Then the LORD said to me, "Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and offer raisin cakes to idols." Then the LORD said to meThis phrase indicates divine communication, emphasizing the prophetic nature of Hosea's actions. The LORD's direct instruction to Hosea underscores the authority and authenticity of the message. Prophets often received direct words from God, as seen with Isaiah ( Isaiah 6:8) and Jeremiah ( Jeremiah 1:4-5). Go show love to your wife again
Hosea is commanded to demonstrate love to his wife, Gomer, symbolizing God's enduring love for Israel despite their unfaithfulness. This act of love is not merely emotional but involves commitment and action, reflecting the covenantal love God has for His people. though she is loved by another and is an adulteress
Gomer's unfaithfulness represents Israel's spiritual adultery through idolatry. The historical context shows Israel's alliances with foreign nations and gods, paralleling Gomer's infidelity. This mirrors the spiritual adultery condemned in Jeremiah 3:6-10. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites
Hosea's love for Gomer is to mirror God's steadfast love for Israel. This typifies Christ's love for the Church, as seen in Ephesians 5:25, where Christ's sacrificial love is the model for marital love. though they turn to other gods
Israel's idolatry is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, with the worship of Baal and Asherah being prevalent. This turning away from God is akin to spiritual adultery, as highlighted in Exodus 34:15-16 and Judges 2:11-13. and love to offer raisin cakes to idols
Raisin cakes were likely used in pagan rituals, symbolizing Israel's participation in idolatrous practices. This detail highlights the cultural and religious syncretism of the time, where Israel adopted Canaanite religious customs, contrary to Deuteronomy 7:5-6. Persons / Places / Events 1. HoseaA prophet of God, called to deliver God's message to the Israelites. His life and marriage serve as a symbolic representation of God's relationship with Israel. 2. GomerHosea's wife, who is described as an adulteress. Her unfaithfulness symbolizes Israel's unfaithfulness to God. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The God of Israel, who commands Hosea to love Gomer as a demonstration of His own steadfast love for Israel. 4. IsraelitesThe people of Israel, who are depicted as unfaithful to God by turning to other gods. 5. Sacred Raisin CakesThese were offerings associated with idol worship, symbolizing Israel's infidelity to God. Teaching Points Unconditional LoveHosea's love for Gomer, despite her unfaithfulness, mirrors God's unconditional love for His people. We are called to love others, even when it is difficult. Symbol of RedemptionHosea's actions symbolize God's willingness to redeem and restore those who have strayed. This encourages us to seek reconciliation and forgiveness in our relationships. Faithfulness in AdversityHosea's obedience to God's command, despite personal pain, teaches us the importance of faithfulness to God's will, even in challenging circumstances. Idolatry and DistractionThe reference to "sacred raisin cakes" highlights how easily we can be distracted by worldly pleasures and idols, drawing us away from our devotion to God. Reflecting God's LoveAs believers, we are called to reflect God's love in our interactions, demonstrating grace and mercy to those around us. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Hosea's relationship with Gomer reflect God's relationship with Israel, and what does this teach us about God's character? 2. In what ways can we demonstrate unconditional love to those who have wronged us, following Hosea's example? 3. What are some modern-day "sacred raisin cakes" or distractions that can lead us away from our relationship with God? 4. How can Hosea's obedience to God's difficult command inspire us to remain faithful in our own challenging situations? 5. How does the theme of redemption in Hosea 3:1 connect with the New Testament message of Christ's love for the church? Connections to Other Scriptures Hosea 1:2This verse introduces the symbolic nature of Hosea's marriage to Gomer, setting the stage for the themes of unfaithfulness and redemption. Jeremiah 3:20This passage also uses the metaphor of marital unfaithfulness to describe Israel's relationship with God. Ephesians 5:25This New Testament verse calls husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church, echoing the sacrificial love Hosea is called to show. People David, Hosea, IsraelitesPlaces JezreelTopics Adulteress, Beloved, Cakes, Flagons, Friend, Gods, Grape-cakes, Husband, Israelites, Love, Loved, Lover, Lovers, Loves, Loveth, Paramour, Raisin, Raisin-cakes, Raisins, Sacred, Sons, Though, Towards, Turn, Turning, Wife, Wine, YetDictionary of Bible Themes Hosea 3:1 1085 God, love of
4404 food
4458 grape
5277 criminals
5709 marriage, purpose
5717 monogamy
6189 immorality, examples
8299 love, in relationships Hosea 3:1-2 4363 silver
5242 buying and selling Hosea 3:1-3 5702 husband
5712 marriage, God and his people
6242 adultery Hosea 3:1-5 7775 prophets, lives Library Whether Devils have Faith
Whether Devils Have Faith We proceed to the second article thus: 1. It seems that devils do not have faith. For Augustine says that "faith depends on the will of those who believe" {De Praed. Sanct. 5). Now the will whereby one wills to believe in God is good. But there is no deliberate good will in devils. Hence it seems that devils do not have faith. 2. Again, faith is a gift of grace, according to Eph. 2:8: "For by grace ye are saved through faith . . . it is the gift of God." Now the gloss on …
Aquinas—Nature and GraceThe Millennium in Relation to Israel.
"And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In that same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land" (Gen. 15:17, 18). Here the two great periods of Israel's history was made known to Abram in figure. The vision of the smoking furnace and the burning lamp intimated that the history of Abraham's descendants was to be a checkered one. It was a prophecy in …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return The Night of Miracles on the Lake of Gennesaret
THE last question of the Baptist, spoken in public, had been: Art Thou the Coming One, or look we for another?' It had, in part, been answered, as the murmur had passed through the ranks: This One is truly the Prophet, the Coming One!' So, then, they had no longer to wait, nor to look for another! And this Prophet' was Israel's long expected Messiah. What this would imply to the people, in the intensity and longing of the great hope which, for centuries, nay, far beyond the time of Ezra, had swayed …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah The Shaking of the Heavens and the Earth
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Yet this once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts. G od shook the earth when He proclaimed His law to Israel from Sinai. The description, though very simple, presents to our thoughts a scene unspeakably majestic, grand and awful. The mountain was in flames at the top, and …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1 The Progress of the Gospel
Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world. T he heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) . The grandeur of the arch over our heads, the number and lustre of the stars, the beauty of the light, the splendour of the sun, the regular succession of day and night, and of the seasons of the year, are such proofs of infinite wisdom and power, that the Scripture attributes to them a voice, a universal language, intelligible to all mankind, accommodated to every capacity. …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 2 In the Fifteenth Year of Tiberius Cæsar and under the Pontificate of Annas and Caiaphas - a Voice in the Wilderness
THERE is something grand, even awful, in the almost absolute silence which lies upon the thirty years between the Birth and the first Messianic Manifestation of Jesus. In a narrative like that of the Gospels, this must have been designed; and, if so, affords presumptive evidence of the authenticity of what follows, and is intended to teach, that what had preceded concerned only the inner History of Jesus, and the preparation of the Christ. At last that solemn silence was broken by an appearance, …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Redemption for Man Lost to be Sought in Christ.
1. The knowledge of God the Creator of no avail without faith in Christ the Redeemer. First reason. Second reason strengthened by the testimony of an Apostle. Conclusion. This doctrine entertained by the children of God in all ages from the beginning of the world. Error of throwing open heaven to the heathen, who know nothing of Christ. The pretexts for this refuted by passages of Scripture. 2. God never was propitious to the ancient Israelites without Christ the Mediator. First reason founded on …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Hosea
The book of Hosea divides naturally into two parts: i.-iii. and iv.-xiv., the former relatively clear and connected, the latter unusually disjointed and obscure. The difference is so unmistakable that i.-iii. have usually been assigned to the period before the death of Jeroboam II, and iv.-xiv. to the anarchic period which succeeded. Certainly Hosea's prophetic career began before the end of Jeroboam's reign, as he predicts the fall of the reigning dynasty, i. 4, which practically ended with Jeroboam's …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Hosea 3:1 NIVHosea 3:1 NLTHosea 3:1 ESVHosea 3:1 NASBHosea 3:1 KJV
Hosea 3:1 Commentaries
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