Hosea 3: Triumph of Love
Saturday, December 14, 2019
“Hosea was instructed to take Gomer back, redeeming her from her paramours. On condition of her amendment, she will be restored to her former position of wife. This in turn signifies God’s enduring love for his people. He will put the people through a period of trial – the dissolution of the kingdom – in order that they may return to him wholeheartedly”. (Senior 1111)
So he bought her for fifteen pieces of silver and about ten and a half bushels of barley. Then he said to her . . . “I in turn will wait for you”.
It is only a fully good and gracious God who can take back one who has sunk so low as to have given herself to swine.
It is only a faithful and patient God who can take back one who has scoffed and scorned a love fully and freely given.
It is only a hopeful and healing God who can redeem and restore one who has sinned so egregiously.
We shall come trembling to the Lord and to his bounty . . .
We shall be like grains of sand of the sea, which can neither be measured or counted . . .
We shall be called “Children of the Living God” . . .
We shall be gathered together . . .
We shall become Jezreel, or “God sows” . . .
We shall say to our sisters and brothers, “Ammi,” or “my people” . . .
We shall say to our sisters, “Ruhama,” or “she is pitied” . . .
We shall experience the triumph of love . . . and we shall be restored.
Senior, Donald, ed. THE CATHOLIC STUDY BIBLE. New York, Oxford University Press, 1990.1111. Print.
Written on October 27, 2010 and posted today as a Favorite.
To read more about Gomer and her children – and her remarkable marriage to the prophet Hosea – click on the image above or go to: http://www.netplaces.com/women-of-the-bible/temptresses-harlots-and-sinful-women/gomer.htm
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