Bible Commentaries

Hosea Takes Gomer Back

-- Hosea Three --

Gomer has gone back to her life of prostitution. This must have brought great grief to Hoses and to their children. God told Hosea to, "Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine." Gomer is being sold as a slave. Hosea goes to the slave market and buys her back with silver and barley. He said, "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley." (Hosea 3:2) He paid the price of a female slave to purchase his own wife back.

Hosea redeemed his wife. In a beautiful scene Hosea took Gomer from the slave market saying, "Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." (Hosea 3:3) This is a beautiful picture of how God will redeem Israel. This is an amazing picture of redemption. The picture God gave was a warning as to what sin did to them and of how beautiful redemption would be. He said, "the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days." (Hosea 3:4-5)

The ugliness of sin -- Hosea 3:1-5 : When you begin to talk about sin some get angry and others mourn its ugliness. Gomer had proven herself to be an unfaithful wife to the prophet of God. Israel had become unfaithful to the Lord and committed spiritual adultery. The picture of sin is always ugly. In every age and among every people sin has existed. There have always been things recognized as right or wrong. As far back as 2 Chronicles 6:36 the Bible says, "There is no man which sinneth not."

We see in Gomer that sin is the opposite of love, obedience and righteousness. (Romans 6:16-18) The Bible says of those that had become Christians, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Romans 6:16-18)

The effect of sin is horrible devastation. One look at Gomer or at the nation of Israel verifies that truth. Sin separates people from God. Isaiah wrote, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isaiah 59:1-2) Sin has extracts a very high price. The Bible says, "The way of the transgressor is hard." (Proverbs 13:15) Sin is the means by which death entered the world. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Romans 5:12) Hosea understood first hand the misery brought into the world by evil. The consequences of sin are horrible for individuals and for nations.

The beauty of love -- Hosea 3:1-5 : The love of Hosea for Gomer was an amazing thing. The love of God for Israel was even more amazing. Love is revealed by our actions. God told Hosea to "Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine." Was he able to love this woman? Observe his actions, "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley." We are even allowed to hear his words of love, "Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." (Hosea 3:2-3)

Love is not merely an emotion. Love demands actions. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Even though Gomer did not love Hosea, He loved God and "Love obeys." Love just keeps on walking in God's will. Hosea loved Gomer. It was very painful to him to have his love rejected by his own wife. It was terrible painful to God to have His love rejected by Israel. Nothing is more painful to the loving person than to have his love rejected.

The power of redemption -- Hosea 3:1-5 : The idea of redemption is similar to the practice of purchasing a slave and then allowing him to go free. It implies the payment of a price was made. Gomer was redeemed at the slave market by Hosea for "fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley." (Hosea 3:2) Today our redemption is in Christ. Paul wrote, "Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory." (2 Timothy 2:10) The price that was paid for our redemption was the precious blood of Jesus. Peter wrote, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Just as Hosea gave his money to ransom Gomer from the slave market Jesus gave His blood to ransom us from sin. He said, "Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28) The ransom price was Christ Himself. Paul wrote of Jesus, "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." (1 Timothy 2:6) The concept of redemption by blood is difficult for some to understand. Satan has taken advantage of that and has used modern teachers to ridicule the idea of salvation by the precious blood of Jesus. It was absolutely necessary for Jesus to shed His blood for the remission of our sins.

The joy of reconciliation -- Hosea 3:1-5 : Gomer provides a vivid picture of how Israel had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. God is righteous; He cannot condone sin. However, He also gave them a promise of redemption for Israel. "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days." (Hosea 3:5) This verse also looked to the day that God accomplished reconciliation by sending His own Son to atone for our sins. God reconciled us unto Himself by Jesus Christ.

The great word "reconciliation" has the meaning of to "reunite after separation." This is what happened with Hosea and Gomer. This reconciliation happened with God and Israel. Reconciliation between the God and the sinner can now take place by the precious blood of Jesus. He paid the price for our sins so God could forgive us without violating His own righteousness.

Today is the day when we should seriously consider God's goodness in providing redemption. Will you not receive Christ as your Lord and Savior this day? To become a Christian you must hear the gospel (Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37), and be baptized in order to be saved. (1 Peter 3:21) When you obey God you will be redeemed by the blood of Christ. Your sins will be washed away (Acts 22:16) and you will be reconciled to God. (Romans 5:10)