Day 339

Hosea 1:1–3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8

TODAY WE BEGAN the prophetic book of Hosea, which brought us into the final grouping of books in the Old Testament —the Minor Prophets. There are twelve books in this grouping, beginning with Hosea and ending with Malachi, so we’ll obviously be moving through them rapidly as we make our final push to the end of the year.

Hosea likely lived in the eighth century BC and saw the disintegration and destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel, which was his homeland. Many scholars believe that Hosea’s prophecies were collected together in the southern kingdom of Judah, after the Assyrian conquest and exile of Israel.

The theme of marriage was often used in the Bible to represent God’s love for the people with whom He was in covenant. This theme is vividly captured in Hosea and is a fitting metaphor, because we’ve often observed God’s people chasing other gods and committing spiritual adultery.

When placed in the context of marriage, God’s reaction to the betrayal of His people is understandable —He is a scorned lover who is heartbroken with longing for His lost love. Nowhere in the Bible is this more clearly presented than in the book of Hosea, because God instructed Hosea to use his very life to speak as living prophecy.

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. This represented the idolatry, adultery, and harlotry of Israel. The couple had children together, and at God’s instruction, each child was given a prophetic name that spoke directly to Israel. Eventually, Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea, and he divorced her, representing God’s casting away of Israel. Then, in an about-face, Hosea was sent in pursuit of Gomer once again. Hosea had to buy back the woman who had played the harlot and committed adultery —which he did —representing the lengths God was willing to go to in order to be reunited with those He loves.

The portrayal of God’s love is potent in the book of Hosea, because it is a picture of His love for each of us. It forces us to look at the ways we continue to betray the lover of our souls and compels us to see the impact it has on His heart.

MEDITATION:

“But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. When that day comes,” says the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’”