Freely loved

She didn’t deserve his love, but he gave it to her freely. This wasn’t a Disney princess fairy tale. She betrayed him and had children with her lover. Then, she hit rock bottom and was to be sold into slavery. The auctioneer shouted, “Who wants to buy this woman?”. There was an awkward silence, as the crowd surveyed the diseased and abused woman cowering before them. A voice boomed out, “I will buy her!” It was the voice of her husband.

This is the story of Hosea in the Bible; A soap-opera-like drama of infidelity. Yet, in this story we find the gospel of God’s grace and unfailing love.

Hosea’s relationship with his wife, Gomer, is a metaphor for God’s relationship with us. Israel’s sin defied the Almighty, and yet He said: “I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!” (Hosea 2:23).

Hosea described the injustice, the corruption, abuse, and violence. The whole nation was rotten, adulterous and wayward. Israel is pictured as a whore, ignorant of God (Hosea 4:2). Under the Old Covenant law, such godlessness was worthy of invasion, exile and eradication.

What was God going to do? He took adulterous Israel back and adopted her children. He loved them and gave them grace.

God told Israel: I gave you grain, new wine and oil. I lavished you with silver and gold, which you used for Baal. But I’m going to persuade you and speak kindly to you. I will bless you and give you hope. I will make a covenant with you and eliminate the bow, the sword and war from your land. I will let you lie down in safety. I will betroth you to Me forever, in loving-kindness and mercy. I will not punish your daughters when they play the prostitute. I will give you a harvest and restore your fortunes. How can I give up on you? My heart is turned over within Me, all my compassions are kindled. From the hand of Sheol [hell] I ransom you. From death I redeem you. I will heal you. I will love you freely. I will be like the dew to you and you will blossom like the lily. (Hosea 2:8, 14-15; 2:18, 20; 4:14; 6:11; 11:8; 13:14; 14:4-5)

Hosea shows that God has always been free to forgive. This is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who forgave those who had not even asked for it. He told the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven”, and cried “Father forgive them” when they crucified Him. The religious leaders thought it was blasphemous, and honestly, we also may find Jesus’ radical forgiveness hard to stomach. Forgiveness should be deserved shouldn’t it? No, it is freely given.

Hosea looked past Gomer’s history as a prostitute when he married her. But Gomer continued her adulterous ways. Still Hosea continued to love her. “Go find her. Go love her” God said (Hosea 3:1). Hosea had nothing to gain from loving Gomer. She didn’t love him back. Likewise, God does not love or forgive us because of what we do or don’t do. God loves and forgives because of who He is. “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10).

God loves us even if we run away. He comes to the darkest and filthiest places to rescue us, again and again. He loves us tirelessly and is perfectly committed to us. We don’t deserve His love, but He gives it freely.