The Unconditional Love of Hosea: A Biblical Story of Redemption

The story of Hosea is a biblical example of unconditional love and redemption.

Hosea's love for Gomer, despite her infidelity, is a reminder of God's love for us.

The story of Hosea teaches us about the importance of forgiveness and restoration.

God's love is not based on our performance, but on His unconditional love for us.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. ¶¶ Thank you. So who will start the bidding? No bids? Surely she can work in your fields. Anyone? Anyone? All right, let me see this for a second. I'm playing. All right, ladies and gentlemen, we've got a state-of-the-art technological achievement of 21st century. Who will give you five dollars? I'm looking for five. Five. Five. Five. I give you two. Oh, we got our bidder. I've got two, but I'm looking for five. Who will give you five? How about you, beautiful young lady? Oh, well, if you put it that way. I'll give you five if you don't give it back to me. Going once. Going twice. Sold to the original owner for $5. Congratulations. Next on the menu, we have Carrie's sleeping bag for $2.50. Hello. Miss Helen, come on in. Well, we're here, Brother Stewart. You got her to come. It was a struggle, but she finally agreed. Good. Good. It's going to be a great trip. I'm so glad. Sometimes I don't know what to do with her. Well, teenagers. And then just before we left, her mother called, making all kinds of promises about how she was going to come and take her with her again. Well, that makes it hard. I feel so sorry for her. Deep down inside, she is a sweet girl. I hope she cooperates for you. I'm sure she will. Ashley, it's good to see you again. I'm glad you're coming camping with us. Not my choice. don't you worry about a thing all right miss Helen we're gonna take good care of her thank you have fun sweetheart unlikely hey guys ready to go where are all the kids this is us but there are 30 kids in our youth group 30 in the youth group 10 who signed up six had to cancel at the last minute so this is all of us well this isn't gonna be any fun I don't want to go if I'm the only girl. Well, it turns out you're not the only girl. We actually have Ashley coming with us. Ashley, remember Carrie? Hi. And you have Cooper. Call me Coop. Steve. And lastly, we have Game Boy. And here right on time is my beautiful wife. Hi, hon. Hey. Guess what? We have Ashley coming with us. Oh, fantastic. Ashley, good to see you. I'm Beth. Have you been camping before? No. Neither have I, but I'm sure it'll be fun. Plus, the cabin's supposed to have air conditioners and whatnot. What's he talking about? There aren't any cabins. Steve, honey, do you have everything you need? You know what? I have to run to the office. If you don't mind getting everybody loaded up, I'll be down in a sec. Ashley, why don't you come into the van? I'll get your bag. Okay. Look at her bags. We're only going to be gone for two days. What? She's never been camping before, so she overpacked. Yo, Steve, are there going to be bugs? Yeah, Ku. We're camping in the woods. There's going to be bugs. I hate bugs. We're not even there yet, and she's already doing her nails. Bugs, mate. You can borrow my bugs for you, Coop. Thanks, man. No problem. I know what you're thinking. What? She's out of your league. Carrie's right. She only dates guys with money. How do you know? I know what I know. I hate big bugs. Yes, big enough to bite your head off. You don't know that. Ashley only dates guys that can buy her lots of stuff. And you're not rich enough. There's more to life than money. I'm just saying I think she's out of your league. It's not like I'm gonna date her. Then what? I think she just needs a friend, that's all. Carrie, you think one can of bug spray will do it? Do what? Keep the big bugs away. Cooper! What? Let's go, everybody! Load up! The bags aren't going to pack themselves. All right, guys. Let's load up. By the way, Debbie's on the menu. Encourage me to pack. Come on. Come on, Game Boy. Go. Go. I'm sorry. All right, everybody. Let's get out and check around. It's going to be your home for the next two nights. Is this it? This is it. Where are the cabins? No cabins, Coop. This is wilderness living. No cabins, but Carrie said there would be cabins. Why do you think they asked us to bring our own sleeping bags? So you mean we actually have to sleep on the ground? With the bugs? Oh wait, you know what? We might not even have tents. No tents. What if it rains? Don't worry, Coop. We brought tents. You know what, Stuart? I like it. Looks good. What about snakes? Any snakes up here? No, I don't think we get snakes this time of year. That's a relief. At least I don't think so. Hey, Ashley. We're only going to be here for this weekend. Do you really need all that luggage? I couldn't decide what to wear. I couldn't decide what to wear. Come on, be nice. She's just different. It doesn't make her a bad person. No, but the fact that she's stuck up, spoiled, and self-involved does. Gaz, Gaz. What's up, Mommy? No. Not a first time. He's a funny kid. Well, we're back. Yeah. We love this place, don't we? Yeah, we sure do. Something good always happens up here. Alright everybody, let's go! Grab your tents! Thank you. Game Boy, what are you doing? What? Making another hot dog. That's like your third one. It's my fourth. You're cooking me in hot dogs, Stuart. Thank you very much, Game Boy. It's the only thing I learned how to do right at culinary school. What kind of school? Culinary? You know, cooking? You went to a school to learn how to cook hot dogs? No, Coop. Stewart's kidding, but that's what culinary school is. A school where you learn how to cook hot dogs. What's so funny? It's a school where you learn to cook not just hot dogs. Ma'am, you don't know anything. I didn't know. It's okay, Coop. Learn something new every day. I actually wanted to study hamburgers. We had to go for an extra year to do that. My family and I camp out like this a lot. This will be a fun weekend. You'll see. Okay, look. I don't really want to talk to anybody, okay? I mean, no offense, but I hate it out here. And I'm just trying to get through this as quick as possible. Okay. I understand. Appreciate it. All right, since we're all gathered around, let's take a moment to get to know one another a little better. All right? I want to ask everybody a few questions. Is this going to be one of those dumb games, Stuart? No, this isn't going to be one of those dumb games, Stuart. Think of it as an experiment, all right? And everyone has to answer. So here's the question. What is your favorite book in the Bible? Coop, you go first. Favorite book? How about Gospel of John? Gospel of John. Carrie? Do I have to? Yeah, you have to. Come on. Um, not you. Steve, how about you? Romans. Romans, good. Game Boy? I prefer Amos. What are you laughing at? Amos. Yes, Amos. It's in the Old Testament. I know where Amos is. Leave it to Game Boy to be different. Game Boy says he likes Amos. There's some good stuff in Amos. We'll go with that. And last, Ashley. Stuart. Ashley, please. Matthew. John. It really doesn't matter. You gotta choose one. Matthew. Matthew it is. Okay. Now, can each of you tell me something about your favorite book? It can be a verse, something that spoke to you, anything. Coop? Me. Yeah. Now, tell me something about John. I don't know. I can't think of anything right on the spot. Okay. Karen? Let's let Steve go. Come on, it's your turn. Can't really think of anything right now. Okay. Steve, how about you? For all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. Romans 3.23. Excellent. That's why we all need Jesus. What about you, Game Boy? Uh, you want me to tell you something about the book of Amos? You said it was your favorite book. Uh, yeah, but I didn't know we were going to have a pop quiz on it. Oh, all right. Sorry. Ashley? Yes. Can you tell me something about Matthew? No. Um, I can't. All right. Thanks for being honest. All right, last question. If you could change one thing about your character, what would it be? Coop? I don't know. I never thought about it. Okay. Well, take your time. I guess not to be so scared of everything. Like bugs? Hey, that's a legitimate fear. Doctors diagnose it all the time. Yeah, bug doctors. I agree with Coop. It's a legitimate fear. I accept it. Carrie. Stuart, no offense, but these questions... They have a purpose. Please, just give me something. I don't know. reach out to more people, I guess? That's good. Steve? Be more sensitive to others. I realize that a lot of people look good on the outside, but on the inside, they're really hurting. Okay, good. Game Boy! I guess be more attentive. My mind wanders sometimes. Sometimes. Okay. Okay. And Ashley? I don't like this. I know. It's the last question. Come on, Ashley. It'll help improve his point. Be more neat? Be more neat? Ashley, you're like the neatest person I've ever met. No, this is good. It's good. We could all, um, present company included, be a little more neat. Okay. What's the point? The point is that you all gave really good answers for the most part. And if you notice, they were all pretty different. I mean, that's the point. It's okay to be different. We don't all have to try to be like everyone else. We need to recognize that we were all created by God to be ourselves. And instead of just criticizing each other and tearing each other down, we should see each other as special in the eyes of the Lord and help each other. Sound like a plant? Sounds good, Stuart. Good. Oh, also, I think just while we're here, it might be a good idea to brush up on our favorite books in the Bible. Do I see a bug? Ah! Bug! Ah! No! Ah! Ah! No! What was him? Coop, I was just messing with you. It was just a twig, not a bug. Not funny, Steve. What's wrong? Steve put a bug on my face. It was just a twig, Steve. Didn't feel like it. I almost had a heart attack. Man, I was just trying to help you overcome your fear. Well, surely you can find a better way to do that. Now, come on, it's nighttime. Turn in. Not funny, Steve. Okay, okay. I'm sorry, Coop. At least it wasn't a real bug. Yeah, well, just for that, I'm not paying you back for your can of bug spray. It's just a joke. No, jokes make people laugh. Not fear for their lives. So, no, sorry. Still hoping? Hoping for what? You know, I saw you trying to talk to her earlier. Well, someone has to. Maybe you should. You said you wanted to reach out more. Is that your motive? Reach out. Why? Jealous? Of her? Yeah. No way. I think you are. I think you like her. Have some compassion. My mom knows Ashley's grandmother, and Ashley's living with her because her mom's living with her new boyfriend. I guess her mom's always finding guys that have money and can buy her things. Maybe Ashley's the way she is because she doesn't know any better. Or maybe she's just the way she is because she likes it and she uses guys to get nice things just like her mother. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe one of the purposes of this trip is to show her a better way? That girl is nothing like us and she never will be. You don't know that. She may be tough on the outside, but on the inside, I think she's really hurting. You can be the one to rescue her, right? Yeah. Good pancakes, Beth. Yeah, they sure are. Thank you. I'll have some more for you in just a minute. It's actually Stuart's recipe. Stuart? Nah, I don't think so. Oh, come on. Beth makes the pancakes, I make the French toast. Hey, Game Boy, how are you liking your pancakes? I'm finding them very palatable. Palatable? Yeah, it means he likes them. You speak a different language, Game Boy. Hey, Carrie. Why don't you go see if Ashley would like some pancakes? I would really prefer not to Please I think it be a nice gesture Okay. We're having pancakes for breakfast. How many do you want? Who said I wanted pancakes? This isn't a restaurant. She's making pancakes, so how many? I don't want any. She says she doesn't want any. They're not good enough for her. So, Stuart, what are we going to do today? We're going to change the oil in the van and rotate the tires, and since we're there, we might as well get the vacuum cleaner out and, you know, just kind of spruce it up a little. We came here to camp, not work. He's just messing with you, Cooper. Yeah. Plus there's not an electrical outlet to run the vacuum. I mean, why do you think I brought extra batteries for my game? Always thinking there, Game Boy. So what are we going to do? I have an idea. I say we go scuba diving in the lake. That sounds like fun. You can't go scuba diving in the lake. You've got to go scuba diving in the ocean. Did you bring the scuba gear? You know what I didn't? You know what I did bring, though? What? Fishing poles. All right, everybody, we about ready to go? I am. Hey, Stuart, thanks for letting me borrow this net. Oh, thank me. Thank Beth. She's the one who thought you might need it. Thanks, Beth. You're welcome. I'm ready to go. Where's Game Boy? Oh, he's coming. Okay, Steve, where is it? What? My game? I can't find my game. What did you do? Did you try to sell it to somebody again? I didn't take your game. You're laughing. See, you can't keep a straight face. I know you took it. I didn't take it, honest. Coop, did you take it? I didn't take it. Well, I can't go fishing until I find my game. We didn't take it. Well, where is it then? Stuart, do you know? Sorry, Game Boy, I don't. You remember the last place you saw? We'll help you find it. Well, I know I had it in my tent last night before Steve took it. Hey, Ashley. Hey, you ready to go? Home? Yes. Fishing? No. Everybody's got to go fishing, Ashley Yeah, I know, but I don't want to We're going to have a good time I'd much rather stay here Everybody has to go, okay? Come on, Stuart's rules I'm ready And I love fishing It's my favorite thing about camping I can't wait Well, that's the spirit, Carrie Uh, listen, why don't you go ahead and tell Stuart we'll be there in a minute. Thank you. Ashley, I'll be expecting you. We have to find this game, boys. What's wrong? I can't find my game. Steve took it, but he won't admit it. For the last time, I didn't take your game. See, you're laughing. Guilty as charged. You mean the game that you left behind the log after breakfast? There it is. Thanks, Carrie. You're the best. Okay, guys, thanks for helping me look for the game. Now let's go. The fish are waiting. You gotta love Game Boy. Told you I didn't take it. You know, if somebody doesn't catch a fish, we're not going to have anything to eat for dinner. We'll catch some. Maybe we should give a prize out to the first person who catches one. What, they get to change the oil on the bus? That's funny. I know who's not going to catch the first one. Gay boy, you got one. Hey, Kerry, you ever been fishing before? Yeah, all the time. Really? When? My dad used to fish in tournaments and I would go with him. Being in a boat doesn't make you a fisherman, Carrie. I beg your pardon? Oh, sorry, uh, fisherwoman. I bet I've been fishing more than you have. Nope, not a chance. Coop Man grew up with his own personal fishing pond right in his backyard. I've been fishing ever since I was a little bobber. Got you there, Carrie. Well, we'll see who catches the first one. Would you mind taking a drink to Stuart for me? I guess. Thank you. You know what you're supposed to do if you catch a big one, right, Karen? A big one? In this lake? Sure. Kinda like the big ones you used to catch in your pond. Oh, she got you there, Coop. Well, when you think you got one, the first thing you gotta do is take a step back and pull your paw hard like this. Hey! I'm sorry, Ashley. You are such an idiot! Ashley! Do you know how much this outfit cost? I said I'm sorry. Yeah? Well, I'm gonna send you the dry cleaning bill. He said he was sorry. Like it matters now. Why did you even come on this trip anyway? You obviously don't want to be here. You think I wanted to be here? And you certainly don't fit in. Carrie! My grandmother made me come on this trip, okay? I hate this church stuff. Why? Because you think you're too good for us? All right, guys, just keep fishing. I'll be back in a minute. Carrie. I don't want to talk, all right? I don't like her, and she doesn't like me, and that's that. So what if you came over here to say you can just save it? She needs our help. She's beyond our help. What if the Lord had that attitude about us? She's someone with the attitude. Can't you see that? Okay, even if she does, how should we react? I'm not sorry for what I said. It was the truth. Like I said... See, just save it. Okay. Ashley! Just leave me alone, okay? Ashley, it was an accident. You know what? She was right. Okay, I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere. That is not so we love having you here with us. I just... I just want to go home. Look, I think if you would just meet everyone halfway, you'd see they're a great group. And that's just going to fix everything? Look, I understand that your life's been hard with your family situation. No, you don't understand. I've never met my father because he left when I was little. And I've lost count of how many boyfriends my mom has had. Because of all of them, Ashley's always in the way and I get shuffled to some family member. Is that how life is for you? Is it? Because if not, please do not tell me that you understand. Well, that didn't look good. That girl is really troubled. Well, can you blame her? I mean, the way she'd been passed around. How's Carrie? I don't know. Probably feels terrible the way she blew up at her. What can we do? Nothing for now. She'll let both girls be alone for a while. Ashley just needs a huge dose of unconditional love What did you just say? Ashley needs a huge dose of unconditional love Alright, since this is our last night here I think it would be appropriate to end with a story Can we tell ghost stories? Let me tell one. Hey, tell them about the guy with the hook. No, no, I'm going to tell the story, all right? It's going to be a love story, not a ghost story. There's more guys than girls. We should be able to pick. Can I at least still have a guy with a hook in it? Yeah, that'll work. A love story about a guy with a hook. This is actually a Bible story about a man named Hosea. He's a prophet in the Old Testament. Come on, Stuart, the Old Testament? Yeah, this is the now, not the then. You haven't even heard the story yet. It's a good one, I promise. And you might be surprised to find out how it applies to us. I'd rather hear a ghost story. No offense against Hosea. It's Hosea. You don't know the guy. Yes, I do. I've read Hosea before. You have not? Yes, I have. You have not? Guys. All right. Now, in order to understand the story of Hosea, you got to know something about the times he was living in. In those days, God's people, Israel, was divided into two kingdoms, the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom. Now, the southern kingdom was faithful in following God. But the northern kingdom, not so much. They had chosen to worship pagan gods from neighboring countries instead of following the Lord. And because of this lack of faithfulness by the northern kingdom, God was sending in the Assyrians to attack and enslave them. But even in his judgment, God loved his people. He wanted to give them every opportunity to come back to him. And so he sent them a warning. He sent them a prophet, a man named Hosea. For I desire mercy and not sacrifice. The knowledge of God and not burnt offerings, so says the Lord our God. Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwells therein shall languish with the beasts of the field. And with the fowls in heaven, yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away. I thought you said that this was a love story. This sounds depressing. Sounds like the making of an awesome video game where those Assyrian guys come to attack. Yeah. Stuart. Don't worry, Carrie, don't worry. The love story part is coming. I just got to keep setting the stage a little bit, all right? To God, the people of Israel are like his wife, his one true love. only she keeps being unfaithful to him by worshiping other gods. What God really wanted was for someone to understand how he was feeling. That's where Hosea comes in. Hosea was a good man and God knew that he could relate to him. It's also where Hosea's future wife, Gomer, comes in. Wait a minute. Gomer? What kind of name is that? What? It's her name. I don't see anything wrong with it. Right up there with Amos, huh? Hey, hey, hey. What if Game Boy married Gomer? Game Boy and Gomer. I gave away Gomer. Like I was saying, this is where Gomer comes into the picture. Now, the Bible tells us that Gomer was a woman of harlotry. But what we don't know is, was she already a harlot, or was that just something that was in her heart that she would one day act out on? That's not even really the point. The point is that she would never be faithful to one man. she would sell herself and her love in exchange for expensive jewelry and a place of status in her society. In a way, she was kind of like the people of the northern kingdom, never being faithful to their God, always looking to other false gods for prosperity or prestige. And then God said to Hosea, take this woman as your wife. ¶¶ Such beautiful bracelets. Yes, they are indeed. Are you buying them for someone? For my wife. A very fortunate woman. I guess she is I wish I were that fortunate Maybe one day you will be Roma Hosea There you are I have been looking for you Why did you leave the temple? I've heard your sayings before. They are not just sayings. These are prophecies from the Lord. I decided to come to the marketplace ahead of you. Such beautiful bracelets. You know we cannot afford them. Sometimes it is better not to even gaze upon the things we cannot have. So beautiful. Do you remember this place, Gomer? Hmm? This is where I first approached you to tell you that God wanted me to marry you. I never understood why you would want to marry someone like me. Because it was the Lord's will. And I promise to love you a lifetime. You have business left with Zedekiah. Go ahead. I will see you at home. Oh, there, Hosea. Zedekiah, my friend. And what have you for me today? Another jar, I hope. Yes. Here you are. A beauty. I can see that you work hard on these. Creating these from the dust and clay helped me to understand the Lord better. I see how fragile we all really are. Well, I just hope you keep bringing your work so I can sell to my customers. Yes, of course I will. It is our only means of provision. And here is your share from the last one. Thank you. I was afraid, I must confess, that my jars might stop selling. You are speaking to the people again today. Yes, I deliver to them the words of the Lord. Why do you talk of such great judgment? Times are good. To some it may seem so, Zedekiah. But the truth is we have abandoned our true God in exchange for little statues that we pretend are gods. Something terrible is coming. And if the people of the northern kingdom do not repent and turn from their ways, we will all suffer a horrible fate. Your God does not sound so kind. He is not only my God, Zedekiah. Have you forgotten the name of your true God? His name is Jehovah. Let us not talk of such things. We do not want to upset the work and relationship that we have. horrible fate. I see that Gomer was about the marketplace today. Yes, she came with me. She is a very beautiful woman, but she has a wandering eye. I see the way she looks at other men. Please do not say such things, Zedekiah. It is the truth. She is not a woman you can trust with your heart. I do not understand why you married her. The Lord told me to do so. Surely there were finer and purer women for you to marry. She is in need of love like everyone else. Gomer, the daughter of Diblahim, has never lacked in love. She is being faithful to me now. And there is a difference between the love she is used to receiving and the love that I have for her. Only a broken heart will this woman give you, Hosea. I will see you again soon. So long, my friend. We have been talking about you. When people do not like what you were saying, so why do you persist? the words i speak are from the lord but they are harsh no my wife they are truth always the truth because of your words they do not speak more with me either i cannot change what the lord instructs me to say why does god not show mercy to the people god has shown great mercy with his people by allowing them to live in their sinful ways for such a long time the people have forgotten the great things the Lord has done for them. Perhaps if God was not so judgmental, the people would respond. Lord God, I pray that your words might affect the people. I pray that they would turn their hearts back to you again. Please, God, forgive us our sins. Help us to turn away from sacrifices to idols. Cause us to be the people who long for you. and only for you. Stuart? Yes, Steve? I don't mean to interrupt you here, but I've read the story of Gomer and Hosea before, and I don't remember any of this. Well, you're not wrong. The book of Hosea doesn't go into detail about how Hosea and Gomer met or the circumstances surrounding their marriage. It simply says that God told Hosea to marry Gomer, and so he did. What I'm doing is just, I don't know, coming up with a way that it might have happened, so you can get a little more appreciation for the facts. We do know from the Bible that Hosea married Gomer and that Gomer gave birth to a son. And the Lord told Hosea to call the child Jezreel because he would put an end to the kingdom of Israel. Okay, what was his name? Jez who? Jezreel. You see, the judgment was coming, and the Lord was trying to warn the people. It was God's will that the child be called Jezreel as a prophecy against the northern kingdom. But wait a minute, Stuart, I've got a question. If God knew that Goma was going to be unfaithful, then why would he have Hosea marry her? Especially because you said that he was a good man. God wanted Hosea to understand him. I mean, that's the key here. He wanted Hosea to love so deeply, knowing that it would never be returned. It a hard lesson But in the end well I getting ahead of myself He's finally sleeping. I have to go to the temple again tomorrow. To sell another jar? Yes, and I need to speak to the people again. Hosea, why can you not just be concerned about taking care of us? We have enough food. We have a place to live, a place for our son to sleep. It is the people we need to be concerned about. These are good times for the people. The harvest was plentiful. Merchants are selling their goods. But we don't acknowledge the one who is providing for us. And we have traded the living God for silent statues, no more than pieces of clay. Hosea, what have you gained by obeying your God? How can you say such a thing? He is your God, too. We need money, Hosea, not more prophecies of doom. Hear this, you priests. Hearken, you house of Israel. Give ear, O you house of the king, for judgment is toward you. I know, Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me. For now, O Ephraim, you commit prostitution, and Israel is defiled. He speaks of prostitution while his own wife is a harlot. They do not frame their doings to turn unto their God. For the spirit of prostitution is in the land and they have not known the Lord. And the pride of Israel does testify to his face. Therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity. Judah also shall fall with them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children. So says the Lord our God. The only person bearing strange children is your wife. You speak of this judgment to come, only to provoke the people. my heart breaks for God's people your words are false the words that I deliver to you are the words of the Lord and they are true we need to take heed before it is too late if you keep speaking these words we shall deal treacherously with you Hosea Jose, so good to see you, my friend. I had thought you had found yourself another business partner. No, no. It has been hard for me to find time to make jars these days. I'll purchase this one. Perhaps if you would spend less time warning the people and more time tending to your jars, you would find yourself better suited. The Lord and his work must always come first. Be careful with the people, Hosea. I do not want to see anything happen to you. Neither do I. We'll see you next time. Yes. Hosea, you forgot your pay! Why wouldn't the people listen? Because they probably thought Hosea was a nutcase with all that judgment talk. Yeah, and you heard Zedekiah. Times were good. Sometimes it's hard to hear God when it's going well. Yeah, but these people are deaf. Well, it's easy to forget that he's the one who allows us to prosper. Well, I'm not forgetting and I would have listened. No, you wouldn't have. Yes, I would have. And I would have helped Hosea too. And you know what, Coop? I bet Hosea would have appreciated that help. You have returned so soon. I have said what I needed to say to the people. Did you get a good price for the jar? Yes, yes, I did. Zedekiah, he is always fair with me. Where is the payment? I do not have it. I have forgotten to take it from Zedekiah. That money is our only means. Zedekiah is a loyal friend. He will keep the money from me. I shall go there tomorrow and get it. I am tired now from the day's journey. And you are bringing us to poverty. The Lord is providing. And soon we will have nothing at all. Godman, where are you going? To the marketplace to get your payment from Zedekiah. Tomorrow will be soon enough. Gomer! Zedekiah. Gomer, what brings you to the marketplace at close? I've come for my husband's pay. Yes, of course. Hosea left in such a hurry. I tried calling out to him. Here you go. Thank you. We need his payment. You have a fine man in Hosea. A man who is bringing us to poverty. His jayas always bring a good price. But he does not make enough of them. He spends too much time being concerned about the people. Indeed, your husband speaks boldly for his God. Have you noticed? No one is listening. What I have noticed is that your husband loves you very much. I will be on my way. Shh, shh, shh, shh. It is you. I did not mean to scare you. You surprised me. I've been looking for you each day at the marketplace. I do not come here often. I want to see you. But you are married. I'm giving my wife a bill of divorcement. I have a husband who loves me. Your husbands have no concern to me but you. You're a very beautiful woman and you deserve beautiful things. So beautiful. Beautiful things that I can give you. I've been waiting for you. Hosea, you frightened me. I was unable to sleep. You said that you were going to the market to see Zedekiah. But this was many hours ago. My wife, where have you been? I went also to see my father. I thought it would be best to spend time with him. He isn't feeling well. Deblayim's health is failing. I thought it would be best I spend time with him. Yes, of course. I wish you to see Deblayim as often as you like. This is Gomer. What a loser. Hosea should have dumped her. Hosea was doing what God told him to do. He couldn't dump her. That's right. When you make a vow to the Lord, you keep it. No matter what the circumstances are or the situation, you stay true to your word. And marriage is a vow. The Lord put that deep into Hosea's heart. Well, I didn't mean if I'm going to really dump her. I know you didn't. You just didn't like her unfaithfulness to Hosea Just as God didn't like his people's unfaithfulness to him The Bible tells us that Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter And the Lord told Hosea to name this child Leruamah That he would no more have mercy upon the house of Israel Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel For the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of this land There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. There is only cursing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery. Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwells in it shall languish. These are the words of the Lord our God. Hosea, dare you continue to speak these words of judgment against us? I say to you, Jehaz, and to all the people. You bow down to gods that are no gods, and you have rejected the Lord God, your true maker. But we are blessed. Our purses are full. We have no need for the ways of your God. The ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them. Hosea is jealous because we are prosperous, and he has come into poverty. Do you see this barren olive tree? Such will be the result of your prosperity. you shall all of you become as barren as this tree if you do not turn back to the true God the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob it is you that is barren our gods have well taken care of us to all the people I say after the judgment your God will not forget his children the day will come when all Israel will return unto the Lord and this tree shall be full again Thank you. Hosea is jealous because we are prosperous and he has come into poverty. It is you that is barren. Our gods have well taken care of us. Thank you. Did she steal it? Cooper, would you stop interrupting? I just want to know if she stole it. No, the rich guy bought it for her. What makes you say that? Because that's what rich guys do. They buy things for women. That's how they get them to like them. How do you know? I know what I know. Plus, Jose's savings were still in his safe spot. Who was the rich guy? But money can't buy true love. Yeah, but that's not what Gomer was thinking. Sorry, Stuart, but this Hosea guy, maybe a prophet at all, but he's not very smart. Yep, I saw through this Gomer lady at least a half hour ago. You know what? You're all pleading a very good case, and I hear you loud and clear. Which brings me to this. There's a verse in the Bible, all the way back in the book of Numbers, that says, you can be sure that your sin will find you out. So what do you think is about to happen? She's gonna get caught. I doubt it. At least not by Hosea. Will you guys stop talking and let Stuart continue his story? Keep going, Stuart. You're the one who started talking first. A couple of days later. Diblaim! Hosea! I'm surprised to see you. How is my son-in-law? I am well. It is you I am concerned about. Gomer says your health has not been good. My health is very strong these days. Gomer said you were ill. But I am well. How is my daughter? I have not seen her in many weeks. In many weeks? She has lied to me. She was not with her father, so where could she have gone? Hosea. Where could she have gone? I think you already know the answer to that, my friend. I did not want to say anything before, but... There has been talk of Goma and... Please, no, no, do not say it. You need to know the truth. Goma has been unfaithful again. You do not know this for certain. I will ask her. I would not trust the answer from that harlot. Do not call her that. Why do you defend her? Because I love her. Then you are a fool. You would love her, even though she has done this, and more than once. She is my wife. Okay, Osea, enough is enough. Yeah, she's toast. First Gomer lies, now she cheats. Time to throw this fish back in the water. But not back in my pond. I don't want her. He's not going to get rid of Gomer. Why not? He knows she's doing wrong. Yeah, but you're missing the point. She's been nothing but trouble. I'm with Coop. Jose is not going to get rid of her, guys. The next day, Jose was working on a jar. Ah, Gomer, where are you going? I'm going to see my father. Father? Yes. I want to see about his health and prepare him some food. Ah, good. Let me come with you. We can ask Lydia to care for the children. No, please, stay here. I would like to see him alone. We can go see him together another time. When will you return? I will be back before sunset. Gomer? Yes. Please give Dablaim a greeting for me. Of course. please god i cannot take this anymore my heart will not last i would send her away but i know i cannot for it is not your will i have made a promise to you and i will keep it i don't think I would have been like that, I probably would have been mad at God. Yeah, had to be tough to deal with. Well, maybe that's why God chose Hosea, because he knew Hosea would understand, and yet stay faithful to his vow. I think it's cool that Hosea is going to stay with her even after what he found out about Gomer. What Hosea was going through right now is what God was going through with his people. Hosea was feeling God's pain. so the bible tells us that gomer had another son and the lord told hosea to call him loa me which has the meaning you are not my people and i will not be your god why do you insist on these names i name them as the lord tells me but we are being ridiculed by our people the names of our children is not what is troubling us what do you mean i see this jewelry you are wearing gomer i know we cannot afford this with what we make from the jars they are gifts it is wrong what you are doing. I do not know what you are saying. You do, Gomer. It is wrong for you to be seeing another man. I told you I could not attain him. He only wants you for what you can offer him. I want to be with you for what I can give to you. You give me nothing. He does. It is against God's holy law. I do not need your God or you to pity me. You speak of this doom that is to come? Let it come. Let your God destroy us all. God does not want to destroy us. He wants to save us. Not all of us want to be saved. Today, we celebrate the leaving of my wife. I pray that no man here ever gets married to one such as she. But we can see you are no longer lonely. No, not at all. For I've found one far lovelier. A toast. to the most beautiful woman in the land. Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why, Lord? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? The idols of the people are silver and gold. They are the work of men's hands Nothing more than this piece of clay Mouths have they, but they speak not They have eyes, but they see not Ears have they, but they hear not Nor is there even any breath in their mouths Everyone who trusts in them shall become like them. Your people have rejected you. As Gomer has rejected me. I feel sorry for Hosea. He deserved better. Here Hosea's doing right and Gomer's doing wrong. Yeah, Hosea's the one who has to pay. Plus, nobody's doing anything about what he's saying. So you got Hosea taking care of his kids. He's busy making jars. He's got to speak God's word to the people, and nobody's listening to him. And what Gilmer off doing She in some five hotel with the rich guy Thank you Game Boy for capturing that so eloquently However there is a little more to the story My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also shall reject you. You shall be no priests to me. For seeing as how you have forgotten the law of your God, I also shall forget your children. As they were increased, so they sinned against me. Therefore will I change their glory into shame. I shall punish them for their ways and reward them for their doings. For they shall eat and not have enough, because they have left off to take heed to the Lord. Son of Barry, wait for me. Zedekiah. Those were strong words to the people. The patience of our God will not endure forever. You continue to warn us of this great judgment that is to come, but nothing has yet happened. All is well. No, Zedekiah, all is not well. The people do not worship the one who created them, nor do they even fear his holy name. Judgment is coming. Has Gomer returned? Gomer, my love, come and dance with me. Come dance. Dance with me, dance! I'm not in the mood. Dance with me. I'm not in the mood. Your husband Osea may have stood for your mood, but I will not because I am in the mood now. Dance with me. I will not. You resist me? I do not desire it. But I do. No. Was I not the one you left that false prophet and all your other lovers for? You ran into my arms because of all the nice things I could give you? Now dance with me! Leave me alone. You will do as I say. No. Oh. Guards! Guards! What are you doing? Since you do not desire my charms. tonight. I do not care to see this one anymore. Pick her auction. Please, leave me alone. Let me go. Just please. No. No. Let me go. My Lord God, how can I love one who loves another? Why did you want me to marry her? She has been unfaithful so many times. I know now how your heart grieves over your people that have abandoned you. So how can you still love us? How? How? You love us because your love is not dependent on us. Oh, my Lord God. How great is your love. And now what say you of this one? Do I have a bid? She is still of childbearing age, if that suits you. So who will start the bidding? No bids? Surely she can work in your fields. Anyone? Anyone? Half Homer of Barley. Half Homer of Barley? Surely this woman has many good years of work in her. Who will give me one piece of silver for her? One homer of barley. One homer of barley. This woman is of strong stock. She can bear your children. One piece of silver. One homer of barley, I said. One homer of barley. Anyone else? One homer of barley going once. One homer of barley going twice. Fifteen pieces of silver. Fifteen pieces of silver. And a homer of barley. And a half homer of barley too. Sold. Sold for fifteen pieces of silver. And a homer of barley. And a half homer of barley too. It shall not be for another. I will be for you always. Come. Come. And he bought her back. I call it amazing love. The story of Hosea is a picture. It's a picture of God's amazing love for us. and just as Hosea bought back his own life with all that he had Jesus Christ paid 15 pieces of silver for us when he died on that cross and he certainly gave all that he had and if we through faith believe in Jesus Christ and receive him into our lives well then all our sins are forgiven and we enter into God's family forever. You know, Stuart would never tell you this part. But he is my Hosea. When I was really little, my parents were divorced. And I was passed back and forth between them for years. I felt so unloved, like neither parent really wanted me. And then I met Stuart at church. And he made me feel so special. I think it was the first time that I really realized what love was. And that he is my real father. I don't think I could do what Hosea did. I'm not sure any of us could, Steve. I don't know that any of us could muster up that much selfless love to love someone who had treated us like that. it's hard enough just to like someone sometimes even when they're just a little bit different than we are but just like we need Jesus to get to heaven for salvation we also need him to live his life through us daily Jesus in you could love a Goma What happened to the northern kingdom and all of Hosea's prophecies? Did they come true? Yes, Cooper, they did. The people didn't turn back to God, and so the Assyrians came, and they enslaved the Israelites for many years. Just goes to show how serious God is about his word. You see, most of us don't revere the Lord the way we should. Hosea did. Yes, Steve. Hosea did. So, what you guys reading? Figured it was time to read my favorite book in the Bible again. Gospel of John. That's good. Game Boy? Just reading a little bit of Amos. Do you have a moment? Yes. Ashley, I'm so sorry about what I said earlier. I shouldn't have said those things. Yeah, Mom. You meant them. At the time, maybe, but... it was wrong. I just got so mad and said some stupid things. That story changed your mind? Yeah. It did. I know a little bit about your situation with your mom. And I'm really sorry. It must be so tough. How would you know? You probably have two parents who are there for you and who care about you. You don't have any idea what it's like. You're right. I don't. But God does. I don't. And they can make it better if you just give them a chance. Yeah, well I can handle it myself. I'd like to be your friend if you give me a chance. I know I haven't acted like much of a friend on this trip. But if you ever need someone to talk to... All right, everybody. Make sure you got everything. It's time to go. I read the whole book of Amos last night, Stuart. Did you? I did. It's like eight chapters, isn't it? Nine, to be exact. I think that's the most I've ever read the Bible in one time. Very impressive. Thanks Going home Coop. Yep. No more love the ground asleep on. No more bugs. No more bugs I'm gonna miss it. Yeah, me too. Hey, Ashley. Give me a sec. I'll come get those for you. It's okay. I got it Hang on a sec You mind sitting in the back? Not at all. Ready? Mm-hmm. Hey, can I sit with you? Mm-hmm. We really love this place, don't we? We sure do. Good things always happen up here. Thank you. I'm going to go to the next one. Jahaz? Hosea? Can we speak? Yes, yes, we can speak. I would like to know more about your God. The day will come when all Israel will return unto the Lord, and this tree shall be full again. ¶¶ ¶¶ Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. you

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