Finding Strength in Obedience: Lessons from Hosea part 1 / S3E21

The story of Hosea is about a prophet who lived in Israel during the time when the people had turned away from God to worship other gods and live sinful lives . So God selected Hosea's life as an example to teach Israel about his love and forgiveness .

Hosea's story is about God's never-ending love for his people when they mess up , and it teaches us that no matter how far someone strays , god is always ready to forgive and bring them back . But the first part we're going to talk about today is Hosea's unusual marriage .

Now Hosea 1 , 2-3 says went and took Gomer , the daughter of Diblaim , and she conceived and bore him a son . That's kind of funny that God would tell somebody to marry a harlot , and in reading this it was a question that I even had . That I even had .

We aren't supposed to be unequally yoked , but yet God had Hosea marry a harlot and that was a sample of obedience . If you are unequally yoked , your marriage isn't sanctified . But this marriage was sanctified by God . He didn't contradict being unequally yoked . He was using it as an example of obedience and love towards Israel .

And we have to remember that the whole thing , this whole story , that the whole thing , this whole story , was an illustration of the way God loved Israel . God's love is unconditional . Even when we're unfaithful , he's always there . And God tells Hosea to marry Gomer , a woman who had been unfaithful . But their marriage represents Israel's relationship with God .

Gomer's unfaithfulness was how Israel had turned away from God . But you know , god still loves us . Even when we fail , he always calls us to forgiveness . You know , you look at the things that happened to Hosea and you think , okay , but that was just in Hosea . But let's look at some other scriptures God's faithful love , romans 5.8 says .

But God demonstrates his own love toward us that while we were still sinners , christ died for us , and he did . He died for us while we were sinning . Hosea he had a really kind of a horrible life , if you think about it , where he had to marry a harlot , she ran off from him and was marrying other men and then he had to go buy her back . But why ?

Because God calls us to faithfulness . In Deuteronomy 6 , 5 , it says you shall love the Lord , your God with all of your heart , all of your soul and all of your strength . That's the way God wanted Israel to love him and that is the way Hosea loved Gomer .

It's strange my son and I was talking about this today and we even kind of compared it to the things that happened with Job that Hosea was called to do something that you wouldn't expect , because he was doing something outside of what God normally taught , and Job was treated so poorly by Satan and God was allowing it . But both of those were illustrations .

It says in the Bible that we can't be tempted more than our ability , that God will come in and give us a way out . Homer's way out was to obey God . His way out of suffering was believing in God and having faith in God . Job's way out of suffering was believing in God and having faith in God .

Homer was restored to Hosea , just like Job had everything restored to him , and that's what God expects of us . And God has made a commitment to his people . He made a commitment to Israel . He had promised them so much , but yet they so easily turned on him . God has total commitment to his people .

Isaiah 45.5 says for your maker is your husband , the Lord of hosts is his name , and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel . He is called the God of the whole earth . Okay , so let's look at this . Hosea was told to marry a harlot and to have children , and what kind of faith did he have to have ?

And what kind of trust did he have to have to do it ? God told him to do it , so he did it . He didn't question , he didn't tell God well , I don't know if I really want to do this . No , he went and he did what God asked of him . Do we do that when you see things in your life that you know God wants you to give up ?

Do you say , well , let me see , I'll do ? You know ? I'll give you an example for me . Before I started this podcast , I've had it written , I've been studying it , I've got all four lessons done , and earlier tonight I thought I should sit down and do that podcast , but I thought , oh , no , let me play one game .

So I played three or four games and then no , let me go out and see if anything's going on on Facebook . No , let me go out and see if I got any emails . I wasn't doing what God called me to do , and so many times we do that on what God called me to do .

And so many times we do that when I felt like I should do the podcast , I should do the podcast . But you know what ? God still loves me . God's still faithful and I never have to worry about being taken away from him . Only I can do that . But think of Hosea .

I suspect he was pretty much the laughingstock of the area around there that he married a harlot . I mean you know there had to be men there that had been with her and he was . You know . You know how people can be and he was . You know . You know how people can be .

But Hosea had such faith in God that he knew that this is the thing that he should do . Do we do the things that we should do ? Do we listen to God , no matter if it might make us look silly or make us uncool ? That's not what's important Obedience . Hosea was obedient to God . Are you obedient to God ? Do you listen to His voice ?

Do you step out on faith and do what he asks and know that in the end , it's going to be the best thing ? As we study Hosea , we're going to find out lots of things that went on , and I hope you enjoy it . Next week is going to be our second lesson , and it is going to be our second lesson and it is going to be about his children's names .

That's a funny area too . So listen to God , be obedient , and he will be faithful to you .