27. Hosea

Well, I have heard about some tough assignments, but I think Hosea’s task really does take the biscuit. By now, you will probably be getting the picture that to be a prophet meant to live a life completely surrendered to God. However, in Hosea’s case this also massively affected the woman he married and the names he gave his children. Talk about having your eyes on eternity, I don’t think Hosea could have done this any other way.

A few years ago, my wife and I both acknowledged that God was calling me out of my career in I.T. and into church leadership. It was a tough decision and one that we didn’t make lightly. We knew that I would earn much more money in computing than in ministry and the particular role that I would be taking up was in a church that certainly had its challenges. In all honesty, we did wrestle with the decision, we found it a difficult one to make, but ultimately following God’s call was our primary commitment.

I am sure that the conversation between God and Hosea was quite tricky, but ultimately Hosea was fully committed to being God’s man. And that is why this book has so many lessons for us all.

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Idea 1: God’s love is powerful and strong The book of Hosea is literally peppered, from start to finish, with the Gospel. It is literally all about God’s love for his people and the lengths he will go to in order to save them. If you get some time, read the book of Hosea from start to finish, you will certainly appreciate how much pain God goes through on our behalf.

The crux of the book is that Israel is a nation that is habitually unfaithful to God. They may well claim to love and serve Him, but they keep on getting their heads turned by other gods. In order to illustrate this to the people, God calls Hosea to marry a prostitute, knowing that she will be unfaithful to him. This picture is heart-breaking, and you will not be surprised to discover that Hosea cannot even be sure that all Gomer’s children are his.

I recently spent some time with a guy who was going through a messy divorce. There were issues on both sides, but the absolute breaking point for their marriage was that he had had an affair. Even after the truth had all come out, he was finding it impossible to take any responsibility. 

Sometimes, we are like this with God. Just think about the number of Christian guys struggling to kick a secret porn habit. Maybe it isn’t quite as stark as that for you, but how many of us are putting our work, or our personal comfort before serving God. 

I think it was A.W. Tozer who once said that the last thing a man generally surrenders to God is his wallet. The amazing truth is that God’s love for us never diminishes even when we choose not to give Him our all.

•  In what areas of your life are you struggling to submit to God?

•  Have you ever been honest with a band of trusted brothers about your internal struggles? Why not make a commitment now to become accountable to your mates?

Ideas 2: A sacrificial life Hosea was an incredible man, even considering the high bar set by Old Testament prophets. We all have hopes, dreams, and aspirations and I am sure that Hosea was no different to us in this regard. Yet because of his determined focus on God, he was willing to let that go and live a sacrificial life in obedience to God.

Not only did he marry the prostitute that God told him to marry, but he also took her back after they had got divorced. The act of laying aside your hopes, dreams and aspirations, and choosing to lay your life down for the good of others is literally Christ-like. And that I believe is the point of this story. 

The challenge that Hosea presents to us is that he chose to continue loving and forgiving his wife, even though she kept betraying him and being unfaithful. The book of Hosea does not make it clear whether or not Gomer ever did truly receive his love and become faithful to him. However, it does make it clear that Hosea kept on loving her unconditionally.

What we do know is that Israel did return to God.

In chapter 3 (that you read in preparation for this session) we read: “But later, Israel will turn back to the Lord their God and to David their king. At that time, they will come back to the Lord with fear and trembling,and he will be good to them.”

Ultimately, it would take Jesus going to the cross to pay the price for our sin and unfaithfulness. In an even greater way than Hosea, Jesus gave up his life to bring you and me back to God.

•  In what ways are you able to live sacrificially for God?

•  Can you be like Hosea and say, “I will love those around me and keep forgiving, even when they have betrayed me”?

Actions

Take some time to meditate on the sacrifice of Jesus once again. Why not grab your Bible and re-read the crucifixion and resurrection accounts in the gospels? Let the truth of God’s love permeate your whole being once again. We all have areas in our lives where we are less than faithful to God, confess and repent of these areas in the company of your brothers. 

One other action: think through how you might be able to demonstrate the love and patience of God to those around too.