Hosea can be a confusing book to read but once you understand it, you see that it is a beautiful story of God’s love. Open your Bibles and read Hosea 1-14. To help us understand better, we’ll break it down into sections.
The story of Hosea and Gomer is kind of a sad one. We see that Gomer continues to be unfaithful, and chooses her sin over her marriage. It is a heartbreaking tale that reminds us of the steadfast and faithful love God has for us even when we do not deserves it. This entire book points us to the gospel. This is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I don’t know about you but I am a Gomer. I wander, looking for something better; I fall into my sin, and I put worldly things before my God, BUT He still chooses me! He still comes after me, He still woos me, He still adores me, He still loves me. I can never do anything that will push Him away.
As we continue to read about Gomer we see that in the midst of her unfaithfulness to Hosea, Hosea does something that is a perfect example of what Christ has done for us. Gomer left Hosea for a time, and eventually, she was being sold on the market. Hosea’s love was so strong that he bought her back even though she had been unfaithful. When have you been unfaithful to God? That’s a strong question that we rarely stop to ask ourselves. Thankfully, He is always waiting for us with open arms.
The book of Hosea is a beautiful reminder that we have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). We have been redeemed with the price of the life of our Savior who loves us while we are sinners (Romans 5:8). Hosea and Gomer remind us that our sin never satisfies us- only Jesus can. It is a beautiful reminder that no matter what we have done or what we will do, God is right there with open arms- waiting. He loves us with a steadfast love that never fails. His love is greater than our sin. Even after all our unfaithfulness to Him, He waits with open arms, ready to welcome us home.
Let’s discuss what we just read. I have some questions that I want you to think about, write them down, and if you’d like to comment below we can discuss them together!
1. What did we learn about God and His character in the life of Gomer?
2. What character qualities, positive or negative, do we see in Gomer’s life?
3. What can I learn from Gomer’s story and apply it to my own life?
Obviously, no one wants to identify with Gomer (she isn’t exactly the heroine in this story), but it is in her imperfection that we are reminded of our own need for Jesus. How often do we push Him away and yet He is always there waiting to redeem and love us?
I hope you enjoy this study and decide to come back. Tomorrow we’ll learn about Elizabeth and see how God moved in her life. I hope you enjoy the beautiful sunset that was made by our loving Father and y’all have a wonderful night.