Hosea - a message for today?

So what can Hosea a prophet from the 8th century BC and his world possibly say to us today? 

The faith is being corrupted and 'new' thinking is destroying the very roots of what people believe, falling church attendance and other issues inside the church all bring stress and increasing defiance of what God has been heard to say and be. There's unemployment, money problems, crime and the like outside the doors of the church. Politicians appear dodgy and each is as bad as the other. Standards are falling and fighting and freed are everywhere. Of course I’ve been speaking about Hosea’s world but I wonder how many of you thought I was speaking about our world today? Hosea lived in turbulent times - the decline and fall of Israel (722BC).

Hosea was a straight-talking, honest to the point of bluntness, prophet who was called to prophesy during this time in his nation’s life, called to tell the people to get their lives back on track with their God. It is both an historic account and a book rich with symbolism – a sort of Jonah where the whale is replaced by unfaithful marriage!  God tells Hosea to marry a woman called Gomer. Some say a lady with a ‘past’, others teach she slipped and fell after the marriage – the reality is that she certainly, with Hosea, had a present! Not only that, but to have such an upright, righteous and religiously sound man as Hosea marry this woman was a shocker in itself. A bit like Gordon Brown being married to (well, I’ll let you insert your favourite personality of ill-repute here).

Gomer is sucked into adultery and prostitution as little more than a sex-slave (and that’s still the reality for many women, even today) who need to be bought back by Hosea (the term for this is 'redeemed'). Can you imagine how you’d feel if your son or daughter had to go buy their partner back from a brothel (and pay well because they were good earners)? How would you feel it if were you? Good riddance perhaps?  Ever brought a ‘nice’ person home and had them disapproved of, if so, how do you think the Gomer situation would have done then? Certainly not an easy or comfortable existence while she's around!

Hosea was following a different path – he was obeying God and regardless of opinion and ridicule, being shunned, the comments and the pointing fingers. Hosea used his situation to point out that what was going on in his world was no different from the world of Israel and that his life was merely a mirror to the world – what was reflected was their truth!

Here, in a covenant relationship just like marriage, Israel had strayed from the God who had brought them out of captivity in Egypt and had introduced others (god) into the relationship – they had spiritually strayed where Gomer had strayed morally! The result of both straying parties was things that demonstrated clearly the error, and yet both continued (Israel and Gomer) in their sins. Can you imagine what it would be to wake up and find the focus of your love had gone off with another – this was Hosea’s and God’s reality.

The people of God were worshipping pagan idols (we call them ‘Baals’ as a generic term) in their quest for ‘more’ when what they wanted was closer to home!

The children from Gomer’s activities were given names that spoke of the reality of her straying. Names like ‘not mine’, and ‘unloved’ and as the children came, so too did the separation until there was no relationship or contact left. Much like many in the world with God today – they have sought ‘more’ and ended up with no relationship and eventually ‘less’.. Moves to restore the relationship by purchasing her (at a great cost in terms of money and face) she strays away again and again. This was the same reality for the people of Israel – they just kept straying! Gomer fell prey to the attractive things that were on offer, sex, drugs, money and so had Israel, just like today’s world – see any parallels and message for today?

So Hosea acts as a watchman and warns his nation that the rejection of God and the breaking of the relationship will lead to just one thing  - ruin! But they don’t listen and eventually the Assyrians come knocking, occupying the land and like Gomer, becoming slaves as a result of their infidelity.

The parallels continue, for although Hosea could have demanded death for Gomer because of her lifestyle and rejection of him (how tempting) he does as God commands and takes her back! He had to go and find her and, despite the protestations of friends and family, and take Gomer back – giving her another chance. Restoration, renewal and forgiveness – not forgetting what had been done, not excusing it, but still opening the door and inviting her back into the relationship. In this, what God was doing through Hosea was offering take Israel ack.

In this little book tucked away in the OT we hear God’s promise to them and to us today regardless of what we have become or how far we have strayed from Him. The message is that the door is open for us to return. He has indeed sought us out and purchased us with a great price, the blood of Christ, and the humiliation that is the cross. (Ro 8: 30 – 39):

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What we do has brings with it consequences. Actions bring reactions and realities and just as we seek to have our own way we must also realise that these choices bring their own reward – that’s where a faithful and continuingly generous God comes in – Oh that the world would today listen and hear His voice.

We applaud fidelity in marriage and yet we all too often turn a blind eye to people 'Playing away' with regard to their relationship with God. There are many who bear the names, ‘Not mine’ and ‘unloved’ who feel the reality of that in their lives – O that they would realise the shame and cost that has been paid that they might return to the relationship with God.

Hosea redeems Gomer - it's costly, it's humiliating, it restores relationships and it's all for the redemption of another. Ring any bells (clue - Sunday's coming?)