GOD'S LOVE IS BETTER THAN RAISIN CAKES

September 19, 2011

GOD'S LOVE IS BETTER THAN RAISIN CAKES

Hosea 3

Bryan Fox

Central Truth

God perfectly loves us and perfectly redeems us from our imperfect love of the world and our raisin cakes.

Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.'' (Hosea 3:1)

Hosea Redeems His Wife

1 And the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech^{1

3:2
A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters} of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.

Footnotes

[1] 3:2 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams; a homer was about 6 bushels or 220 liters; a lethech was about 3 bushels or 110 liters

Hosea's relationship with his wife Gomer came to the moment of truth in verse 1. Hosea's struggling relationship with Gomer illustrated God's struggling relationship with Israel. God called Hosea to go love his wife despite her adulterous lifestyle. With similar love, God endured His people worshiping idols and sacrificing raisin cakes to false gods.

Eventually, God's redemption came to His people: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). God gave us the same love through our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus, despite our sins and the pursuit of our raisin cakes in this world.

While I grew up in church, I never paid attention to this level of God's love. About 18 years ago, I started getting into church, praying, and studying the logic of God's sacrificial love through Christ. This process revealed His great love to me. To get it, I did not need to do anything or try to understand vast amounts of theology first. Through His grace, God gave me His Spirit to see this in my heart.

I like to say, "I got it" these many years ago, but like Israel and Gomer, I can forget and can be distracted from focusing on God. I'm drawn back into the world. I fall into old habits like Israel and Gomer. Life is going good, and I slip back in control. I'm an engineer. I can understand things and plan pretty well. Soon, I leave God out and enjoy my raisin cakes again.

In Hosea 3:2, Hosea pursued Gomer again despite all she was--one given over to be a slave. Her value was even considered half the price of a slave. Unconditionally, Hosea went to her, payed the price, and took her back. He redeemed her with the perfect love of grace.

The rest of the chapter hints that this love is waiting for Israel. It is waiting for us, too. Will we remember Him?

1. Do you know what God's perfect redeeming love looks like?

2. What are your raisin cakes: the things of this world you focus on that keep you from experiencing the life transforming and satisfying love of God?

3. Who are the prophets and community that help you stay focused on the redeeming love of Jesus? How are you continually using these people in your life?

4. Who in your life do you need to love so he/she knows the redeeming love of Christ?

WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY

HOSEA 3-7 (SEPTEMBER 19-23)

Read Hosea 6:1-7.

ACTIVITY: Go on a scavenger hunt looking for things in your house that have been broken before, but you or your family did something to "restore" it. When you have found several items, talk about how the item was broken, how it made you feel when it was broken, and what you/your parent(s) did to help "restore" the item.

The story of all the books of the prophets in the Bible talk about the nation of Israel and their disobedience towards God. The book of Hosea is no different. One of the visual images Hosea uses is idolatry, which means a believer in God breaking his covenant/promise to love the One True God.

In the middle of this book, Hosea talks about what it would look like for Israel to repent of its disobedience and return to the Lord.

Have you ever disobeyed your parents? How did it make you feel? How did it make them feel? Do your parents still love you even when you have disobeyed and broken their trust?

Was does it look like to disobey God, to break your covenant with Him? When we disobey God, how do we restore our relationship with Him? What does it mean to repent and ask for forgiveness?

If you have never "repented" of your disobedience, follow Hosea's encouragement and return to the Lord, seeking healing from Him.