Demonstrating Undeserved Love

KEY VERSE: “I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies.” —Hosea 2:19

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Hosea 1:2-9; 3:1-5

MARRIAGE IS A holy institution that requires love and loyalty between a husband and a wife. A broken marriage is to be grieved over because of the unfaithfulness to the marriage covenant. The Lord instructed the Prophet Hosea to take a wife of whoredoms to illustrate his own experience with Israel. As Hosea’s wife was unfaithful, so Israel had been unfaithful to God as if Israel were a wayward spouse.

Hosea’s faith was severely tested in this experience. Taking a wife who had broken the marriage vows must have been a humiliating thing, but Hosea was faithful to God’s calling. And as he bore children with his wife, Hosea again proved his faithfulness to God by naming the children in accordance to the prophetic order. The names of these three children, in descending order, demonstrated Hosea’s prophecy in his own household.

The first child, a son, was named Jezreel, or Hebrew for “God sows or plants.” The second child, a daughter, was named Loruhamah, or Hebrew for “no pity, or she that never knew a father’s love.” And the third child, a second son, was named Loammi, or Hebrew for “not my people.” The progression is easy to see. Israel began with a planting, but because of unfaithfulness, lost the pity of a father’s love, and finally lost their God altogether.

Throughout this continuing ordeal, Hosea continued to be faithful to his wife, showing total commitment to her without reserve. This faithfulness illustrates God’s love for his people despite their unfaithfulness. When thinking of the pride that Hosea had to forego, Israel was correspondingly struck by God’s pride that had been shamelessly presumed upon by Israel. And whatever the people thought of Hosea and the management of his household, they had to apply these to God and the house of Israel. What an unflattering picture this was!

But all is not hopeless in this prophecy. God told Hosea to take back his wife, and in so doing shows Israel his continued love for that people. Hosea purchased her and placed restrictions on her, forbidding her ever again to play the harlot, and to stay exclusively with him. And Israel is promised discipline followed by a future return to her place with God.

To spiritual Israel, marriage is a grander picture, because the bride is pure and faithful. Hosea’s prophetic theme applied to the church is a powerful picture of a heavenly marriage where the church is the bride of Christ, and Christ is the bridegroom, as our Key Verse describes this union. The parable in Matthew 25:1-13 tells of the ten virgins then faithfully awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom, and five fall asleep. Described as virgins, the church, pictured by the faithful virgins, shows herself ready for the bridegroom, Jesus, and separated from the world.

Revelation uses the symbolic image of a wedding, saying, “I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2) The church is depicted as Christ’s bride in Revelation 21:9, which reads: Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” And, finally, as the divine wedding between Jesus and his church is complete, the’ people worship God: “The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Rev. 19:7) This is a picture of the marriage of Jesus and the church, which results in a great blessing to the world of mankind: ‘The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev. 22:17) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”—Rev. 21:4

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