Hosea 3 THE RANSOM PRICE PAID The first chapter of Hosea describes Israel's sad condition and how God looked upon them. The second chapter tells about the awful fall of Israel into disgrace and sin to the extent they are taken away from the protection and love of God. In this short third chapter, the drama of Hosea and Gomer concludes with the ransom price being paid and Gomer brought back but in isolation until Hosea can show his love to her and she is able to love him in return. However, that part of the human story is not revealed to us. But what we do learn in the opening three chapters of Hosea is that our God loves to the uttermost. What a wonder is the love of God even to sinful, disobedient and unthankful mankind.
Gomer had finally come to the place where she had sunk to being either a slave or a mistress to one man who did not value her. In fact, to the one who owned her she wasn't worth the price of a slave. It was when she was in that condition the Lord told Hosea to do something that is amazing in what we would think is unreasonable. He was to go and get her and bring her home in spite of all her adultery and sinful condition. More than that he was to love her in spite of what she had done to him. This remarkable man was willing to do what God said and found her sunk in sin almost to the point of being a castoff. For a few dollars, half the price of a slave, and enough barely to feed an animal for a month, he bought her back.
As this was lived out before the people of Israel it must have been an abhorrent but fascinating source of gossip among those Jews who lived there and the story would have been told all over the northern kingdom. Hosea's message to them was lived out before them. How often have we considered the awfulness of sin other people have committed and yet thought of our own as nothing serious. Even the most ungodly people seem to have the attitude that, "I am a good person. O yes, I have done some bad things but basically, I am good. In fact, I haven't done what "they" have done."
Hosea did exactly what the Lord told him, bought her, brought her home and loved her. Gomer was set aside from having any contact with other men nor was she to prostitute herself again while time did its healing work and Hosea could be her husband again. He told her, "I will wait for you." Even though she was of no value to anyone else, she was of great value to Hosea. He still loved her in the same way God loves Israel in spite of how far that race of people has sunk, and turned away from Him. The whole tragic story of this family must have been well known among the people of Israel, and when Hosea finally bought her and brought her home again in spite of all she had done must have fascinated them as this scandal was lived before them.
One would wonder what the people thought when they were told that this was an illustration of how the Lord God of Israel looked upon them and what was going to happen to them if they did not repent. The final outcome should have struck a cord of some kind in the people when they were told this was how they were treating the Lord and how He looked upon them. The story of the family of Hosea stops there. We do not know what happened to the children, or if Hosea and Gomer were finally and fully brought together in a loving relationship, but the lesson is there. God looks on sin as serious. Rejection of Him, denial and apostasy do have serious consequences. It is foolish and irresponsible to think that what I do does not have an effect on others around me beside myself.
Israel today is still in isolation because of the rejection of our Lord Jesus Christ by the nation. There was a small measure of recovery when some of the Jews returned from exile to the land, but even then, there was no wholehearted return to the Lord. That little recovery brought about the forms of the past glory of Israel with the rebuilding of the temple, restoration of the priesthood and the safety of the walled city. After the last prophecy of Malachi and four hundred years that followed, all of that religious practice became compromised and ended when the high priest tore his garments and the people said, "His blood be on us and on our children." So, the Jews presently have no prince, no king, no sacrifice, no temple, no priesthood. The rejection was accepted by God and they are in the waiting period - and God waits.
Many Jews today are agnostics or atheists. They are scattered among the nations of the world, although since 1948 they have a national identity. There are many Jews who have gone to Israel, not in belief or faith in God, but simply as those who want a nation of their own. They are still gathering in unbelief and will remain as an isolated people until Christ comes in power and glory to reign as "David their king," a reference to the return of the dynasty promised by God. Then they will truly repent and bow before the Lord in humility and submit to His authority.
There are still dark days ahead for Israel as there are for any person or nation that refuses to submit to divine authority. Our own nation is being challenged by atheistic people who want any reference to God removed from national coinage, courthouses and government building, the pledge of allegiance, our national anthem and public hymns and songs that we have sung for generations. Nations will fade and fall, but out of the darkness of the tribulation the nation of Israel will come in trembling before their Messiah and will become His wife during the peaceful reign of the millennium. The church will always be the bride of Christ as His heavenly people. The story of Hosea and Gomer will end with the "Son of David" sitting upon the throne and the Jews finally being where He wants them to be. The word "return" is mentioned fifteen times in the book indicating God will restore the backsliding nation when there is true repentance.