(REFLECTIONS ON Hosea 3:1-5)

1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

Love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, and this represents Israel. Again, let me cut to the chase, Israel is loved by God, yet they chase after idols.

However, after a time, reconciliation and reformation will happen, not because of Israel, but because of the faithfulness of God. Throughout Hosea we will clearly see and understand why the Lord’s love is a steadfast unfailing love. It is a love that even in times of rejecting Him, will hold on to His people, no matter how thin the thread, and His Spirit will draw them back to Him over and over again.

The image that Hosea helps us to understand is that when we talk about mercy, grace, and love, that it has meaning not because they are terms that come out of nowhere and are meaningful just in themselves, but they have deep meaning because they come from rejection, judgment, betrayal.

It is because God continues to love Israel even as they chase after idols that we begin to understand His mercy, grace, and steadfast love.

5 Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

This is a powerful image of an utterly defeated Israel, trembling coming back to the Lord of judgment, but finding out that He is good, merciful, full of grace and love. That is the hope that we have in Christ Jesus as well. That is why when the Holy Spirit calls us back to Him, despite our feeling of guilt or feeling unworthy, if we do return, even while trembling, we will also find His goodness in our repentance.

Like Israel, we too have many things that compete for our love and devotion. These become the ‘lovers’ that continually tempt us away from wholehearted devotion to Christ.

Yes, we live in that tension, the push and pull, and our lovers often tempt us and beckon us to leave the feet of Jesus for something that may seem better, but may the Holy Spirit, His word, and our community of believers help us to return once again to Him.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Hosea 3