THE HUB

How He Loves

Devotional

“The purpose of this sermon is for you to grasp the height and length and depth of God’s love for you. This is a love that surpasses understanding.” In this story Hosea is commanded to marry a prostitute, but when she is intimate with another man, God tells him to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites. In this example God is Hosea, and we are Gomer.

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel: 2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

HOSEA 1:1-3

1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.”

HOSEA 3:1-3

Questions:

  • How is Hosea’s love for his wife similar to God’s love for Israel and us?
  • What connections do you see between us and Gomer?
  • What do you pursue instead of the Lord? What draws you to these lesser loves?
  • “Jesus died to buy back what was already his.” What are your thoughts or reactions to this quote?

Practice The Way of Jesus:

God commanded Hosea to go and love his adulteress wife. Hosea’s love was to be an illustration of God’s love for his people, who were spiritual adulterers. God still loved his people, despite how they had turned to other gods. God’s love, compassion and forgiveness towards us is greater than we can ever imagine. This week, ask yourself: how does knowing God’s great love for you, even when you fail, challenge you to love and forgive others in your life?