Reforming the Feminine ContentHosea Loves A Cheating Wife
I read from Hosea the other day. His wife was whoring around, but Hosea loved her and didn’t leave her (Hosea 1:2, 3:1).
…I will make you lie down in safety.
And I will betroth you to me forever,
I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice,
in steadfast love and in mercy.
I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.
And you shall know the Lord.
(Hosea 2:18-20)
I never wanted to relate myself to Hosea’s wife, yet we have very similar husbands. Because my husband is faithful, I know the Lord. Hosea probably had times when he wanted to let his wife go - cheating and whoring, but he obeys God. He’s facing judgment and shame from his friends, but he loves her.
Thank you, my love, for being Hosea to me. For showing me Jesus through your love.
I recently read most of Hosea, and was almost in disbelief at the first few paragraphs where God tells him to specifically marry an adulterous woman and have “children of whoredom.” I think it shows so powerfully that the purpose of marriage isn’t happiness, but holiness. Kind of like our relationship with God. I have been in awe after reading Hosea that God still loves us as we (His people) are much like Hosea’s wife.
A good book about marriages being about holiness rather than happiness is “Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas. MH has it in it’s bookstore.
Great post. Thanks!
What I love about Hosea is his obedience to God’s Will. How many people would turn their back and run away when God commands them to marry a prostitue like Gomer? Hosea is special, because he is given God’s heart. He is the only person in the story who truly understands God’s pain and anger for His people. Hosea is a foreshadowing of Christ in this picture. He marries Gomer and names his children not my people and no mercy. From the beginning, he is a bold and courageous prophet.
I love the part where Hosea buys back his wife. He does not buy her back because he is ashamed or desperate. He does it as a bold and courageous prophet. The way I see it, when Hosea buys his wife back, he is basically saying to the people “This is my wife in covenant and marriage, but I am going to pay for her, so that all you men know that I mean business.” He pays for her as a means of letting the men who have been commiting adultery with Gomer know that they need to stay away. If he did not do this act of buying her back the men in the story probably would not have taken Hosea seriously. They would have probably continued to pursue Hosea’s wife in adultery.
Then after he redeems his wife he confronts the people on their sin. What I love about this part of the story is that he lists adultery last.
“Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens and even the fish of the sea are taken away.” 4:1-3
This portion of Scripture reminds me of Romans chapter 1, where Paul is talking about the wrath of God and idolatry.
Hosea is really a great prophet, because like I said before he is given God’s heart. He had to marry a prostitute in order to preach God’s heart. Marrying Gomer was the only way that Hosea could preach what he preached and be as bold as he was.
He is a foreshadowing of Christ, because he shares God’s heart. He understands how God feels. He has special insight into God’s jealousy, wrath and anger. He is amazing.