Can you think of anything more precious than redeeming love?
Redeeming love frees, restores and makes us pure.
You may wonder, “Does this kind of love really exists?”
Recently, I had the privilege to teach on “Gomer” from the book of Hosea in the Bible as part of a continuing “women-in-the-bible” series for my women’s bible study class at our local church.
If you haven’t read the book of Hosea, I encourage you to. You’ll learn about the “never-give-up” kind of redemptive love that God provides to us — if we’ll let Him.
God uses Hosea’s personal life to show the people of Israel not only His hatred of sin and His holy judgment, but also God’s love and desire to redeem them as His people.
Spiritual Adultery
God viewed Israel as His wife and her worship of other gods as “spiritual adultery.” The people of Israel had this annoying, stinking habit of going after “idols.” An idol is virtually anything that takes the rightful first place of God in your heart.
We wouldn’t be familiar with idols today…or would we?
Sometimes idols are made of wood, bronze, or gold. More often today, they include many intangibles that tempt us: beauty, sex, power, prestige, wealth, security, etc.
Even good things can be turned into idols: college degrees, titles, cars, homes, pets, children, and sports, just to name a few.
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
Exodus 20:3 (NIV)*
So how does God go about bringing the people of Israel back to Him?
To perfectly illustrate the “forever” aspect of His love towards the people of Israel, God tells the prophet, Hosea, to marry Gomer.
But before he marries her, God tells Hosea that Gomer will take other lovers, live the life of a prostitute, and have children by other men.
Whoa! Imagine you’re Hosea.
What would be your reaction to God’s instruction?
Can we even begin to comprehend the emotional turmoil this must have evoked in Hosea? But Hosea loves God and proves it — by obeying Him.
He marries Gomer. If Hosea questioned God, the Bible doesn’t record it. And just as God had warned Hosea, Gomer sells herself to other men and, eventually, ends up as a slave. 
Now imagine you’re Gomer.
Your physical beauty has long since evaporated from hard living and unimaginable circumstances. You find yourself clothed in rags, dirty, sick, and chained to an auction block in a slave market.
Who could love you now? Your marriage has come to an end. At least, that is what you believe.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Redeeming Love
God tells Hosea to buy Gomer back and allow her to resume her former place as his lawful wife. With all the privileges, respect and honor that this esteemed position brings.
Impossible?
Not for Hosea. God gives him a redeeming love for Gomer that mimics His love for the people of Israel.
Again, Hosea does exactly what God tells him to do without reservation or complaint.
As we pondered at the beginning of this post, “Does this type of love really exists?”
The good news is a resounding “YES!”
In its most perfect expression, it exists in the life of Jesus Christ. He bought us back from our sin by dying on the cross. And He offers us new life, if we’ll accept Him.
He waits for you — arms open wide!
* Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.