Have you ever heard of the story of Hosea and Gomer? It is a story from the Old Testament where God commands a prophet to marry a harlot to illustrate His relationship with His adulterous people, Israel. God commanded Hosea to marry Gomer, a known prostitute, not once, but twice. The first time God commanded Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD” (Hos.1:2). The obedient prophet marries Gomer, who bears him two children. Many biblical scholars believe that they were not Hosea’s actual children but conceived by other men through prostitution. They interpret it this way because God commanded Hosea to have “children of harlotry.” In either case, his children were prophetic message of judgment against Israel. The firstborn was named, “Jezreel,” which meant “God shall sow.” God explained, “For yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.” It was a prophecy that God will send Israel into exile for their sins. The second born was a daughter, and God told him to name her “Lo-ruhamah,” which meant “not pitied” or “no mercy.” God explained, “I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.”

The second time God commanded Hosea, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes” (Hos.3:1). Apparently, Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea and continued her harlotry because she loved things other men provided for her. However, things didn’t go well for her as she became rejected, abandoned, and sold as slave in a slave market. God used her tragic life as a picture of what would happen to Israel as He would “strip her naked,” “expose her,” “make her like a wilderness,” “make her like desert land,” “slay her with thirst,” and “have no compassion on her children” (Hos.2:3-4). In obedience, Hosea bought her for “15 shekels of silver and a homer and a half of barley,” and redeemed her as his wife once again.

The story of Hosea and Gomer is a picture of God’s love relationship with His people, Israel. It also points to His love relationship with people all over the world as He is the Creator of all people, language, and culture. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God bought us back from the slavery of sin and redeemed us as His people forever. Notice how God commanded Hosea to go and marry a prostitute the first time, but “love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulterous” the second time. It demonstrates that God redeeming us was because of His love for us! 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

Here is a YouTube link to a movie that tells the story of Hosea – the story of God’s unconditional love for His adulterous people.