God’s wayward bride
hosea 1-3
Main Idea: Despite our spiritual adultery, the Lord graciously calls us back to himself as our husband.
I. Marriage & Our Husband (1:2)
Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was to be a prophetic picture of the Lord’s marriage to his covenant people, Israel (cf. Jer. 2-4, Ezek. 16, Isa. 54:5, 62:4-5). Throughout Hosea’s prophetic message, he emphasizes the Lord’s special, covenant relationship with Israel (cf. 11:1; 13:4), reflecting the larger OT story of God “setting his love upon them and choosing them” in keeping with his covenant promises (cf. Deut. 7:7-8).
[The prophets] retell the whole story of Israel in a new way – as a tragic romance. The Lord gave himself to Israel in a pure and holy marriage. He pledged himself to her to be her God, for all that that means, and she consented to be his, for all that that means. He promised to guide her infallibly, protect her fiercely, and fulfill her satisfyingly. She promised to love him, obey him, honor him. But this most sacred marriage relationship failed miserably. Though the divine husband was faithful, true, and generous, the bride sold out. She gave herself away to many lovers many times. And she was not shy about it. She hurled herself with abandon into her pattern of open and even compulsive adultery.
~ Ray Ortlund, Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel
II. Adultery & Her Children (1:4-11)
Hosea’s marriage to unfaithful Gomer is clearly communicating that sin is not merely the breaking of the law or the transgression of a commandment; at its deeper level all sin is spiritual adultery against the Lord, our husband. The prophets use the language of ‘whore’ or ‘whoredom’ more than 60x to describe this spiritual adultery.
This sin and spiritual adultery has consequences. The children of Gomer represent different aspects of this:
‘Jezreel’ represents the “scattering” and judgment on Israel that is to come, like the massacre of the house of Ahab in the past
‘Lo-Ruhama’ means “no mercy,” as the Lord will “carry them away” into exile (cf. 3:4)
‘Lo-Ammi’ which means ‘not my people,” as the Lord will initiate a kind of divorce with Israel
Despite the Lord’s righteous response of judgment to Israel’s sin, there is a tension that runs throughout the book. Despite the unfaithfulness of his “bride,” the Lord still graciously promises to keep his covenant promises (1:10-2:1); Hosea oscillates back and forth between his righteous judgment and his steadfast mercy and love.
III. Redemption & Our Savior (2:14-3:5)
Despite Israel’s spiritual adultery, the Lord is a jealous God (cf. Ex. 34:14) who will show unbelievable grace and mercy by:
Tenderly wooing and ‘alluring’ his people back to himself (2:14-15)
Saving and securing them (2:16-18)
Redeeming them in a renewed covenant relationship (2:19-23)
The mystery of grace revealed here is a promise of covenant renewal—although even the word renewal is weak, for this oracle promises not merely the reinvigoration of the old marriage but the creation of a new one. A fresh betrothal, as if Israel were starting out again as a pure virgin, is set before the corrupted nation as their future hope. The declaration ‘I will betroth you to me’ appears three times with emphatic force... It is striking that a premarital term is exploited by the prophet to portray Israel’s future. The positive function of this is not to suggest that God intends to stop short of a full marriage with Israel but rather to suggest the unspoiled newness of their union on that day. The ugly past will be forgotten and they will start over again, as if nothing had ever gone wrong. And unlike the first marriage, which was such a disaster that it could not be salvaged, this new marriage will last forever, strengthened by the moral qualities of righteousness and justice, steadfast love and mercy—all of which translate into a marriage secured by faithfulness.
~ Ray Ortlund, God’s Unfaithful Wife: A Biblical Theology of Spiritual Adultery
However, in order for the Lord to act in this way toward his people, it would come at a cost (3:1ff). Hosea is commanded to “go again” and “buy back” Gomer, who is loved and owned by another man in her adulterous affairs and idolatrous worship. Symbolically, though exile is coming (3:4), there is a day when the people of God will return to him through the promised offspring of David (3:5).
This picture of redemption sets the stage for our ultimate redemption in Jesus, who entered the marketplace of sin and bought us back “not by silver or gold, but by the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19). The mystery of marriage is the profound reality of Christ’s love for his bride, the church (Eph. 5:32) which will be fully consummated at the marriage supper of Lamb that awaits us in the future (Rev. 19:6ff).
1 Peter 2:9–10: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
