What Does It Mean To Say That God's Love For Israel

In the book of Hosea we can see that God can forgive a covenant breaker. In this book we see that the marriage between Hosea and Gomer is a representation of God and Israel. God speaks through Hosea and tells him to marry a prostitute and have children with her so that some children will be conceived out of prostitution. In Hosea 1:2 of the NLT, we see that this is an illustration of how Israel acted like a prostitute by turning away from God and worshipping other gods. The book of Hosea shows God’s love for Israel even while they were in a backslidden state. God was determined to win the heart of the people again. God made a covenant with Hosea and told him to marry a prostitute. So he married Gomer the prostitute and they had three children.

Hosea was told to marry a prostitute to show God’s love. Just like Gomer went off to be with other lovers Israel did the same. Just as Gomer said that she would run after other lovers and sell herself for food, water, and clothes Israel did the same thing as they served other gods. Rejecting God, He said for a time that I will not love Israel, they will not be my people and I their God. He said for that reason he will block her path and cause her to lose her way. It says in Hosea 2:7-8, that she will run to her lovers but won’t be able to catch them. She will search for them but won’t be able to find them. She will think to herself that she might as well go back to her husband because she would be better off than now. She didn’t realize that God gave her the grain, wine, oil, and even the silver and gold. God gave her everything but she gave all those gifts of God to Baal. God made sure nothing worked out for them so that they would regret leaving. God said He would destroy everything she received from her lovers. At this point I saw it as a cleansing. God is removing everything like you would when you try to break a soul tie. Even in the anger or hurt God’s love was