A Story of Restoration – Hosea 1:2; 3:1-3
The Story of Hosea offers a jarring illustration of Israel’s unfaithfulness and idolatry through the marriage of Hosea and Gomer. But the story of Hosea does not dwell on the actions of Gomer, but rather it emphasizes God's action through Hosea and the restoration we are all offered.
The prophets are messengers sent by God to call the People of God back to covenantal faithfulness. God is consistently faithful to his people, even when we fall short.
The Old Testament Covenant was an agreement between God and Israel. When a covenant is broken, the relationship is broken, and there is fallout from the broken relationship.
The prophet's invitation is to reflect and restore a broken covenant, coming back in relationship with God and restoring the faithfulness of Israel to the covenantal relationship.
When the covenant is restored, the people live as God has called them to live. They understand their calling as Kingdom people and live in that kingdom reality.
When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” Hosea 1:2
And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a bussell of barley. And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” Hosea 3:1-3
A Marriage:
God has chosen us from the beginning of time. He has pursued us.
Adultery:
The world was very chaotic around Hosea. Israel was split into two kingdoms. They were referred to the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. Hosea was from and lived in the Northern Kingdom. Kings of Israel kept getting assassinated. The Assyrians were pressuring the nation of Israel. So Israel had the choice to follow God or the gods of the nations around them.
Baal was the god of life and fertility. This is ironic because Baal was a false God. The people had the real God all along but chose to seek the other.
Illustration:The cactus is a very hardy plant. It can survive extreme weather. Going from Cold to intense heat. All the cactus needs is a little water and Sun. It can not live without the Sun. What kills the Cacti is over-watering. We are the same. All we need is God. But we tend to fill our lives with other things to replace God. We over water ourselves. We are committing Adultery to God when we try to replace him.
Restoration:
The story of Hosea does not dwell on the actions of Gomer. The story dwells on God's actions through Hosea. Buying his wife back. Cleaning her up. Restoring her.
Gomer is a picture of us.
Hosea is a picture of our God.
He will do whatever it takes to restore her to himself, even if she currently has no intention of changing her ways. - Eric J Tully
Each time you fall He’ll pick you up. He knows your own efforts are never going to bring you anywhere near perfection - CS Lewis
Other examples of restoration: David, Peter, Barnabas, Paul
Spiritual Practice:
We are not perfect, we have not arrived. One of the biggest lies today is we don't have to change. We do have to change EVERYDAY.
Abide in Christ
Accept the Forgiven Life
Prioritize a Jesus Community
