Hosea 2-3: God’s Love for the Unfaithful

The Rev. Kevin Parviz, pastor of Congregation Chai v’ Shalom in St. Louis, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Hosea 2-3.

Israel’s idolatry is described in terms of marital infidelity. Something that, because of YHWH’s command, Hosea is now intimately familiar with because of his marriage to the unfaithful Gomer. Hosea depicts YHWH as the betrayed husband and Israel as His unfaithful wife. We end our study with God’s command that Hosea redeem his wife, Gomer, which foreshadows the future redemption that awaits God’s own bride, Israel.

The book of Hosea is a love story with a twist. It tells how God commanded Hosea, a prophet, to marry Gomer, a wife who would be unfaithful to him. God wanted Hosea to feel firsthand the pain of betrayal as he sent him out to prophesy to the people of Israel how they had been unfaithful to God. Hosea still loved Gomer and pursued her and restored her as his wife. This was a picture of how God pursued Israel despite their sin and rebellion and offered them grace and mercy if they would return to Him.