God’s Wondrous Love for Sinners

Hosea 3:1–5

Preached on January 26, 2024, to Foothill Bible Church by Pastor Micah Lugg

Introduction

God’s love is thrown around today with little appreciation for what it is and what it means.

I’m convinced that much of the way people talk about the love of God falls woefully short of the way the Bible describes it.

Many talk about God‘s love as a means to get them a better and happier life. They think God loves them because they have wealth, health, and prosperity.

Many people wanna claim that God loves them, even though they show no regard for God in their lives. They want to say that God loves them, even though they have chosen to live lives contrary to his word. They want to say that God loves them even though they have fundamentally rejected him.

Brothers and sisters, we cannot make the love of God about whatever we want it to be about. We must understand the love of God as he has revealed it in his word.

Its sights are not set on our temporal happiness but on our eternal joy. God‘s love is not a thumbs-up of approval of our lives. It is first a radical transformation of them.

God‘s love is not merely like candy tossed from a float at a parade, unconcerned about who picks it up and costing very little. God‘s love required the greatest price in the world. For God to love any one of us, it required the sacrifice of his dear Son.

Have you ever been humbled by God‘s love for you? Have you ever looked at God‘s love and felt how undeserving you are to receive such boundless love and grace?

I fear that too many of us fail to grasp the height and the depth of the breath of the love of God for us in Christ Jesus. Our view of God‘s love has become too shallow, too cheap, and too shortsighted.

And therefore, because of this view, we are weaker Christians. We are weaker in our grasp of the gospel, and we are weaker in our stand for Christ.

I invite you to turn with me to Hosea 3 (pg. 893).

For the last two weeks, we have been exploring the message of the book of Hosea. The prophet Hosea was asked to do something that no other follower of God has ever had to do, either before or since. Hosea was commanded to marry a prostitute as his wife. He was to find an immoral woman and marry her, taking her as his own.

Understandably, this would have been incredibly confusing. In an effort to live a life honoring to God, he would have sought out a bride who likewise walked in obedience. But instead, the Lord wanted him to choose a bride just like his. Just as the Lord had an unfaithful bride, He wanted Hosea to have an unfaithful bride.

The purpose of this was not simply to make Hosea suffer the pain of betrayal. Rather God wanted Hosea’s life to be a living illustration to the nation of Israel of their spiritual adultery to God himself.

God also instructed them to have children and name them with unusual names that would convey the nation’s severe condition. God would not ignore Israel’s defection indefinitely; judgment awaited the nation.

Last week, we studied Chapter 2 and saw how deep the spiritual rot really went. Israel had gone headlong after other lovers—false gods who they believed would bless them and keep them. As a result, God would judge the nation and humiliate them by sending them into exile.

Today, we return to the story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer, in chapter 3. There is one final picture that God wants to paint for Israel through the life and marriage of Hosea. After this, from Chapter 4 to the end of the book, we will not hear about their story again. 

Follow along as I read. Here now, the words of the living God.
…
Thus ends the reading of God’s word. May God  impress its truths on all our hearts.      

Four characteristics of God’s wondrous love for sinners so that we would treasure God‘s love for us in Christ. 

I. Relentless (v. 1)

God’s love is relentless. He continues to pursue sinners in order to save them.

This characteristic is remarkably displayed in verse 1 of our text.

As I already alluded to, this chapter picks up the story from Chapter 1. Yahweh spoke to Hosea a second time.

He tells him to go again and love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress. The woman is not named, but we already know her name. Chapter 1 told us it was Gomer.

When we last left Hosea and Gomer, they were building a family together. Gomer was known for her sexual immorality when they got married, but we are not told anything about what she did after they were married other than the children she conceived and gave birth to.

Here we are told the sad news that Gomer did not remain faithful to her marriage vows. She left Hosea and her children and returned to a life of prostitution. This could have been with one man as this verse indicates, or it may simply mean that she currently is with a man, but she has been with many.

The NASB states, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband.” While most translations describe the woman as being loved by another man or neighbor, the NASB specifies that she is loved by her husband. I don’t agree with the NASB in this instance, but both versions identify the woman as an adulteress, so it doesn’t alter the interpretation.

Fundamentally, she is an adulteress. She has not just committed adultery once, but she has continued to live in a state of adultery. She is habitually committing adultery.

Under the Mosaic Law, she could have been put to death for this infraction.

“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10)

But instead of stoning her, Yahweh tells Hosea to love her. Chapter 1 was in the third person, but this chapter is in the first person—more personal.

The word “love” is used four times in this verse. Hosea’s love to Gomer mirrors God’s love for Israel, while Gomer’s love of her partner mirrors Israel’s love her raisin cakes. One set of loves is noble; the other ignoble.

This command to love highlights a key aspect of biblical love that contrasts greatly with contemporary conceptions of it. Love as the Bible defines it is primarily an act of the will. In this case, Hosea was commanded to show persistent care, affection, and benevolence to Gomer. We don’t know what he felt, but we can surmise that he had some emotional hurdles to get over.

Think about Jonah. When God told him to go preach to the Ninevites, he bucked against that idea. It was revolting to him so he fled and went the other way.

We can imagine Hosea facing similar revolting emotions. And yet he is called to go and love Gomer.

You see, love is not about having a certain emotional feeling. It’s about commitment upon which the right emotions grow. We are called to love even when we don’t feel like it. The Bible calls us to love our enemies. This doesn’t mean that we will like them or take delight in them. But it does mean that we are committed to do them good whether we feel like it or not.

Especially in marriage, we must be committed to love even when our spouse is hard to love. Love in marriage should not rise and fall with our feelings but is based upon the covenant of marriage.

Young people, as you look for a spouse, do not just look for the warm fuzzies. You should absolutely enjoy them. But remember that they will disappoint you and sin against you. And even in those situations, you must love.

In the second half of the verse, we get the reason for this command: it illustrates God’s love for Israel even though they turn to other gods.

They had been rescued and redeemed by Yahweh himself, and yet they turned to other gods. These gods were identified as Baal, the fertility god. They made sacrifices to him. They bowed down to idols of him. And they often would take advantage of the prostitutes that offered their services at the Baal shrines.

It says they also love cakes of raisins. This sounds a bit ridiculous, and I think it is supposed to. In light of the iron-like love expressed by Hosea and Yahweh, here is love that is nothing more than a delight in a baked delicacy.

Raisin cakes were eaten in ancient times as a sweet bread. We read of them being used by David and the Israelites in celebration of Yahweh in 1 Chron. 16. But we read of them being used in idolatrous worship in Jeremiah 7:18 and Jeremiah 44:17–19.

So this is meant to be a mention of one of the ways that Israel has expressed her adultery as a nation. Instead of loving Yahweh, they love raisin cakes used in the worship of Baal.

In light of this spiritual adultery, the love of the Lord here is remarkable. It demonstrates the relentless love of God. Even though Israel repeatedly turned away from him, Yahweh continued to love Israel.

It wasn’t because of Israel’s moral rectitude that Yahweh set his love on her. Instead, it was simply because of his grace. Deuteronomy 7:7–9 made that very clear. God’s love in salvation is never about loving the lovable but loving the unlovable.

This is God’s loving, sovereign election in action. This is how he loves sinners. He sets his love on those whom he chooses, not because of any goodness in them, but simply because of grace.

Church, we are reminded here that God’s love is relentless. He continues to pursue sinners just like Hosea pursued Gomer.

When believers fall into disobedience, making sinful choices and walk in the lusts of the flesh, God is not done with them. He will continue to pursue them. He will continue to pour his love on them. He will not give up on them. He continues to be patient so that we would come to repentance.

And so, if you are here this morning and you have professed faith in Christ but you are currently walking in disobedience and rebellion against God, then this passage should remind you that your God has not turned a blind eye to your sin. But neither has he ceased his love to you in Christ.

Do not spurn his love. He is coming to you again this morning, calling you to bow your knee in repentance. He is being patient with you and asking you to give up your hard heart. His love is relentless.

Isn’t this astounding?! What wondrous love is this? Amazing love—how can it be?

But there is a second characteristic of God’s wondrous love we need to see in this text.

II. Redeeming (v. 2)

Hosea illustrates the redeeming love of God by buying his bride back.

Verse 2 is stated in matter-of-fact prose. “So I bought her.” As one author said, this was “un-Jonah-like obedience.” It was immediate and without complaint.

Parents, this is the kind of obedience, we expect of our children and it’s the kind of obedience that God expects of us.

This was love in action. We aren’t given many details here. Why did he need to buy her? Where did he buy her? We don’t know.

It seems best to conclude that either she sold herself into a kind of sex slavery, or that she had wracked up debts and so she had to put herself into indentured servitude to pay them off.

In Exodus 21, the cost of a slave was 30 shekels of silver. Here we see that Hosea spent 15 shekels plus some grain. It’s possible that all added up to 30 shekels.

So, Hosea, in obedience to God, goes to find his wife. Where he went we don’t know. But he pays her owner and then takes her home.

This simple action by Hosea illustrates the biblical doctrine of redemption. This doctrine states that in order for sinners to be saved, they needed to be redeemed from slavery to sin and the curse of the law. This redemption occurred when Jesus Christ gave his life as a ransom payment to God.

The New Testament explains our salvation as redemption. It says in Romans 6 that we are enslaved to sin. This is the normal state of humanity. Jesus himself said,

“Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34)

Because of this slavery, we are doomed to die in our sins.

Therefore, in order to be redeemed from that slavery, we need the ransom price to be paid.

No one else could have paid that price other than our Lord Jesus Christ. His life was marked by perfect obedience and complete sinlessness. Therefore, his perfect blood was the payment.

This is why Jesus said that he

“… came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

It’s why Paul said,

“you were bought with a price.” (1 Cor. 6:20)

It’s why Peter wrote,

“you were ransomed … not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:17–18)

And Paul could simply say,

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7)

Folks, here’s the reality. In terms of our sin, we were slaves just like Gomer. We had lived in rebellion against the Lord. We had betrayed our Creator, going after other gods and living for ourselves.

But because of his love, Jesus gave his life as a ransom for sinners. All those who place their faith in him have their sins paid for and the redemption applied to their account.

The love of God is a REDEEMING love! He redeems sinners. The Father gave his only Son, who shed his precious blood so that we could be redeemed from the curse of sin.

God’s love is not seen in making us happy, healthy, and wealthy. It is not seen in him causing everything to go our way in life. His love is seen in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. He dealt with our greatest problem, a spiritual cancer that affects every one of us. He paid the price we could never pay.

O Church, we must not miss that heart-wrenching but beautiful illustration of Hosea walking down that dusty road, money in hand, barley in tow. It’s a picture of a husband intentionally loving a wayward wife. He is moving toward her. He is redeeming her. And it’s meant to illustrate God’s redemptive love to Israel and, ultimately, his redemptive love to all sinners.

Have you experienced this redemptive love? Have you come to grips with the reality that you are a slave needing redemption?

Believer, thank God that he redeemed you. Delight in the precious blood of Christ shed for you.

If you are not a Christian this morning, I invite you to take a look at what the Bible says about the redemption offered in Christ. Because it is only in him that we are redeemed from the penalty our sins deserve.

Well, we’ve seen that God’s love is relentless and redeeming.

III. Reforming (v. 3–4)

Verses 3 and 4 represent a pivot. Verse 3 describes Hosea’s words to Gomer. Then, verse 4 switches to describe the parallel situation between Yahweh and Israel. These verses are linked by the repeated verb “dwell” in both verses, and the phrase “many days” in both verses.

Again, verse 3, we get Hosea speaking in the first person to Gomer. He tells her how things will be different now.

1. “You must dwell as mine for many days.” She will stay with him for many days. You are with me now.
2. “You shall not play the whore.” She must no longer participate in her lewd occupation. Her wicked behavior must stop then and there.
3. “You shall not belong to another man.” She is to have no other lovers. She is not to lie with any man.
4. “So will I also be to you.” This indicates that for a season, Hosea will not be intimate with his wife. After the “many days,” they would be intimate again. This was not a permanent arrangement.

Why did he give these instructions? To reform her. To cause her to change her ways. She would be in a period of probation where her habit of harlotry would be broken.

And then just like that Hosea leaves his story and explains what that means for the nation of Israel in verse 4.

The “children of Israel” is a designation of the covenant people of God. Just like Gomer would be deprived of sexual intimacy, so too Israel would dwell many days deprived of several things. Hosea lists six things.

1. King & Prince: This would be a time when a true king will be on the throne.
2. Sacrifice: This could refer to the sacrifices in Jerusalem and thus was an indication that the temple would be destroyed again. God could also be saying that they will be without sacrifices to Baal. In other words, they will be without false worship. This fits with what comes next.
3. Pillar: These were structures that could be setup in worship to Yahweh (Gen. 26:20–22), but most often were used in pagan worship (Ex. 23:24; 34:13; Lev. 26:1; Dt. 7:5, 16:22).
4. Ephod: An ephod was part of the high priest’s garment. While an ephod was regularly used in the worship of Yahweh, the OT shows that it could easily be used for wrongful ends. It was turned into object of worship itself (Judg. 8:27, 17:5, 18:14–20).
5. Household gods: These were private idols that people would have, showing they were following after other gods (cf. Gen. 31:19, 34; 1 Sam 19:13, 16).

All of these things God would take away from Israel. When will this take place? I believe it began with their exile and continues until today. These “many days” won’t come to an end until Christ returns.

The purpose of these “many days” was the same as Gomer’s: reformation. God was wanting to deprive them of that which most tempted them to sin. The goal was to see Israel broken of her appetite for idolatry.

In one sense, that has happened. When we open the pages of the New Testament, we don’t see an Israel turning to other gods. From the outside, they are steadfast in their devotion to Yahweh.

But in another sense, they never truly embraced the living God. If they truly knew the Father, they would have embraced Jesus.

I think the principle we can learn from this is that God is committed to seeing the lives of his people conformed to his holiness. And he will take the steps necessary to make that happen. Sometimes that involves depriving us of things that are temptations and spiritual stumbling blocks to us.

In Israel’s case, this deprivation period will end, as described in verse 5. This verse reveals the fourth and final characteristic of God’s wondrous love for sinners.

IV. Restoring (v. 5)

God’s plans for his people are always bigger than we dream. His grace always moves toward full restoration. Here we read of Israel’s restoration, but it should remind us that God has equally big plans for us as well.

“Afterward”

• After the period of deprivation.
• After the present era.
• Hallelujah, there is an “afterward.” The period of deprivation is not the end of the story!
• If you’ve been with us the last two weeks, then you’ve seen how now the first three chapters of Hosea have ended with a note of hope regarding Israel’s future.
• There will be more throughout the book (although not as frequent). Together, these prophecies, along with all

“the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God,”

• ‘return’ — the language of repentance
• They will truly seek God. He will be their God.
• Their hearts will be directed to the Lord, never to deviate again.
• 2:23 – “You are my God.”

“and David their king,”

• This is a reference to the Messiah. It’s not the historical David.
• This is the strongest Messianic reference in Hosea.
• This verse clearly says that in the last days, Israel as a nation will truly repent and seek the Lord by following the greater David, who we know to be Jesus Christ.
• Israel has not done this yet. They are still in rebellion. But we pray she turns to her Messiah.

“and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness”

fear = awe, reference, respect, and trembling

“And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13)

• They will truly grasp how GREAT and how GOOD Yahweh is.

Jeremiah describes this time too, saying,

“They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD” (Jer. 31:12)

“in the latter days.”

• This will all take place in the Millennial kingdom of Christ the Messiah.
• This term “the latter days” is echoed in Isa. 2 and Mic. 4 where the nations will be coming to the mountain of the Lord and war will be eradicated from the earth.
• These things haven’t happened yet.
• Some say that these prophecies were fulfilled when individual Jews repent and follow Jesus. But that does not do justice to this text. It is talking about the children of Israel as a nation, a covenant people.
• When Jesus comes and sets up his kingdom, THEN Israel will repent and turn to seek the Lord. Then, as Paul says in Rom. 11, all Israel will be saved.

As I said earlier, the promise of Israel’s restoration reminds us of what God has promised us.

One day, all things will be made right. Our salvation will be complete. We have been saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from the power of sin, but one day, we will saved from the presence of sin.

God’s salvation will include all things. This is the hope we have.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are… . Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:1–2)

Conclusion

Church, isn’t this amazing love! How can it be?
What wondrous love is this?
Do you treasure this love?

Through Christ’s finished work, his love is relentless, redeeming, reforming, and restoring.