The Prophet Hosea's Message on Rag Dolls and God's Faithfulness

"The Word of the Lord that came to Hosea, son of Beeri during the  reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash King of Israel." Hosea 1:1 

Hosea was evidently born into a good home. Beeri and his wife gave him a name which is similar in Hebrew to Joshua, meaning God is our Savior. Israel's sun was setting and it hardly needed a prophet to discern that the end was near.

God said to Hosea, "The land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." Because of that, God said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife." So, Hosea married Gomer. What a grief she was to Hosea! She deserted him, but he still loved her and bought her back. God said, "Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods." 

Through that marriage, the God of heaven and earth had a message for the people of that day and for us today. Israel was chosen by God to be his "bride." God set his love on Israel, He became a "husband" to Israel. And although Israel was unfaithful, God remained faithful. God loves us, not because of who we are, but in spite of who we are.

Ian Pit-Watson was a speaker at the Christian Reformed Ministers' Institute in 1990. He gave an illustration of this. He said, " Someone gave my daughter Rosemary a rag doll. The rag doll went everywhere she went. As time went on, it became more and more rag, and less and less doll. Logic said, let's pitch it. But though the doll had no intrinsic value, a bond was there. Accept Rosemary, accept the rag doll. So, you and I are God's rag dolls. We were not trashed. God says, "Love me, love my rag doll, even the rag doll you see in the mirror."

Charles Swinburne said, "I could worship the Crucified if he came without his leprous bride, the church." But Christ loves the church, not so much for what it is, but for what he intends to make of it!

O love, that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.