Seeking other lovers (2:7)

Israel had lost their love for God,

and become enamored with the culture of their day.

(Sounds like so many of God’s people today)

Consequences

Punishment for Gomer Eventual slavery

Punishment for Israel:

God will remove the harvest of grain, wine, oil, wool, and flax (2:9)

No one will come to her aid. (2:10)

God will end her happiness. (2:11)

God will destroy her source of income (2:12)

God will bring her into wilderness (exile & slavery) (2:14)

Scandalous Love

Hosea directed to “love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress.” (3:1)

Hosea purchases back his aldulteress wife from the slave market. (3:2)

God will yet keep His promise to love His people. (1:10-11; 2:14-23)

“It will come about in that day,” declares the Lord, “that you will call Me Ishi” (Husband) and will no longer call Me Baali.” (Master) (2:16)

“I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ and they will say, ‘You are My God!’” (2:23)

“Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their

God.” (3:5)

Lessons for Today

Our unfaithfulness, indifference, and love for the things of this world are acts of adultery toward God. Unfaithfulness always has consequences.

True love, true joy, and true peace are only found in God. Other things are a poor substitute which ultimately disappoint.

THE LOVE OF GOD

RELENTLESSLY PURSUES US