Hosea Chapter 3

The Lord has framed out a new covenant relationship, pictured as an ENGAGEMENT or MARRIAGE (2:19-20). Six traits are necessary to make up the BRIDE-PRICE:
1️⃣ For Eternal
2️⃣ In Righteousness
3️⃣ In Justice
4️⃣ In Love
5️⃣ In Compassion
6️⃣ In Faithfulness

The Lord offers this type of relationship to everyone who comes to Him. But Gomer (Israel) had failed over and over again. Hosea knows that Gomer, his wife, has deserted him for her lovers.

HOSEA WAS COMMANDED TO GO… LOVE YOUR WIFE:
📌 Hosea was commanded to love Gomer as the Lord loves the Israelites (v 1b).
📌 Hosea’s love for unfaithful Gomer illustrates God’s Love for unfaithful Israel.

HOSEA HAD TO PAY TO GET GOMER BACK (v 2):
📌 Gomer had evidently become a slave, and Hosea bought her back by paying 15 Shekels (half the usual price of a slave @ Ex 21:7,32 or redemption value of a woman’s vow @ Lev 27:4) in silver and the half with 10 bushels of barley that makes a total of 30 Shekels.
📌 Jesus had to pay for us not by shekels and barley but BY SHEDDING HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD on the Calvary Cross (1Cor 7:23; 1Pet 1:18-19)

HOSEA WAS ASKED TO FORGIVE GOMER (v3):
📌 Forgiveness is one of the important element of Lord’s Prayer. Jesus emphasises that to earn God’s forgiveness is to forgive others (Mt 18:35 ; Mk 11:25)

HOSEA WAS REMINDED THAT GOD WILL RESTORE HIS PEOPLE (v4,5):
📌 The promise of restoration was partially fulfilled at HIS FIRST COMING and the final restoration will take place at HIS SECOND COMING (..his blessings in the last days).

💕 Beloved Church, we all are sinners like Gomer (.. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) but God demonstrated his love which is purely from His grace not by our merit.
📌 The price Christ paid was far higher than the price Hosea paid for Gomer. He had to shed his blood for our redemption. We are PRECIOUS PEOPLE bought by the blood of Jesus Christ ✝️

Glory to God 🙏
✍🏽 Mark Boje, ArP, India 🇮🇳