Hosea 3
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Then said the Lord unto me, 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.
2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
3 And I said unto her, 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.
4 For 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:
5 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.
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Commentary
Going back to the time of Moses, God allowed the men of Israel to divorce their wives in the case of fornication and adultery (Deuteronomy 24:1; Matthew 19:9). However, even in the case of adultery and fornication, if Hosea still loved his wife, he was supposed to bring her back to himself and restore their husband-and-wife relationship. The Israelites forsook their God, but their Husband still loved Israel and wanted to restore His relationship with His wife Israel.
The God of Israel is the enduring God who appeared to Jacob at Penuel before he crossed the Jabbok River (Gen. 32:24-28). Jacob showed his endurance before God, and the Lord gave Jacob a new name: Israel, which means (“God contends,” also “God endures”). This was a promise to the people of Israel that God would be patient and show endurance in dealing with His people.
How thankful we can be that our God is a loving God who endures and shows patience in His dealing with us! He wants to continue His relationship with us in a matrimonial covenant relationship even now.
Yoshitaka Kobayashi
Japan
