Love Without Boundaries

Happy Valentine's. Every year at this time, I think of the love story of Hosea and Gomer. I want to retell their unusual love story today. The year was around 750 BC. Hosea was a prophet of God, and, well, Gomer was a prostitute.

How they met is anybody's guess. Maybe she was a street person; he was a street preacher. Have you ever seen an odd couple? This indeed was one.

So they get married, and Gomer had a baby boy. Hosea named him Jezreel. The name Jezreel is the name of a town where a horrible massacre occurred. It's not a name to give a baby.

And then another child came, a girl this time, and she was named Lo-Ruhamah by Hosea. The name means "not loved." Can you imagine naming a baby "not loved"? Is there a hint that this baby is not Hosea's? Has Gomer been unfaithful? Has she gone back to her old ways?

Time later, a third child was born, another boy. Hosea named him Lo-Ammi. It means "not my people," "not my kin." It seems clear now that Gomer's messing around. So, as the story goes, Gomer leaves Hosea.

You know, part of me is happy for Hosea. I think he deserves better. I think it's time to change the locks, time to move on. Now he can get on with his life.

At the point of the story, I have a song going through my head. It's the old song "Hit the Road Jack," and I'm ready for her to hit the road. You know, as I have my shallow thoughts and my lack of compassion, God does something in the story that rocks my world.

If you want to read it, look at the first verse of the third chapter of Hosea, Hosea chapter 3, verse 1. It says, "Then the Lord said to me, go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover." That's what God told Hosea. This story has totally changed my definition of love.

To be honest, I once had a definition like this about love and marriage. My definition was, once upon a time, "I will love you as long as you are faithful." I imagine that definition is pretty common. But now my definition of love for my wife is, "I love you, period. Forever."

You see, when God tells us to love, he tells us to love forever. First Corinthians 13:7 says, "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

We don't know whatever happened to Hosea and Gomer. Did they live happily ever after? Did he go search for her? Did she come back? I have no idea.

What we do know is that this story is a story that God has used to teach us a great lesson. You see, the first three chapters of the book are about Hosea and Gomer and their marriage. The last 11 chapters are about God's relationship with his chosen people.

If you have your Bible, look at chapter 9, verse 1 of Hosea. Hosea chapter 9:1 says, "O people of Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do, for you've been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor." What God does here in this twist is remind us that we've been unfaithful to him. All of us have been like Gomer, if we're honest.

The story continues in chapter 11, beginning at verse 1. We hear beautiful words from the heart of God: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the farther he moved from me, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal and burning incense to idols."

God says, "I myself taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn't even know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I let Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him.

"But since my people refuse to return to me, they will return to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through the gates. They'll destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don't truly honor me."

And then in verse 8: "Oh, how can I give up on you up, Israel? How can I let you go? How can I destroy you like Admira or demolish you like Zebulum? My heart is torn within me," God says, "and my compassion overflows. No, I will not unleash my fierce anger. I will completely destroy Israel. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I'm the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy.

"For some day the people will follow me. I, the Lord, will roar like a lion, and when I roar, my people return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Trembling like doves, they will return from Assyria, and I will bring them home again," says the Lord.

Beautiful words. And here we see that God takes us back. I love seeing love without boundaries.

Right before Jesus went to the cross, he said this to his disciples in John chapter 15, beginning of verse 12: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you."

You know, Jesus here is not only talking about Hosea's kind of love; he's talking about the love of the cross. Hosea would likely be shocked. I hope all of us are shocked at the love of Jesus. I hope we never get used to it. I hope we are transformed by it.

Honestly, at times it's hard. Some people are tough to love, and Jesus loves them, and Jesus loves you. Let's pray together.

God, help us to love in such a way that it changes this world. This world needs the love of Christ. Use us to show it. In Jesus' name, amen.

God bless you. See you next time.