Bible Commentaries
Hosea 3

Verses 1-5

1. Intro:
   1. His Club Pic’s on what’s happening behind these walls w/your kids.
   2. Opening Scripture & Prayer – Is. 58:13b & 14. “Delight yourself in the Lord”
   3. Story - According to an old legend, a man became lost in his travels and wandered into a bed of quicksand.
      Confucius saw the man's predicament and said, "It is evident that men should stay out of places such as this."
      Next, Buddha observed the situation and said, "Let that man's plight be a lesson to the rest of the world."
      Then Muhammad came by and said to the sinking man, "Alas, it is the will of God."
      Finally, Jesus appeared. "Take my hand, brother," he said, "and I will save you."
   4. This chapter is perhaps the greatest chapter in the entire bible! Why? Because it tells the greatest story in the entire bible.
      1. It defines the word “so” in for God so loved the world!
   5. Outline: Love Chasing; Loves Checkbook; Loves Chastity; Loves Chaff; Love Charted.
2. GOD SOOO LOVED THE WORLD! (1-5)
   1. LOVE CHASING! (1)
   2. Recap: Explain God’s vision for his people in 2:14-23 as stated in Hosea’s poetic language.
      1. Woo her, give her hope, have her singing, be her husband, betroth her, & provide for her.
      2. Q: What did he expect her to change? Fidelity to the marriage; to be intimate with Him, forsake all other gods, to be faithful to Him, & Love Him.
      3. Q: What indications do we have that God would take steps to bring this about? (He says “I will” 15 x’s in this section!!!)
   3. Q: What else would Hosea have to “give up” to get her back? (ask)
      1. Pride, resentment, unforgiveness, grudges, & self-righteousness!
   4. Note the word love appears in some form 5 times in this 1 verse.
      1. This is the Muzak (mew-zak) tone for the whole book of Hosea.
   5. LOVES CHECKBOOK! (2)
   6. In the Greek world there was a standard formula for manumission (emancipation/free) of a slave.
      1. “________ pays to the Pithian Apollo the sum of ______ minae for the slave ________ on the condition that he/she shall be set free.”
      2. We know quite a bit about the selling of slaves in antiquity because much has been written about it.
         1. Slaves were always sold naked. That way they could see muscle tone for the young men, & the of course the bodies of the women.
      3. The price of a female slave was normally 30 shekles, “If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.”(Ex.21:32)
         1. She was obviously worth less then that at this time.
      4. Jesus was sold for____ of silver? (30…the price of a slave/servant)
   7. Redemption! “so I bought her for myself”
      1. Redemption is dealt with in 150 texts of scripture, where a dozen Heb & Gk. words are used. (Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible.)
      2. The term means “to deliver by paying a price, to sever from bondage.”
      3. 3 important words in the NT:
      4. Agorazo – “to buy in the market”.
         1. 1 Cor. 6:20 “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
         2. Rev.5:9 “And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,”
      5. Exagorazo [ex=out of] - “to buy out of the market” {so as not to be sold again}
         1. Gal.3:13 “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us”
         2. Gal.4:5 “to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
      6. Lutroo – “to set free”. (to release on receipt of ransom/Vines)
         1. Tit.2:14 “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
         2. 1 Pet.1:18,19 “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
      7. Hosea paid half in money, & half in grain? Q: Why didn’t he pay for it all in cash? I believe it was because he couldn’t pay it all in cash. It’s my speculation that he is giving his all to purchase her back.
      8. Q: Is Christlike love always costly? (ask)
         1. Davdi said, “Then the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.” (2 Sam.24:24)
   8. Hosea bids for Gomer!
      1. The 1^st bidder calls out, “12 pieces of silver!”…Hosea bids 13. “14 pieces of silver!”…Hosea bids 15.
         
         “15 pieces of silver & a bushel of barley!”…Hosea bids 15 & 1 & ½ bushels.
         
         Seeing no more bids the auctioneer yells, “sold to Hosea for 15 pieces of silver & 1 & ½ bushels.”
      2. And so Hosea took her off the streets, clothed her, led her back home, & back to his heart!
      3. I guess you could say, “Hosea(which means Salv.) caught her(being unfaithful), sought her(vs.1), bought her(vs.2), & taught her(vs.3)”
   9. God bids for helpless sinful slaves!
      1. God steps into the market place of sin & buys us out of sin’s bondage by the death of Christ.
      2. We are Gomer. Standing on the auction block of sin. The world bids fame, wealth, prestige, influence, power…all of which are the world’s currency!
      3. When all seemed lost God sent His only Son to the marketplace to buy us at the cost of His life.
      4. God was the auctioneer, He said, “What am I bid for these poor, hopeless, enslaved sinners?” Jesus said, “I bid the price of my blood” – The Father said, “Sold to the Lord Jesus Christ for the price of His blood!”
   10. The World bids for Your Marriage!
       1. The world bids you to cheat on your spouse. The bid is “fun, thrills, excitement, adventure, delight, ecstasy, kicks”…& yet they don’t realize all of those can be had within a monogamous marriage made on the Messiah!
       2. Q: Would God ever call anyone today to do the same for his wife or her husband! Absolutely!
          1. We are called like Hosea in vs.1 to love as God loves! Note…“just like the love of the Lord”
          2. “But I don’t feel I can do it!”…You can’t!...but God can help you, guide you, & empower you…so you can!
          3. What is it…but “God love” that’s what this is!
   11. LOVES CHASTITY! (3)
   12. This could mean live in seclusion(i.e. her customary purification time).
   13. Nor shall you have a man – The unity candle in a wedding represents the 2 becoming one. But at 1 wedding, a mother sitting next her young teenage son asked him, “do you know what that represents?” He replied,“sure, it means your blowing out all old flames!”
   14. ​​​​​​​LOVES CHAFF! (4)
   15. As Hosea’s experience with Gomer, so God w/Israel, as they would be separated for a time from a king or a prince(no civil gov.); while they are being purified from…A sacrifice(sacrifices were to be in 1 place & 1 only) or sacred pillar(this cult object was used in pagan worship. It was forbidden in Deut.16:22) ; A Ephod(means “overlay”, in Gideon’s time it was an idol/prob made of wood & overlaid w/precious metal) orteraphim(household gods).
       1. The exile would be a time where the cult objects would be removed!
   16. LOVE CHARTED! (5)
   17. “Return” – A key word, found 22 times in Hosea.
   18. God is Love! - & promises to forgive & restore all who repent & return to Him. He promises to bless all who trust in Him!
   19. Like Gomer, we didn’t seek Him but He sought us. We didn’t join ourselves to Him but He joined Himself to us. He courted us, He won our love. Then we stood with Him before the Father & recited those spiritual vows that made us His for eternity!
       1. 1^st He took His vows: “I Jesus, take thee, sinner, to be my wedded wife; & I do promise & covenant, before God & these witnesses, to be thy loving & faithful Savior & Bridegroom; in plenty & in want, in joy & in sorrow, in sickness & in health, for this life & for eternity.”
       2. Then we looked up into His face & said: “I, sinner, take thee, Jesus, to be my Savior & Lord; & I do promise & covenant, before God & these witnesses, to be thy loving & faithful bride; in plenty & in want, in joy & in sorrow, in sickness & in health, for this life & for eternity.”
       3. Thus, we took His name & became His! From Mr. or Mrs. Sinner; to Mr. or Mrs. Christian.
       4. Q: Have you adopted the great American past-time of “dating God…& others?” – Become His betrothed bride tonight! 2.19.4.1. Pray the Vows!
   20. End: Bob Weber, past president of Kiwanis International, told this story. He had spoken to a club in a small town and was spending the night with a farmer on the outskirts of the community. He had just relaxed on the front porch when a newsboy delivered the evening paper. The boy noted the sign Puppies for Sale. The boy got off his bike and said to the farmer, "How much do you want for the pups, mister?" "Twenty-five dollars, son." The boy's face dropped. "Well, sir, could I at least see them anyway?" The farmer whistled, and in a moment the mother dog came bounding around the corner of the house tagged by four of the cute puppies, wagging their tails and yipping happily. At last, another pup came straggling around the house, dragging one hind leg. "What's the matter with that puppy, mister?" the boy asked. "Well, Son, that puppy is crippled. We took her to the vet and the doctor took an X ray. The pup doesn't have a hip joint and that leg will never be right." To the amazement of both men, the boy dropped the bike, reached for his collection bag and took out a fifty-cent piece. "Please, mister," the boy pleaded, "I want to buy that pup. I'll pay you fifty cents every week until the twenty-five dollars is paid. Honest I will, mister." The farmer replied, "But, Son, you don't seem to understand. That pup will never, never be able to run or jump. That pup is going to be a cripple forever. Why in the world would you want such a useless pup as that?"
       
       The boy paused for a moment, then reached down and pulled up his pant leg, exposing that all too familiar iron brace and leather knee-strap holding a poor twisted leg. The boy answered, "Mister, that pup is going to need someone who understands him to help him in life!"
       
       Crippled and disfigured by sin, the risen, living Christ has given us hope. He understands us--our temptations, our discouragements, and even our thoughts concerning death. By His resurrection we have help in this life and hope for the life to come.