June 18

Hosea and Gomer- what a story! And what a name! Maybe she was very beautiful but I just have a vision of a woman named Gomer and is not pretty. Especially after she has had a self-inflicted hard life and Hosea buys her back from slavery.

God sees Israel as his wife and so He doesn't just paint a word picture or share a vision- He has Hosea live it! And he apparently marries Gomer knowing full well that she will be unfaithful. Just like Israel commited spiritual adultry, Gomer is unfaithful to Hosea. And God even asks Hosea to name his children after things which remind him of unfaithfulness of his wife (and Israel). It seems like Hosea's job is hard enough, trying to peach to Israel to repent and leave the foreign God's and idols....but to ask him to do this? We don't see any reluctantance, just servanthood and obedience. The last child born Lo-ammi means 'not my people' or 'no kin of mine' and (according to one account I read) was probably the result of one of the adulterous relationships and was not Hoseas.

After Gomer leaves Hosea and he gets wind that she has been deserted, it would be a normal, human reaction to think, "Well, she got what she deserved". But God tells him go and buy her out of slavery (a homer for a Gomer?). And he willingly does. How could anyone love that much? God obviously enabled him too because of His great love for His people even though they were deep in sin. We should be all the more able to love and forgive since we have the Holy Spirit living in us. Tough assignment!!