God’s Love for Israel (and the Backslider)

Hosea 3:1-5; 11:7; 14:4

A couple of weeks ago I preached on the “The Prodigal Son.” Hosea is about a “prodigal wife.” As the parable of “the prodigal son” is about the Father’s love for his wayward son, Hosea is about God’s love for His unfaithful “wife”—Israel. It is a love story—A tragic love story.

The doctrinal application of Hosea concerns Israel’s returning unto the Lord “in the latter days” (3:5).

BACKGROUND: God made a covenant with Israel that took the form of a marriage (Isa 62:5). The vows were exchanged at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19, 24). While God, the heavenly Groom, loved His bride and cared for her, Israel failed to keep her vows and became an adulterous, backslidden wife pursuing other gods (Hosea 4:12; 11:2, 7 cf. Jer. 3:14).

I. God’s Love is PORTRAYED in His prophet. (Hosea 1:2-3) The prophet Hosea would be God’s object lesson to Israel.

A. The COMMAND (v.2). The story could have been titled “The Preacher Who Married A Prostitute” or “Tragedy at the Parsonage.”

“Hosea, I have a job for you. I want you to marry a prostitute. She will cheat on you, but I want you to love her anyway.”

“But, Lord, that is not the kind of marriage I had in mind.”

“Think of it as a living parable, Hosea. It’s like a dramatic play. You’ll be playing My part; your wife, Gomer, will play the part of Israel. As My people see Gomer committing adultery and they see your unfailing love for her, they will see that in spite of their unfaithfulness to Me, I’ve remained faithful to them and still love them.

B.  The COMPLIANCE (v. 3). Obedience isn’t easy sometimes.

C.  The CHILDREN(vs.3-9—“children of whoredoms,” cf.2:4-5). The byline: “Preacher’s wife cheats on him. His children belong to other men.” The children represent the people of Israel.

1:3-5: Jezreel (“scattered by God”). The goal of marriage is “oneness.” Israel would be “scattered.”