Hosea, the prophet, is in an interesting situation! The Lord gives him a message during the years when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. Hosea is commanded by God to marry a prostitute—to be a living illustration before Israel. When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2, ESV)
What Israel has done—committing whoredom through worshipping other gods—has been deeply felt by God. Israel is pictured as a wife, an unfaithful wife; God feels it, Hosea is living it, and thus, the message of Hosea is to bring charges against her. Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another. That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away… “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you. (Hosea 4:1–4, NLT)
Yet, as the picture of Hosea’s situation develops, we see something amazing about God. God tells Hosea, after his wife left him for more prostitution, to find her and buy her back. It’s a picture of God’s heart for Israel. Though judgment will come upon His people for their whoredom, He just can’t let them go! “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. (Hosea 2:14–15, NLT)
What a beautiful picture of redemption from a dark, twisted, awful situation. Herein, we find ourselves this morning. God loved us before we were ever born. Yet He knew we would be born in sin, estranged from the womb, born speaking lies and seeking our interests. However, God sent His Son to redeem us from the grip of sin and death. It is His goodness that He chose to show us that we might repent of sin and accept Jesus as our Saviour. Believers, we can rejoice this morning that God transformed our “Valley of Trouble” into hope! May others see this hope and joy in us and turn to Christ!
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Hosea 1-7.