In our quest to discover our true identity in God, we looked today at the book of Hosea, a prophet who preached in the northern kingdom of Israel during the troubled times before the fall of Samaria in 721 BC. He was especially concerned about the idolatry of the people and their faithlessness towards God, and in the opening chapters of his book, we see Hosea ‘living this out’ in his own life. In what is possibly one of the most shocking things we ever read in the Bible, he is told by God to “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2) His very life becomes a living parable of Israel’s unfaithfulness and God’s faithfulness.
The children Gomer bears to Hosea are given names which symbolise what is happening in the nation: Jezreel (as punishment for what happened there (Hos 1:4-5)), Lo-Ruhamah (‘not loved’) and Lo-Ammi (‘not my people’) (Hos 1:6-9). Moreover, Hosea is urged to take Gomer back, even after adultery, as a symbol of God’s unfailing love even when His people have abandoned Him. (Hos 3:1) Despite the shocking living parable Hosea presents, with its reminder of judgment, we see that God remains faithful, offering a door of hope to His people in the Valley of Achor (trouble) (Hos 2:15) and the hope that once again they will be known as His people. (Hos 2:23)
The Bible story is a love story, a story of God’s unfailing love towards His people. Jer 31:3-4 and Isaiah 54:6-8 testify to this unfailing love and the New Testament echoes this truth (see John 3:16-17, Luke 15:20). Even though discipline and judgment come to us when we stray from God and this is painful to bear, this is intended to restore us (see Heb 12:5-11). John assures us twice in his first letter that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and Paul is convinced that nothing will be able to separate us from God’s love in Christ. (Rom 8:35-39). The Bible reminds us that we are loved people. God loves us. He loves us with an everlasting love, with an unfailing and unchanging love. That gives us reasons to hope, to be positive, to keep going, no matter what. If God loves the unlovable, there is hope for us all!
