Lake Eufaula Christian Church
Love can change lives. It is incredibly powerful, as God demonstrates with the prophet Hosea whom he asked to marry a prostitute. God sought to not only change the prostitute, but also the nation of Israel.
During Hosea’s era, Israel was more prosperous than ever before. Unfortunately, they gave all the glory to ungodly, foreign idols and chased after allegiances with wicked kings. Breaking their special covenant with God, the nation strayed from home like a cheating spouse. In God’s eyes, they had prostituted themselves for worldly riches.
Because God asked him to, Hosea married a harlot named Gomer and they had three kids. Despite the love that Hosea lavished on his wife, she abandoned her family, and “became “a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks.’” (Hosea 2:5) Although Hosea was ready to give up on Gomer, God wasn’t. He told Hosea, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them. (Hosea 3:1) God’s plan was to make Gomer’s life difficult. “I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won’t be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, ‘I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now.’” (Hosea 2:6-7) Instead of returning to Hosea, she sank and became a slave, but Hosea “bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.” (Hosea 3:2) This fascinating story of the love between a faithful husband and an unfaithful wife is truthfully a story about a faithful God and us. Like Gomer, we are guilty of unfaithfulness to God. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) Like Hosea, God took an active role in pursuing His bride. He promised to “lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” (Hosea 2:14) Sometimes we must be in the wilderness— the gutter at the bottom of ourselves— before we’re ready to acknowledge the wisdom and goodness of God.
Nevertheless, even when we’re unfaithful, God is faithful and will take us back.
God loves His unfaithful bride with such a perfect, boundless love that it heals broken hearts and ruined relationships. “I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.” (Hosea 2:19, 20) At LECC we acknowledge the Lord, knowing our sin is strong, but our Savior is stronger. Please join us for 10 a.m. Sunday School, 11 a.m. worship, and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night classes for all ages. God wants all to quit committing spiritual adultery and turn hearts back to Him. Let’s fulfill His command! If you’ve been running away from God, the return trip back to Him is only one step. Come home.
God Bless You!
Jeremy Little, Minister
