Amazing Grace
Text: Hosea 1: 1-3:5
The bible is filled with so many stories that would win the Oscar at any time. I know everybody loves a wonderful story. If not then why is Hollywood so rich? Why do people keep buying movies that have almost the same story lines? Little wonder that the bible has been winning the best seller award for so long now. Our reference story today is borne out of the theme for the month in our church, Royal Connections. The theme we are dealing with in our church this month of May is Charis (The Grace of God) taken from 2 Corinthians 8:9.
This is the story of a Pastor, a Preacher and a Prophet. His name was Hosea meaning Deliverer or Salvation. The story begins with a detailed introduction and a profile of this man of God. He was introduced as the son of Beeri (a fountain or a well). Not only was his father’s name mentioned but his contemporaries at the time were also mentioned. Uzziah, remember him? He was the king that had to die so that Isaiah could see the Lord (Isaiah 6:1). Uzziah was the 16 year old son of Amaziah who became king in place of his father (2chronicles 26:1) in the land of Judah in the days of Isaiah the Prophet. God helped him so much that he became the first person to invent a rocket launching machine (2Chronicles 26: 15-16) but he forgot he was helped by God and became proud. He offered incense not lawful for him to offer and he was rebuked by the Priest Azariah. He became angry at the Lord’s anointed and he was smitten by God with leprosy. This great king started from grace and ended up on grass. He died a leper!!! Enter Jotham his son in his stead. Learnt from daddy’s mistake, prepared his way before the Lord and the Lord made him mighty (2 Chronicle 27: 1-9). Then came Ahaz, who brought Judah low, sought help from the King of Assyria and brought the idolatry of Damascus to Judah. He died in his sins and his son Hezekiah began to reign in his stead. He was the one who was going to die but cried unto God and God added another 15years to his life.
My emphasis today is not all of these generations of kings in the days of Hosea, my emphasis is on Hosea himself. Here was a single man, waiting to meet his dream girl. He was probably very successful in ministry hence he was linked with generations of kings. Every woman in his local assembly would probably be believing God that this man of God would ask their hands in marriage. Even some parents would have been binding and loosing so that their daughter would be the one. Alas, when the man of God was to choose he went to the red light district, to Soho, to a girl about town. Gomer was a local temple prostitute. Everyone in town knew her and her exploit, but no one wanted anything to do with her. I can imagine the shock on her face when this TV evangelist walks up to her and says hello. I’m sure she must have thought it was some pranks on her when he knelt down to ask her hand in marriage. I don’t know if you can relate with this story but I can. Wasn’t I in the same position as this woman before Christ found me? Wasn’t I as filthy and lost as this woman was when grace came and found me.
I can imagine the newspapers headline the following morning.. Pastor Hooks up Hooker!!! The Pastor and the Prostitute!! Could this be love?! Can this Seer See?? The titles would be endless. You probably would have the picture of Gomer ‘on duty’ beside that of Hosea with a caption ‘spot the difference’. Have ever stopped to imagine what would be the reactions of men of old (Israelites in particular) who lived and died under the law to this new dispensation of salvation by grace.
Now my problem is not that Hosea chose to marry Gomer, after all, we have been taught that your past is your past and should not be brought against your present. Infact, I recently heard that any voice that reminds you of your past is the voice of the devil and anyone that talks about today is the voice of your flesh but the voice that reassures you of your future is the voice of the Holy Spirit. No, I don’t have any problem with Hosea marrying Gomer. Now my problem is that after Gomer made a commitment to marry Hosea she was not true to her marriage vows. I’m sure they must have had a societal church wedding with some eminent personalities gracing the occasion with their presence. Gomer must have been moved to tears to see the calibre of people who attended her own wedding. How could a street girl like be honoured with a wedding in the first place not to talk of kings attending her wedding, this could only be the grace of God. The unfortunate thing about this story is that though she made a pronouncement to leave and to cleave she did not actually leave her past. As soon as the marriage ceremonies were over she was back on the street corners, back with her pimp boyfriends. What would make someone taken from the streets, cleaned up and given new clothes and a new life, delivered from the oppressions and depressions of the street go back. It is like a dog returning to it’s vomit. Pastor Hosea would come home after preaching all over the globe only to find his house empty and his bed cold. It was in the midst of all these that Gomer became pregnant. I’m sure there must have been a debate in town about who’s baby she was carrying. Then she gave birth to the first child Jezreel, she probably looked like her mother. Even if there was any doubt about who the father was no one was able to say it. Before you start to pass judgement on Gomer I’d like you to look at yourself critically for a moment and ask yourself if there is any trait of Gomer in you at all. Did you say never, well, how about the envy, how about the spiritual pride, how about the greed?? Where is that coming from?? Certainly not a fruit of the spirit, so the Holy Spirit is not responsible. You know at this point in the life of Gomer her adultery is still covered, it was still a secret. If anyone knew they could not really be sure. It was between Gomer and her boyfriends. There are some sins after you have given your life to Christ that no one would know about except you. If you don’t stop it on time it would get out of hand and it would manifest to the whole world.
So, Gomer had her second and third child (Loruhamah & Loammi) and these one did not anything like mummy and certainly not like Daddy. Infact their names were and indication of their origin, Loruhamah – I will not have mercy again, Loammi – Not my people. Hosea must have been really angry but he did not show it. How would you feel if you were Hosea? What would you have done to your wife? I certainly would have got me a good gun, kill her and her adulterous children and her pimp boyfriends asked God for mercy and report myself to the Police. I know you are more spiritual than I am and I appreciate God for your life but I wonder how you would feel everyday going home to children calling you Daddy knowing you are not their Daddy. I don’t know how you would deal with the snarl of your neighbours as you walk by on the street on your way to work. I really don’t know how you would manage a congregation who disdain you and your family simply because of your wife’s looseness. It would be interesting to see you answer questions from the children themselves. Trust me the children are going to ask why they look different from daddy and mummy. I’m sure their friends would mock them with it in school and it would lead to several psychological problems for the children. I’m sure you would agree with me that the woman should truly be shot…but hold your breathe!!
Are we all not like Gomer some way or another. Is this not exactly what we do to Christ the lover of our souls? Hmm.. I was ashamed of myself for my judgemental attitude to this woman when I looked closely at my life. I know you are Holy and your name is Jesus junior but I have manifested and given birth to seeds that are not from the Father. I remember how I wept and felt sorry for my sins and accepted to be his bride the first time he found me. I remember how quickly I turned away from Him at the attractions of this world. Who am I to pass judgement on this woman. The filthiness of my sins would have made the Master throw up. What I deserved was judgement but what I received was mercy. Amazing grace!!
Gomer took all that Hosea gave her packed her things and left home to live with her Pimp boyfriends. They used all her resources which were Hosea’s in the first place and were going to sell her in an auction. This was the worst day of her life. She had come back to her old life and old friends thinking she had missed since she left with Hosea but the friends and lovers had now defrauded her squeezed every goodness out of her and were getting ready to sell the scrap or left over of her. Interestingly no one wanted to buy this used piece of rag. She was worn old and overused to be useful to anyone anymore. Not even the Idol worshipping priest would have her for their ritual. Then enters Hosea!!! After the auction had gone on for several hours and their was no one willing to buy, then suddenly out of nowhere came a quiet voice saying “ I’ll have her she’s my beloved”. Every eye turns to this well dressed Preacher whose voice they recognise so well. Clean shaved, neat suit with matching tie, shoes shining he steps forward to take hold of his ragged, filthy beloved’s hands. Shame would not allow Gomer raise her head and she moaned and groaned with tears rolling down her cheeks. How could she have been so heartless? How could she have refused such a great love? A sneak look at Hosea’s face also revealed that tears had welled up in his eyes as he paid the prize again for his beloved. All he wanted to do was take his beloved out of this sordid environment and take her home to him. He took off his coat and covered her nakedness. There was great silence in the room as no one of the men and women in room on that day had ever known anything like this in their entire life. As they watched this amazing display of grace, I looked at my life and thought how much more like Gomer I really was. I would concluded this by sharing my story with you if you don’t mind.
Gave my life to Christ very early in my life. He showed me so much love and care. Gave me so much wisdom and understanding that I excelled in my academics. Took me from obscurity to notoriety. Got into University before many of my peers and I thought wow...I must be very brilliant!!! University gave me so much freedom that I did not know how to use and I thought I little fun would not kill this child of God. Alas, like Gomer, I was a Christian but the fruits of my Christianity were still obscure. No one was sure where I stood. I was neither cold or hot, Sunday I’m in church but Friday I’m in the club. It was difficult to preach to me because I knew too much about God and church. I had enough of God in me to be useless to the devil and I had too much of the devil in me to be useful to God. I was caught in between two worlds.
Those who say me worship my king on Sunday would wonder what happened when I take the dance floor in the night club of Friday. Then I thought to myself why be an hypocrite? Why go to church at all knowing that you would still want to enjoy yourself later in the week? So, I stopped going to church, Infact I gradually became rebellious to the things of God. I felt the folks from church were being too judgemental and I did not have to come to church to show that I was saved (Normal lie the devil feeds you as he takes you away from God). Wanted to be important. I wanted to be respected and known. Isn’t that what the devil uses against us (Lust of the eye, lust of the flesh and pride of life). Got so deep in my depraved mind that I got myself involved in too many things I never bargained for. I was so gone that I could not recognise myself just like Gomer. Now it was obvious to everyone that I was a Dog, a top dog for that matter. I was on a one way direct flight to hell and I knew it but could not do anything about it. My academics had suffered so much. It was now a struggle for me to pass. I lost control of my life and I knew it. I was just waiting for the worst to happen.
Then Suddenly, Grace came and found me like it found Gomer. I had just finished one of my jamming sessions half naked not sure where my shirt was after the frenzy of a hot party. I was filthy, ragged, drained and very lost. Something spoke into my heart (Now I know It was the Holy Ghost). A simple question, what are you doing here? I took a look at myself and the whole picture of my life flashed before me in a split second. I was ashamed of myself. Tears flowed from my eyes as I felt my saviour’s arms around me. Felt a certain warmth despite the cold I was feeling before. Everyone was wondering what had come over me, but I knew it was grace that had found me. Left the club that early morning unable to control the tears that kept flowing. Couldn’t explain it but felt a certain peace I had never felt in a long time. It was my longest journey home.
I hope I have not bored you too much with my story but I would want you to look at yourself again in the light of God’s word. In what ways have you left your love like Gomer? The same Amazing Grace that found Gomer and found me can find you no matter what dept you’ve fallen into. Amazing Grace how sweet that sound that saved a wretch like me..I once was lost but now I’m found I was blind but now I see.
This was a message preached in the teen church (Divine Iconz) on the first Friday of May.
