The story of Hosea and his unworthy wife Gomer has been told and retold. It is one of the most outstanding stories of salvation and abundant love in all of literature. It is a true story and a prophecy. Hosea’s strange love story started this way , In Hosea chapter 1:2, we see that the Lord began to speak with Hosea like this :” When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD.”Hosea obeyed to God’s voice and married a woman named Gomer, who was unfaithful to him. God’s purpose for Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was to confront Israel with their sin of unfaithfulness. One illustration that is central to Hosea’s message is marriage. Throughout history every culture has agreed ways to celebrate the covenants of marriage. Because most people had personal knowledge of marriage, they understood the Lord better when the prophets used marriage terms to explain symbolically the covenants God made with them and they with Him. The covenant relationship between Jehovah and His people Israel was likened to the relationship between a man and his wife. Hosea’s message is also one of warning to those who would turn their backs on God’s love. Through the symbolic presentation of the marriage of Hosea and Gomer, God’s love for the idolatrous nation of Israel is displayed in a rich metaphor in the themes of sin, judgment, and forgiving love.
The prophet Hosea was commanded to marry an unfaithful wife, and this set up a model of Israel’s broken relationship with God. Israel had been chosen and loved by God yet had been unfaithful to Him by way of idolatry. Just as Hosea redeemed his alienated wife and sought to continue his relationship with her, God promised to redeem Israel and restore their relationship with Him. The story of Hosea and Gomer is an remarkable picture of God’s strong, endless love for His promise people.