Hosea Redeems His Wife- Hosea Chpt. 3

Hosea Redeems His Wife- Hosea Chpt. 3

Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine. Hos. 3:1

said the LORD... The 5th prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 3:1-5: Hos. 3:4 fulfilled; Hos. 3:5 unfulfilled). Next, Hos. 4:1.

Six Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. The children of Israel will abide many days without a king (Hos. 3:4).

2. The children of Israel will abide many days without a prince.

3. The children of Israel will abide many days without a sacrifice.

4. The children of Israel will abide many days without an image.

5. The children of Israel will abide many days without an ephod.

6. The children of Israel will abide many days without teraphim.

Four Predictions—Unfulfilled:

1. Afterward (after the many days and the fulfillment of Hos. 3:4) the children of Israel will return to Israel (Hos. 3:5).

2. They will seek the Lord their God.

3. They will seek David their king.

4. They will fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.

Go yet, love... Hosea was told to go again and love Gomer his wife who had forsaken him for her old lovers. He was to love her as God loves Israel who left Him to go after other gods, and who loved wine (Hos. 3:1). He took another bag of money and other things with which to buy her back again (Hos. 3:2); and made a contract with her to abide with him many days and not to play the harlot or be for another man (Hos. 3:3). This also was applied to Israel (Hos. 3:4-5).

If anyone had occasion to renounce his wife, Hosea did; however, he was instructed to love her still. Similarly, God continued to love an unfaithful Israel.

Having been previously separated, Hosea was commanded to pursue his estranged wife Gomer, thereby illustrating God’s unquenchable love for faithless Israel.
Some versions of scripture add “Raison cakes”: These were eaten as a part of special occasions (2 Sam. 6:19), they may have been used in idolatrous ceremonies, possibly as an aphrodisiac (compare Song of Solomon 2:5).
flagons of wine... (Hebrew ashishah), are raisin cakes. They are similar, if not identical, to the cakes mentioned (in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:19) which were used in the idolatrous ceremonies in honor of the queen of heaven.
Hosea is instructed to love this unlovable wife of his, as God loves Israel. God loves with unconditional love. While we were yet in sin, God sent His Son to save us. Man loves because of some reason, or the other. God loves in spite of, not because of. His love is Agape love. The greatest love shown ever is spoken of in John.
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Most husbands love their wives, because they are faithful to them, and because they see them as being beautiful. Israel was unfaithful to God, and yet He loved them in spite of their unfaithfulness. As far as the natural man could look, Israel was worthless. God loved them anyway. Remember, the prophet experiences in the physical the same thing that is happening in the spirit with his people. Hosea must love her, in spite of her unfaithfulness and heavy wine drinking.

So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley: Hos. 3:2

So I bought... Price of Hosea’s wife:

15 shekels of silver @ $2.50 each: $37.50

1.5 homers of barley—9.375 bushels (6.25 bushels to a homer) @ $4.00 each bushel: $37.50

Total:$75.00

The amount of 15 shekels was the redemption price of a slave. The barley (not made into flour) was the most valuable part of the price.

pieces of silver... Shekels. One was worth $2.50.

I bought her... Probably from a slave auction, Hosea purchased Gomer for 15 shekels of silver and 1-1/2 homers of barley. Together, the total may have equaled 30 pieces of silver, the price paid for a common slave (Exodus 21:32). Barley was the offering of one accused of adultery (Num. 5:15).

The price paid to redeem Gomer is indicative of the depth to which she had sunk, as we see in this Israel. Barley was considered to be a food fit only for animals, and was eaten only by the poorest people.
Silver... Means redemption. Fifteen is five time three. The number 5 symbolizes grace and 3 symbolizes God. This is saying, by the grace of God, she was redeemed. We see also by Gods grace the remnant of Israel will be saved. We must also note that although we see in scripture that all Israel will be saved. This is speaking of the remnant because the remnant is the portion of Israel that believes in Christ Jesus.
Leviticus 27:16 "And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD [some part] of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be according to the seed thereof: a homer of barley seed [shall be valued] at fifty shekels of silver."
A Homer was about 8 bushels. This homer and a 1/2 homer would have been 12 bushels of barley. Barley was thought of as the peasant's grain, because it was cheaper. Figuring this out in our money today, she brought less than 100 dollars. Perhaps, this has something to do with the fact that all who belong to God are bought and paid for. Christians are bought with the precious blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ).

And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. Hos. 3:3

I said unto... Hosea must have been a wonderful man to obey the order to obtain a wife of whoredoms in the first place, and to show no resentment at being asked to buy her back again, after she had returned to her old lovers. He seemed to recognize the experience as part of God’s eternal message to his people; and being a true servant he did not question the wisdom of God.

Thou shalt abide... He simply made a cold contract with his wife to keep herself only to him for the price of $75 (Hos. 3:2). She shalt abide in seclusion at my discretion. The “many days” are an indefinite period of amendment, while watchful care was being exercised over her. During this time, she is to withdraw herself from her paramour and also from her husband. And wait in an unmarried condition, until I see it fit to espouse thee. Many days: It is not said how long, but a slave, as she is represented here, may not think this severe; the preferment will compensate her waiting.

thou shalt not... This is the third condition, she is to live chaste and modest, not to do as she had done. This was to settle her in a virtuous life, and to prove whether she would betake herself to a life praiseworthy.

and thou shalt... She was not to go with any other man, and was to keep herself for Hosea for "many days" (Hos. 3:3). The "many days" were applied to Israel being in dispersion and without being a nation (Hos. 3:3-4). Afterward they were to return to God and become His wife again as Gomer had become the wife of Hosea a second time after being away from him for a time (Hos. 3:5). She is bound to marry, none other, nor to commit adultery with any other.

so will I... In due time I will accomplish the contract, and, as I wait, so I will be for thee. So the deed is mutually sealed and signed.
This is a very personal Scripture. "Abide", in this particular instance, means sit still. This is like a punishment for her unfaithfulness. He does not take a chance on her being unfaithful with another man during this time. She is in isolation. He includes himself in this, as well. It seems for a period of time, she is totally separated from all contact with men.
This again, symbolizes the fact that Israel would be in captivity. She would not be able to play the harlot with her false gods, and she would be alienated from God at the same time. God would choose the length of time of her captivity, for her punishment for spiritual adultery.

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Hos. 3:4

the children of... All this has been literally true for many centuries. From 606 B.C. until today they have not had a king or a prince. They did return from Babylon and renew the sacrifices, but since 70 A.D. they have not even had this. They have been without images and teraphim all these years so the prophecy has been literally fulfilled.

without an ephod... Idolatrous items of priestly clothing and objects of worship (idols in this case).

They have been stripped from all privileges of worship, as the harlot had been stripped of contact with her lovers. In the king and prince, we see they are stripped of their civil authority. All forms of religion had been stripped, as well. The image is representing the worship of false gods. The ephod was worn by the High Priest, and was their connection to God. God spoke to the people through the Urim and Thummim of the ephod of the High Priest. Soothsaying was done through the teraphim.

Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days. Hos. 3:5

Afterward shall the... This part remains to be completely fulfilled. The part about returning is now in process of fulfillment, but seeking the Lord and David their king, and fearing God in the latter days remain to be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ (Zech. 12:10-13:1; 14:1-21; Mal. 4:5-6; Rom. 11:25-29; Rev. 11:1-2, 11:15; 20:4-10).

David their king... David will be king over all Israel under the Messiah, but over the 12 apostles (Jer. 30:9; Eze. 34:23-24; 37:24).

the latter days... The tribulation period, Daniel's 70th week, etc.

and seek the... This must refer to Messiah during the Millennium, as “in the last days” specifies (compare 55:3-4; Jer. 30:9; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25). The Jews did not seek after Christ at His first advent. This reference has the Davidic Covenant as its background (2 Sam. 7:12-17; Psalms Chapters 39 and 132).

David in the Kingdom: Although Christ will reign as sovereign in the kingdom; it is not clear whether He is the only One on the throne. Several passages suggest that David will reign in the Millennium under the Messiah (Isa. 55:3-4; Jer. 30:9; 33:15, 17, 20-21; Ezek. 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11).
These verses may be interpreted:
(1) Literally, with David being resurrected, returning to the throne, and have a sphere of regal authority under the regency of Christ.
One of Christ’s millennial titles, “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16), may suggest the presence of lesser kings and lords. So it will be that David will serve under Christ’s authority as vice-regent of Israel, just as others may similarly rule other regions or cities (Luke 19:12-18).
Those who suffer for Christ will someday reign with Him (2 Sam. 7:12-16; Psalm 89:34-37; Ezek. Chapter 47).
This is clearly slated to happen in the latter days. When they seek the LORD, they will find Him. Will find David, their king, reigning with the One they call Messiah, and we call Jesus. There will be a day of repentance. They are bought and paid for with that precious blood. We see in the following Scripture that God is God of all, not just a few.
1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe."
He provided salvation for everyone. Some will not accept that salvation. There is much controversy about these 10 tribes (Israel), and what happened to them. In the physical, they would be very hard to trace. In the spiritual sense, they are the lost world that comes to Christ, represented by the remnant consisting of all the tribes of Israel. Every person who ever lived, was a sinner, just like Israel before they came to Christ.
All Christians have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus, just like these of Israel were bought by God. Perhaps, this whole chapter has been speaking of all people who are away from God until Jesus came and set them free. It is God's goodness and mercy that saves us, not some act upon our part. We actually deserve to die for our sins. The wages of sin is death. Jesus marked our bill Paid in Full.
I will give a selection of Scriptures that help on this.
Romans 11:26-27 "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:" "For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."
Romans 9:6-8 "Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:" "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called." "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed."
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."