Explore the Bible: The Unfaithful Bride

• The Explore the Bible lesson for Oct. 16 focuses on Hosea 1:2-9, 3:1-5.

Among one of the hardest Old Testament books to study, the main theme of Hosea is, broadly, faithfulness and unfaithfulness. In fact, a better title for the lesson would be “Love and Faithfulness,” for those two actions are the main themes (in tandem with each other).

The unfaithfulness to which the book ultimately speaks is between Israel and their Lord. Hosea, the man, is to take a wife who was a “promiscuous woman” (1:2). Her name was Gomer. She may have been promiscuous before her marriage to the prophet but certainly was after the marriage. Despite her unfaithfulness to her spouse, Hosea is to be faithful and loving to his wife.

Hosea’s grace and love toward Gomer illustrate God’s relationship to Israel. Israel loved other gods, yet God remained faithful to his people (3:1).

Challenges to confront

What makes Hosea a challenge to study is that there is no indication from the text that Hosea’s relationship to Gomer is merely an allegory. God tells Hosea to marry the woman and he did. Though Hosea loved his wife faithfully, she is throughout the story seen as almost a pawn, and her children are, initially, given names that are illustrative of Israel’s unfaithfulness (e.g. “not loved”) (1:6). It seems she is not allowed to name her children or, later, change the names of her children. Later in the book, Hosea literally buys her back (1:2-3).

Gomer lacks much autonomy. Therefore, in order to read this book with a contemporary egalitarian consciousness that seeks to honor the autonomy and dignity inherent in each woman, we must do two things.

First, we must understand this was written in a context in which women largely were understood as being the property of men. Further, women who were unfaithful and children who were rebellious were, according to Old Testament law, to be killed. Though it is shocking (in my opinion, rightly) for us to read, we must understand that this was Hosea’s context: a society where the inferiority of women (and children) to men was inherent.

Second, we need to understand Hosea loves Gomer and her children. Understanding we must read this book in its proper context, we can read knowing Hosea spent his own money to get back a woman who went for other men. We can read knowing he promised to be faithful to her no matter what. Hosea may not be a contemporary hero, but his story is not in our time. It is in his.

God is faithful

Understanding how to read this book, we can return to its message asking that it may teach us something about the character of God. As I said, this is a book’s theme is faithfulness and unfaithfulness. No matter what, God remains faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful toward him.

Though there are messages of judgment all throughout Hosea, the point is always salvation. With God, judgment is a means to restoration, salvation and hope. Hosea’s name literally means ‘the Lord saves.” God will deliver his people, and it will not be by means of militaristic force (3:7).

God will save. And Israel will go ‘without” (3:4). “The Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods.” In the same way Gomer will be forced to go without her lovers, Israel will have to go without theirs (3:3).

The kings and princes, sacred stones, ephods and household gods had become sources of idolatry for Israel. The items held no inherent goodness or wickedness, they had become sources for idolatry. Israel had forgotten the intent of sacred symbols and structures and divinely appointed leaders was for the purpose of faithfulness to the living Lord. Israel’s going without will be for their good. Israel would be stripped of their religious symbols in order to return to the Lord.

The point all along is faithfulness to a living Lord, worship of a God creates, calls, saves and forms. The theme of Hosea is not only faithfulness versus unfaithfulness, but a matter of faithfulness to a living Lord. Faithfulness in marriage is not a mere concept but actions toward a real, living person. The same is true of faithfulness to God.

We can, like Israel, turn to other gods and make them into our gods. We can, like Israel, take what is outside of our faith tradition and blend it with our own in ways that replace our true faithfulness to the Lord.

However, the symbols and objects of our own faith can become means of unfaithfulness. The means by which we worship God and grow in faithfulness in our churches can become idols: our books, our songs and our buildings, just to name a few. We can take the things of our own faith tradition, things that have been used for good, and elevate them to such a place where they become gods to us.

We are faithful when we love God. Loving God is not a mere concept but actions we take toward the living Lord. Gomer would have to learn to be faithful to her husband, a real person (not a concept). Israel was called to be faithful to the God who was speaking to her. We have the same call. We are faithful when we love.

Maddie Rarick is the pastor of Meadow Oaks Baptist Church in Temple, Texas.