God's+Love+in+Hosea

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=** Israel’s Turning Away From Their First Love **=

** Israel and Idols **
Throughout it’s history, Israel has always worshipped idols along with God, and at times, did not worship God at all, but just idols. When God brought Israel out of Egypt and was establishing them as a nation, he told them to not make any idols (Ex. 34:17). The Lord chose Israel to be His people, and he would He their God; they were not to worship idols (Lev. 19:4). During the conquest of Canaan led by Joshua, the Israelites were commanded by God to leave no survivors (Josh. 9:24), so that there would not be intertwining of foreign cultures, but Israel let the Gibeonites (Josh. 9) and the Philistines (Josh. 16) live. Israel did not wipe out all of the nations and so were susceptible to those cultures influencing them. Israel became known for assimilating with other nations through marriage, sharing of cultures, and especially idols. A nation is usually characterized by how their king acts, and throughout Israel’s history there are many corrupted kings who welcome idols instead of destroy them (1 Kings 12:25-33, 15:33, 16:19). Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, the king of Israel, intermarried and his heart was turned to other gods (1 Kings 11:2-4). Israel continues on in their idolatry until King Hezekiah comes along and abolishes all idols and turns the country back to the Lord (2 Kings 18:4). This lasts until Hezekiah’s death and his son Manasseh becomes king and rebuilds all the idols that his father tore down and the nation became enthralled with idols (2 Kings 21). Israel had fallen away from their first love, which is God.

** Gomer and Hosea **
The book of Hosea concerns God’s loyal love for His covenant people, Israel, in spite of their idolatry. [i] But God calls Hosea to take Gomer (who is most likely a temple prostitute) to be his wife. God wanted Hosea to be a living example of God’s relationship with Israel. Marriage demonstrates the richest form of love [ii] that is why God uses Hosea and Gomer’s marriage to illustrate his love for Israel. When the Lord commands Hosea to take Gomer as his wife, the Lord says plainly, Israel is like an adulterous wife (Hosea 1:2). The first chapter of Hosea shows Gomer had three kids while married to Hosea, but strongly implies two of them were not Hosea’s. Hosea then had to buy her back because she loved another man (Hosea 3:1-3). It was obvious that Gomer did not love Hosea. “Need we say how much the heart of the prophet was wounded over the shameful conduct of his wife? Of how much greater wounding was the conduct of Israel toward God?” [iii] God is a jealous God (Ex. 20:5). Gomer is an unfaithful wife but never does Hosea complain or question why he is married to her. Hosea does not divorce her because of her unfaithfulness when he has every right to.

=** God’s Love For His People **=

** God’s Righteous Judgment and Call to Repentance **
When the book of Hosea is not about Hosea’s marriage, it is about God and Israel. A major theme seen throughout is God’s judging love towards Israel. God’s relationship with Israel is likened to the marriage relationship, but God is also the perfect judge; his love for Israel is made up of more than just love, but also judgment. He judges because he has to; he has to call Israel back to him and they do not get the message unless they are judged. There is a lot of corruption in Israel and it starts with the leadership (Hosea 4:4). God has a case against Israel (Hosea 4:1) and it shows how shameful and embarrassing God views sin [iv]. There are two kinds of questions about a woman’s love in a marriage relationship: does she love her husband? And does she love him more than anything else? Israel does not love God, and loves idols more than him. And God will tolerate no rival. God promises to make Israel poor and shameful, taking away their crops and other things; he gives them a taste of their own medicine. God gave Israel grain and prosperity, but Israel took it and used it for another (Hosea 2:8). God will destroy their vines and fig trees (Hosea 2:12) because Israel prospers when those prosper. God tells them that what they did to him, will be done to them.

If someone acted towards a person like Israel did to God, it would not be easy to forgive. But God calls Israel back to him; he charges them to repent. He wounded Israel, but He will bandage them (Hosea 6:1). He will raise them up, that they may live before Him (Hosea 6:2). God wants them to be His again. If Israel turns to God, He will resurrect her. God wants loyalty; He wants Israel to turn back to him. God desires a true repentance, which is a 180-degree turn from what Israel was doing.

** God’s Unconditional Love **
The pure fact alone that God continues to love Israel even though she commits adultery is evidence that this love is powerful. The imagery one gets when they look at Gomer is just a despicable one; same when they look at Israel, to see all the abomination and wickedness that Israel is. It is very difficult to love someone who is despicable, and God asks, “Is this how you love me?” God gave them so much and loved them and they threw it all away, but still he loved them with a deep, deep love. He loved Israel foremost, and did not love her more than anything else. “God never enjoined upon Hosea a task of which He could not be a partaker, when he bade the prophet to love ‘a woman beloved of her friend’” [v], in other words, God could not tell Hosea to do something that he wouldn’t or couldn’t do. God shows His love to be incredible. In his judgment, he brings Israel down to the point of death, but then He ransoms them from the power of Sheol (Hosea 13:12). God’s love extends beyond the grave. A human marriage contract of love is “until death due us part,” but God’s love goes beyond that. His love for his people surpasses any human love that one can think of. Just imagine loving someone with all your heart, when they disgrace you, do not even love you back, reject you, commit adultery, take what you give them and give it to other lovers; this is how God loves Israel.

=** Comparison to 1 Corinthians 13 **=

1 Corinthians 13 is the great love chapter of the Bible. It describes attributes of love, which are really attributes of God. “Love is patient” (1 Cor. 13:4): How patient was God with Israel? Well he endured their idolatry. God’s patience was an active patience though. He did not wait for Israel to turn back to him, he told them to and pronounced judgment on them and sent prophets to them. “Love is kind” (1 Cor. 13:4): God gave Israel so much that they squandered. He withheld much of what they deserved. “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8): God never fails. He always comes through for Israel when he says he will. “Love keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Cor. 13:5): God told Israel how they dishonored his name, but he threw it aside after that. He did not hold their iniquities against them. God is the perfect demonstration of love defined in 1 Corinthians 13.

[i] John MacArthur, // The MacArthur Study Bible: Revised & Updated Version. // Revised. (Thomas Nelson, 2006). [ii] Ibid. [iii] Charles L. Feinberg, // Minor Prophets // (Moody Publishers, 1990). [iv] Ibid. [v] Ibid.

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