Show your love again
Scripture:- The LORD said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”
So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”
For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to his blessings in the last days. Hosea 3:1-5
Observation:- In this beautiful chapter of Hosea, we see Hosea being commanded to take back his wayward wife again, even spending great expense to bring her back. This picture foreshadows the promise of God to Israel
Humanly speaking, it seems almost impossible to take back a partner who has willingly gone into prostitution or committed adultery again and again. Moreover, Hosea was to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites. This passage speaks of a love and forgiveness so deep we simply cannot comprehend it. However, this truly shows us how great is the love of our God, who forgives our sins, even when we have hurt Him by turning away from Him. We love because God first loved us 1 John 4:19. Many marriages break down today all over the world, and there is a lot of hurt and bitterness. However, through Hosea, God is also showing us, if Hosea can still love his wife again, we too can still love our spouse, no matter how much we have been hurt, no matter how much we feel we have been betrayed. Our love is not from human effort, but from the great love of God that He lavishes upon us, and allows to overflow out of us for others.
“Loving her as the Lord loves the Israelites” is very similar to Paul’s command later on for husbands to love their wives as the Lord loves His church. It is a very high standard of love that we are called to. It is not a selfish love, but a deep love hoping for the very best for the other in spite of the circumstances.
In spite of this, we see here too that there is a purpose and a goal for the restoration of Gomer. She is bought back and forgiven for a reason – to turn from her wicked ways and be with her husband for many days, in fellowship and love. We too are saved not to go back to our own ways and continue sinning. We are saved to walk in close fellowship with God and to serve and honor Him.
The prophecy for Israel has come true in that they were without a national leader for almost 2,000 years, having been scattered all over the world for much of modern history. Still in recent times, since 1948, they have returned and established themselves once again as a nation, and at the coming of our Lord Jesus, they will be greatly blessed again.
Application:- We need to continually realize that we have a very high calling to love, just like God loves us. In every marriage, this call to love is even greater, for marriage itself is instituted by God as a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, His people. Sometimes it may take great humility, great forgiveness, great patience, but ultimately we are called to keep hoping, keep persevering and never give up on love.
At the same time, we need to remember that love has a purpose. It is not a blind, purposeless love, but a deep, meaningful love that hopes for the other to come back to close relationship and unity again.
Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are the God of love. All that You do, All You have given us, speak of Your great love through all generations. May I learn to love too, not with my strength but from Your love that flows through me. May our loved ones know You more O Lord, help us ever hope for them. Lead us in the way everlasting we pray. In Jesus name, Amen.
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