Sing
Hosea
© Carolyn Randall
Can be sung to the tune:
"Red River Valley"
Love your unfaithful wife, kind Hosea
As a picture for Israel to see
How they've spurned Me and caused pain and suffering;
Yet in love, I'll draw them back to Me.
click to enlarge
Teach
Love your unfaithful wife, kind Hosea: Who is Hosea?
He was a prophet to Israel, the northern kingdom.
What did his wife do? She was a woman who had many lovers. Even after she married Hosea, she went to other men for love.
As a picture for Israel to see: What was the picture Israel was to see?
Hosea loving his wife who was not faithful to her wedding vows was a picture of God loving his chosen people in Israel who were not faithful to their covenant (promise) to God. They were going after other god’s.
How they’ve spurned Me and caused pain and suffering: What does spurn mean?
To spurn means to rudely turn away.
How did Israel rudely turn their back on God and cause pain and suffering?
They paid no attention to the promise they made to Him, and they followed other gods and became worse and worse in their behavior. This broke God’s heart (made him so very sad, and angry at sinful behavior which hurt so many people). Israel suffered the consequences of their sin. It led to the destruction of their nation.
Yet in love I’ll draw them back to Me: What does this mean?
God will bring Israel back to Him with his unfailing love.
Preparing: Hosea clearly tells and shows God’s faithful love for his people, and their need for a Savior.
Pictures: Hosea is a picture of the Savior’s compassionate love. Just as Hosea loved his wife and paid for her and brought her back, the Savior paid for us with His own blood to bring us back to Himself.
Yet in love, I’ll draw them back to me.