You know your life is going to get interesting... when God calls you to marry a hooker! The Old Testament Book of Hosea is about just that. God calls the prophet Hosea to marry a harlot, to exemplify the relationship God had with the nation of Israel. God was showing the nation of Israel just how far they had gone away from the one who was their Savior and Provider. Interestingly Hosea means "Salvation".
"...the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD." (Hosea 1:2)
Approximately 750 years before Christ the prophet of God was sent out to expose the shame and rebellion of the cherished nation. The people were spiritually bankrupt. In a time of prosperity... their leaders permitted them to them to practice idolatry, forsaking their true provider in Yahweh. There was a time when the name of God Almighty was revered... to the point that none would even attempt to pronounce it.
That was not a time of respect.... much like it is today.
As the account of Hosea unfolds... Hosea takes to himself Gomer, for his wife, and predictably she is unfaithful to Hosea. God instructs Hosea to take Gomer back, rather than divorce her... actually tells Hosea to pay her wages, and purchase her unto himself so that she would stay with him, buying her faithfulness. In this way God reveals to Israel that He has paid for their rebellion, and His willingness to take them back no matter what... but also what the consequences of their actions have brought upon themselves.... and their children.
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children."
(Hosea 4:6)
Our rebellion effects not only our lives but the lives of our children. We sometimes care little what happens to ourselves, yet the consequences to the next generation can be quite devastating. The interesting thing here, is that God doesn't demand sacrifice... He doesn't' want more promises, and more vows that cannot be fulfilled... He says that He only desires that we treat each other with love and mercy. With the same love and mercy that God was showing Israel... at a time of their worst, God gave His best.
"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hosea 6:6)
We should not think that the love and faithfulness of the Creator will prevent the natural consequences of our actions... as we plant, we shall also reap... if we put good seed into the ground, we will get a good harvest... and if we plant weeds only the opposite. Also, what ever we plant usually comes back 20 to 100 times more, a sobering though considering how we invest our lives!
"For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind" ..."Plant to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; till up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, untill He comes and rains righteousness on you." (Hosea 8:7, 10:12)
IF there was ever a time of unfaithfulness to God it would be now. Too many distractions and too little regard for consequences... living like there is no tomorrow, when there is an eternity. Many times in a crisis we hear from those in authority and leaders of our countries, that we should pray. How often when there is an "act of God" that causes enormous loss of life and tragic circumstances that we say our prayers are with those in such pain? What kind of message are we sending God?
IN prosperity we forget... AND only in tragedy we remember?
When it all unravels and and it will, when we are without hope...
...just remember God's message to us...
"O Israel, you have destroyed yourself; but in Me is your help."
(Hosea 13:9)