GO, SHOW YOUR LOVE

Passage: Hosea 3:1-5

Key verse: 1

NIV

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress.(A) Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.(B)”

2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels[a] of silver and about a homer and a lethek[b] of barley. 3 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.”

4 For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince,(C) without sacrifice(D) or sacred stones,(E) without ephod(F) or household gods.(G) 5 Afterward the Israelites will return and seek(H) the Lord their God and David their king.(I) They will come trembling(J) to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.(K)

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 3:2 That is, about 6 ounces or about 170 grams
  2. Hosea 3:2 A homer and a lethek possibly weighed about 430 pounds or about 195 kilograms.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Hosea Redeems His Wife

3 And the Lord said to me, (A)“Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a (B)homer and a lethech[a] of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must (C)dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel (D)shall dwell many days (E)without king or prince, (F)without sacrifice or (G)pillar, without (H)ephod or (I)household gods. 5 Afterward (J)the children of Israel shall return and (K)seek the Lord their God, and (L)David their king, (M)and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the (N)latter days.

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Footnotes
  1. Hosea 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

One may think marrying a promiscuous woman and bearing through her unfaithfulness would be the hardest thing for a man. Now, God was commanding Hosea to do something further. He told him, 'Go, show your love to your wife again.’

Hosea had to love Gomer to obey God’s command. Can you love someone who hurt you and repaid your favor with an insult? Can you love someone who does not do their duty but only demands yours? Can you give someone the trust of your love when they have proved undeserving? Hosea chose to obey God and committed himself to love Gomer.

Hosea showed his love by buying back Gomer and bringing her home as his wife for the second time, making a new commitment to be faithful to each other. Hosea restored her from her hopeless state. Hosea does not tell his personal story further. That could be a good sign, as he could focus on the ministry and find comfort in his peaceful home. Hosea and Gomer’s restored relationship represents God’s hope and vision for Israel to be restored as His people. Would you obey God’s command to love and forgive today?

Prayer: Father, thank you for forgiving me and paying for my sins with the blood of Jesus. Thank you for the freedom I enjoy as your child. Please help me have the strength to love and forgive. Make me a heart like yours.

One Word: Go, show your love.