God paid for our sins with the death of His only son, and he is willing to love us again and again because of this unconditional love. As Hosea went back to pay a lot of money for her wife, Gomer, God is willing to accept you back into His fold if you decide to turn to Him today.
I have found that the most common misunderstanding and ignorance most people are battling with today is tied to their past. They have a very strong notion that the level and the depth of their sins and iniquities can never allow them to have a relationship with the father. I once had a friend, whose argument with me when we talked about God was that she could never attend church. So I once asked her why, and she confessed to me “I will only be stricken dead by God at the entrance of the church because my sins are so many and I am sure He can’t forgive me”. It took me months to convince her to follow me to church, and finally, after a series of countless invites when she attended, she was not killed by God at the entrance of the church building.
“When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea:
“Go, take yourself a wife
of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For the land has committed great [a]harlotry
By departing from
the Lord.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to him: (Hosea 1:2-4)
It is noteworthy to know that it does not stop with my friend alone. A lot of Christians in the church today do not have the understanding of the depth of the love of Christ towards mankind. Once they commit a sin, they stay away from God and a vacuum is created by their drawing back from where they are supposed to be in Christ Jesus.
God married her bride Israel: (Hosea 1:1-3) “The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the day of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son”.
God instructed Hosea the prophet to go and marry Gomer, a harlot…a very popular harlot for that matter. After marrying the harlot, she gave birth and after some time, she went back to her prostitution business.
Application: God took Israel as a bride despite the fact the she was after other gods and idols and worshipping them.
Refs: 1 John 3:1 – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
Psalms 36:7a – “How precious is Your loving kindness, O God!”
Romans 5:8 – “8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners…”
Hosea 3:1-3; “1. Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a loverand is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
Israel went Astray, but God paid for her for His love: Hosea 3:1-3; “1. Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a loverand is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.”
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you.”
Application:
God paid for our sins with the death of His only son, and he is willing to love us again and again because of this unconditional love. As Hosea went back to pay a lot of money for her wife, Gomer, God is willing to accept you back into His fold if you decide to turn to Him today.
Refs: Romans 5:6-8 – “6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
John 15:13 – “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Have you strayed away? You are still loved:
Remember the story of the prodigal son?
He went and wasted all the love of his father, but when he came back, the father ran towards him and embraced him with an open arm…just as Hosea went after his strayed wife and paid a lot of money to get her back.
Various Manners of Going Astray
Strayed into an habitual secret sin
Strayed into unbelief
Stayed into sorrow
Strayed into Idolatry
Strayed into enmity with God
God is calling you today if you have strayed in any way. He loves you and wants you back at any cost. As you respond, the Almighty God will bless and keep you.
The Call to the Altar
Is there anyone who wants to submit to this call for the first time or re-present your case to God? Please you can approach Him boldly today, as He will accept you and grant you a new beginning.
