THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PASSAGE:
A large majority of men--married and single--say they wouldn’t have an affair, even if they were certain their loved one would never find out, says a Gallup poll commissioned by Self magazine, in the June (1992) issue. Of 500 men surveyed, 67% of married men and 60% of unmarried men say an affair is absolutely out of the question. Only 5% of married men and 11% of unmarried men would do it (the rest said maybe). Also, 95% of married men say they wouldn’t drop their partner for another woman who was extremely successful or wealthy. (U.S.A. Today, May 26, 1992, p. D1)
"The word of the Lord that came" indicates that this prophecy is not Hosea’s (v. l). It is a prophecy that originated with God Himself. In dealing with the words of this prophecy a person is not dealing with the words of man, but rather with the very words of God. Hosea was a spokesman for the Lord in perilous times. Murder, idolatry, and immorality were rampant in the land and nobody seemed to be interested in hearing the Word of the Lord. Although God asks us to do our part, we should remember the He is not limited to human effort. He can accomplish all his purposes without any help from us if He so chooses. We do not have the ability of fulfill or the power to disrupt God’s plans.
The opening chapter sets forth the major themes of the entire prophecy; Israel’s unfaithfulness, the certainty of judgement, and the ultimate restoration of the nation. At the beginning of Hosea’s ministry the Lord instructed him to marry a woman who would be unfaithful (v. 2). Although Bible scholars disagree on this it seems that Gomer was not an adulterous woman when Hosea married her but God was letting Hosea know that she would later turn to adultery and prostitution. At any rate Hosea knew ahead of time that his wife would be unfaithful and that their married life would be an object lesson of Israel’s unfaithfulness . Just as Gomer sinned, so did Israel sin. Just as Hosea loves Gomer and will restore her in spite of her sin, so God loves Israel and will restore her in spite of her sin. Hosea is certainly an Old Testament illustration of a servant of God who presented himself completely to God (Romans l2:l-2).
APPLICATION:
God may ask me to do something difficult and extraordinary. If He does I need to be willing to obey Him and trust Him to fulfill His special purpose in and through my life.
