This issue is about love. It is very fitting to look at the life of Gomer. She was the wife of Hosea the Prophet, a man of God. Hosea did not pick Gomer to be his bride, God did. God said to Hosea, “Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms,” Hosea 1:2.
Hosea married Gomer as God had instructed. Gomer conceived three children, two sons and a daughter. The first son was conceived by Hosea. The Bible says, “She conceived and bore him a son,” Hosea 1:3 (NKJV). However, we do not know from the Bible who she conceived the other two children by. We just know that she conceived.
Like all those in sin, Gomer found herself enslaved; she was enslaved to the stronghold of whoredom.
But, the God of love instructed Hosea the Prophet, the man of God who was her husband, to go and buy her back out of bondage and whoredom. Hosea had to go and pay the price for getting his wife out of the prison of whoredom. Hosea paid a price for love.
As God had instructed him, Hosea the Prophet went and paid fifteen shekels of silver, which is about 4/10 of an ounce in silver, and five bushels of barley to buy his wife out of slavery.
Hosea brought Gomer home, and he advised her that she would stay with him and not engage in whoredom. He told her, “You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you,” Hosea 3:3.
Now, that is love with unmerited commitment. We learn from Hosea and Gomer some very important love lessons. Love is merciful. Love has a price. Love has boundaries. And, love is faithful at all costs.
This is the kind of love that God has for each of us. God has committed to love us even though we are without merit. Because of love, Jesus paid the price for each of us by dying on the Cross for our sins.
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