Hosea Takes Gomer Back
-- Hosea Three --
Gomer has
gone back to her life of prostitution. This must have brought great grief to
Hoses and to their children. God told Hosea to, "Go yet, love a woman
beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD
toward the children of
Hosea redeemed his wife. In a beautiful
scene Hosea took Gomer from the slave market saying,
"Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt
not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." (Hosea 3:3) This is a
beautiful picture of how God will redeem
The ugliness of sin -- Hosea
3:1-5: When you begin to talk about sin some get angry and others mourn
its ugliness. Gomer had proven herself to be an
unfaithful wife to the prophet of God.
We see in Gomer
that sin is the opposite of love, obedience and righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18)
The Bible says of those that had become Christians, "Know ye not, that to
whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked,
that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became
the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:16-18)
The effect of sin is horrible
devastation. One look at Gomer or at the nation of
The beauty of love -- Hosea
3:1-5: The love of Hosea for Gomer was an
amazing thing. The love of God for
Love is not merely an emotion. Love
demands actions. Jesus said, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'
(John 14:15) Even though Gomer did not love Hosea, He
loved God and "Love obeys." Love just keeps on walking in God's will.
Hosea loved Gomer. It was very painful to him to have
his love rejected by his own wife. It was terrible painful to God to have His
love rejected by
The power of redemption -- Hosea
3:1-5: The idea of redemption is similar to the practice of purchasing
a slave and then allowing him to go free. It implies the payment of a price was
made. Gomer was redeemed at the slave market by Hosea
for "fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer
of barley, and an half homer of barley." (Hosea 3:2) Today our redemption
is in Christ. Paul wrote, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:10) The price that was paid
for our redemption was the precious blood of Jesus. Peter wrote,
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your
fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)
Just as Hosea gave his money to ransom Gomer from the slave market Jesus gave His blood to ransom
us from sin. He said, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served,
but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) The
ransom price was Christ Himself. Paul wrote of Jesus, "Who gave himself a
ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy
2:6) The concept of redemption by blood is difficult for some to understand.
Satan has taken advantage of that and has used modern teachers to ridicule the
idea of salvation by the precious blood of Jesus. It was absolutely necessary
for Jesus to shed His blood for the remission of our sins.
The joy of reconciliation --
Hosea 3:1-5: Gomer provides a vivid picture
of how
The great word
"reconciliation" has the meaning of to "reunite after
separation." This is what happened with Hosea and Gomer.
This reconciliation happened with God and
Today is the
day when we should seriously consider God's goodness in providing redemption.
Will you not receive Christ as your Lord and Savior this day? To become a
Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans