I believe she was Hosea's wife in Jewish culture at least if not by consumation like our culture uses that term. At minimum Hosea had obtained the promise of marriage and exchanged a dowry for her to establish a covenant of marriage that she had been obligated to keep until it was fulfilled, which none of her lovers had done. Hosea had not and would not enter a covenant like this for any other woman, and legally she was now considered his wife alone and could be burned for playing the harlot with any other man. Even though she had violated the terms of the covenant of marriage, Hosea had not. On that basis and genuine God like love, Hosea was to continue his claim of marriage upon her and could not forsake her to her foreign lovers.
At minimum these things must be true to make Hosea's actions portray God's actions with Israel. The Old Covenant had been established with Israel, betrothing her to God unlike any other nation. She could not be given to the god's or graven images of any other nation without provoking His jealousy. Israel had clearly broken the terms of that covenant and God was within His rights to call down the curse of that Covenant upon both her and her lovers. But God had not broken the terms of His promise to Israel to give her the seed He had promised Abraham and passed down to each succeeding generation according to His election, not according to any outward and fleshly legal claims or failings of Abraham's sons in the generations that followed. He would not break that covenant of promise to give the seed to any other nation or to deal with Israel in such a way that the promised seed could no longer come through her, no matter how badly, deceitfully, unfaithfully and treacherously she treated Him. Instead, God loved her and ultimately through the seed He gave to her, His son Jesus Christ, showed His love to not only her but to all nations.
Hosea is a picture of God's long-suffering love and she had to be his wife by covenant to do that
Then the LORD said to me, "Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them."
Hosea 3:1, NL
I don't believe that it is saying it is his wife. What do you think. Thanks
Hello Vincent. The Hosea 3:1 reference you shared wouldn't apply to your question, as that was a specific command given by God to His prophet Hosea to present himself & his 'family' to the people as a graphic demonstration of the way that the Northern Kingdom (Israel) was behaving towards the God Who loved them. In that account, we see a very sad demonstration that Hosea had to engage in, which impacted more people than himself, but God had to get through to His people in such a manner.
In the relationship that you presented, as much as the couple are both widowed, in their later years, & certainly unable to conceive a child, it still remains that the matter of sexual fidelity must still be maintained. As both are single & able to be married without fear of having committed adultery, the matter of fornication (i.e. sexual engagement outside of marriage) is still evident. I realize that marriage is more than a piece of paper which verifies what has taken place; it involves a deep growing love, commitment, faithfulness, honesty, etc., which of course can be had even without that paper. But the door is still open to renege on that commitment. Therefore, a verified public declaration of marriage leaves everyone with no doubt of the relationship - any other relationship can bring up questions & destroy one's witness & standing. And this type of relationship, particularly if based purely on sexual gratification, the Lord cannot condone. You can see Jesus' Words in Matthew 19:3-9, particularly verses 5 & 6, pertaining to the 'one flesh' union that is enjoyed & blessed in a monogamous marriage. And 1 Corinthians 7:1,2, where the apostle speaks of sexual fidelity pre-marriage, & to enjoy the fullness of the blessings of a deep meaningful relationship, then the two ought to be married. The persons in your question may indeed enjoy all the facets of a marriage even to sharing in a Last Will & all possessions, so to make it official would be a very small matter.
Hosea 3:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
Does this mean a man & a women that are both widowed and in there 70's & 80's that wish to have a sexual relationship would be called adulteress unless they get married?
Kelsey Gonzalez, I am also married, and when I find myself in situations like this, and when I converse or try to have him see another way, If it is making the situation worse. We are to remember that God loves us both, you and your husband. So to try and turn this around for help who should we go to? also How? Well someone who was teaching and guiding me in the recent past and past mentioned to me that God is the best counselor,so if we "ask" God to intervene in a specific way for us instead of more approaching ourselves , he can step in and help. God does say ask and you will receive. In his time of course. You do not have to explain the situation to God, for he already knows the situation and you do not want to come across as judging because he loves you both. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I know looking back on this has really helped us as individuals or as a couple. I truly hope this helps you. God Bless, and blessings to you both as individuals, and as a couple. Have a great day! :)
I'm unsure that I understand your question. If you mean, a. "does God forgive us if we say the same prayer of repentance", or b. "does God accept us if we sin in the same way again & again", then these are my thoughts:
a. if we pray in earnestness (i.e. a genuine, heartfelt prayer) seeking God's forgiveness over a sin we've committed, then He does forgive us. Even if we say the same words, if they are from our heart & we mean what we say, then God forgives us based on what Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
b. God is our Father in Heaven & He wants to forgive us always & help us to defeat any sin that gets a hold on us. If you are truly born again of God's Spirit, then you not only know when you've done wrong, but you have God's Spirit in you to give you strength to withstand that particular sin or any other sin that comes to you. But if you enjoy doing that sin, then you must quickly bring the matter to God to help you hate that sin & take it out of your life. God sees our struggles & He is a patient God Who will help you in your struggle giving you a way to escape. Spend time reading God's Word & in prayer. And when sin comes knocking at your heart's door, look away from it, talk to God about it, put on some Christian music, sing along that music to the Lord - by making your effort against sin, you will find that the Devil will leave you. But if you dwell on sin when it comes & see its enticing ways, then it becomes easier to give in & sin against God.
God sees a truly penitent, struggling heart before Him. He will help you - ALWAYS. Have faith, hold onto God & hate the sin.
You've truly bared your heart to us Kelsey, revealing your agony for your own spiritual life & your husband's as well. I could easily suggest finding strength to cope through prayer & reading the Scriptures, for God does indeed speak to us when we truly search for Him with all our heart; yet, I sense that for both of you, your troubles are deep-seated & particularly with your husband, who is "lazy, lacking motivation", he may have become like this by carrying heavy mental & emotional burdens & hurts that are weighing him down, causing him to find his present state easier to bear.
The fact that he at one time encouraged you towards the Lord is remarkable given his present state. And this shows that he has some serious issues within. Do you attend Church? Or are you able to get some Christian help to find a Christian counsellor or Pastor who can sit with you both & try to guide you from under this dark cloud? Your husband may not agree with you doing this, as pride can take over & make one resistant, but for the sake of your well-being & marriage, you really need to pursue some external help along with looking to the Lord.
But don't push him into doing something - he may turn the other way altogether. Be the wife of understanding, compassion & help to him - let him see you loving him in spite of himself & you trying to get him well again. Can you get out of the house & enjoy even a simple walk in the park, a movie, a meal, sharing things that can encourage both of you, rather than bringing on sadness or anger? If he has become reclusive, then small steps might be needed to get him 'going' again. If Bible reading is too heavy for him now, maybe a light devotional book that shares a word of encouragement & guidance might be useful. He needs to have a fresh view of God, of His Love for you both, & that the life & marriage God has given you, can be made fresh & enjoyable. My thoughts & prayers are with you both as you seek God's guidance for yourselves.
Im new to Jesus Christ and my mom was penticostle growing up later she became disabled and our family become so apart and angry at the world i am now 24 years old and i accepted Jesus when i was 23 years old, a couple months from today. There are so many spiritual battles i been going through including lust but i am trying so hard to be the best wife i can be as well as a woman of god. I live with my husband who is having a tougher time and having more spiritual battles than me he is lazy and he loses so much motivation to read the bible and to work. I tried so much with him and i dont know what next to do except trying to push him to god like he pushed me. By the way he is the one who helped me accept Jesus and as a woman with faith i have to as an obligation to god see this task through! I need advice what can i do when a man doesn't obey god! I know everyone's salvation is independent but that doesn't mean we have to be selfish and not help others especially our fellow sinners. Should i keep pushing him or let him fall? Maybe God needs to pick him up from his fall?
I'm unsure whether you're referring to reciting a special prayer of repentance or some other type of praying. Whenever we slip up, being tempted to sin, we can in all sincerity & contrition of heart just open up to God through Jesus Christ, to seek forgiveness for our transgression. We don't need a special prayer as all prayer must come from the heart & not from a printed page or a recitation. It is the "fervent, effectual prayer of a righteous man, that avails much" ( James 5:16).
Just talk to God about your sin or weakness. He will forgive a sincere prayer & He will help you by His Spirit to withstand that sin again. Often, we don't just fall into sin - it's usually a deliberate act to satisfy ourselves. But God understands & "will make a way of escape through the temptation" ( 1 Corinthians 10:13). Feed on things that satisfy your soul & not leading to the desires of the flesh. When temptation comes, turn to the Lord in prayer, attend to God's Word, listen to wholesome music that enrichens the soul, even call a brother in Christ & share your time of weakness & need for prayer. God provides many external & internal (in your spirit) ways to deal with temptation & sin. If we're sincere about it, we will seek a way provided for us rather than satisfy our desires.
what does the bible say about repentance? well, the bible says that Jesus told everybody to repent and the kingdom of heaven is at hand. we have the opposition to repent because Jesus himself died for our horrible sins and our evil doings. because of him, we have peace and freedom to repent and to draw closer to him and his heavenly father. also, the bible mentions the ten commandments.
Hosea 3:5, "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days."
From the account you read in this chapter, Hosea was to demonstrate very vividly, through having an unfaithful wife, Gomer, God's displeasure with Israel, yet His longing that they would be brought back to Him. When Hosea had to repurchase her, she was to be kept in seclusion (depicting the state of Israel, then & now, when she would have no one to rule, nor would God be present through the ephod & teraphim). Israel may have a Prime Minister & a lawful government now, but there has never been nor will be a human King to rule over her since the days of the kings of Israel & Judah.
But the day will come (in the future) when Israel will begin to truly seek the Lord & yearn for "David their King". So the reference to David cannot be to King David who had long been passed away, but to the Son of David, Jesus Christ, Who would at long last be recognized as Israel's King & Messiah. That's why, when Jesus comes back, He comes with His Title, "King of kings & Lord of lords" on His Vesture & Thigh ( Revelation 19:16). And He comes to rule, in the Davidic line, in Jerusalem & His Rule will be a righteous rule unlike any king before Him & without end.
The Lord commanded Hosea to get a wife who was a prostitute. He then had children by her but she continued in her ways and fell in love with another man. She left her husband and when this guy was done with her, as she lost her value in prostitution as she aged HE sold her back to Hosea as an abused slave. Hosea loved her and told her to stay faithful to him So he was buying back his own wife.
Hosea was a prophet, as you know. All that the Lord spoke was for the sake of Israel. It was not for "us" or anyone else. He reminded the people of their whoredom and all he had done for them. In the end, he would or was willing to draw them back. But as usual, they left him again and went "awhoring" after other providers Gods.
I Am that Michael Isaac Dale on Hosea 3 - 5 years ago
Nay. This man, in his wickedness, magnifies his own name while attempting to diminish the LORD GOD: all while revealing the evil murmurings of his heart. Thus, it is written, For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand.
Thank you Eunice for sharing that and thank you Leopold d for standing and believing in the Lord to restore your marriage. Nothing is impossible with God he can do miracles he hasn’t ever changed. Praise the Lord! Romans 8:28
Many say this chapter is about God's unfailing love for us; but THAT is not really the whole point here! The Prophet was commanded to take an adulteress; so he PURCHASED this woman, and told her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee. It was for a sign to Israel of salvation after the age of the Gentiles.
The scripture teaches that God's loves is not limited. when you read the scriptures the word adultery appears several time indicating that God hates adultery but in this scripture he tells Hosea to love his adulterous wife, which is not easy but as God loves us and be able to forgive our sins He expected the same to Hosea. this does not mean that we should sin but must repent and change our ways.
This CHAPTER is a beautiful allegorical picture of Yahweh s faithfulness toward us as covenant people. Even though every one of us in times past have departed from him, sold under sin as Brother Paul proclaims, yet in His Ahavah-love for us, He loved us so dearly He sent His only begotten son into the world to be a propitiation for us. Romans 3:25, 1 John 2:2, 4:10. This fancy word means He literally bought us back after Adam s fall. Think of it. THE GREAT CREATOR HAS BECOME OUR REDEEMER. HE BOUGHT US BACK AFTER WE BETRAYED HIM FOR A LOVE OF THE WORLD, THE LUSTS OF THE FLESH, THE LUSTS OF THE EYE, AND THE PRIDE OF LIFE. PRAISE HIS DEAR SWEET NAME FOREVER. 1 JOHN 2:16
This passage of the scripture describes how we the children of God can spiritual be sometimes and also how patient our God waits to have us back as we return in repentance to him.
This just show God 's unfailing love towards us. At times we live a spiritually adulterous life, idolizing material things and people instead of being committed to our Maker, who loves n watches over us. Still God changes not and patiently waits for us to return. Lord remember mercy.
Am so moved and encouraged by Leopard. God wil answer your prayers.I advice you get faith filled prayer warriors to agree with you in prayer for your wife 's change of heart and return. Nothing is too hard for God. God is pleased when we stand upon HIs word and He surely answers prayers. I have a friend whose marriage was restored after 15 years of legal divorce.
My life is like Hosea I have a family problem since 8 years I have a son his name is Joash he is 17 years old he is in grade 12 we are legally separates even the Catholic Church has given annulment for our marriage every one tells me to get married again it she who wanted the separation my son was 8 years old I had gone for work he was sleeping g at home she packed her bags and left the house leaving him behind I tried to call and convince her she would not listed she told he that if I tried to force her ah would commit suicide she was already seeing another man I am single handed taking care of my son still waiting on The Lord to touch and change her heart and convince her to come back because the word of God says What God has joined together no man can separate that is what I wait upon
Mat 10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
At minimum these things must be true to make Hosea's actions portray God's actions with Israel. The Old Covenant had been established with Israel, betrothing her to God unlike any other nation. She could not be given to the god's or graven images of any other nation without provoking His jealousy. Israel had clearly broken the terms of that covenant and God was within His rights to call down the curse of that Covenant upon both her and her lovers. But God had not broken the terms of His promise to Israel to give her the seed He had promised Abraham and passed down to each succeeding generation according to His election, not according to any outward and fleshly legal claims or failings of Abraham's sons in the generations that followed. He would not break that covenant of promise to give the seed to any other nation or to deal with Israel in such a way that the promised seed could no longer come through her, no matter how badly, deceitfully, unfaithfully and treacherously she treated Him. Instead, God loved her and ultimately through the seed He gave to her, His son Jesus Christ, showed His love to not only her but to all nations.
Hosea is a picture of God's long-suffering love and she had to be his wife by covenant to do that
Then the LORD said to me, "Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the LORD still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them."
Hosea 3:1, NL
I don't believe that it is saying it is his wife. What do you think. Thanks
......this was in a devotion i receive.
In the relationship that you presented, as much as the couple are both widowed, in their later years, & certainly unable to conceive a child, it still remains that the matter of sexual fidelity must still be maintained. As both are single & able to be married without fear of having committed adultery, the matter of fornication (i.e. sexual engagement outside of marriage) is still evident. I realize that marriage is more than a piece of paper which verifies what has taken place; it involves a deep growing love, commitment, faithfulness, honesty, etc., which of course can be had even without that paper. But the door is still open to renege on that commitment. Therefore, a verified public declaration of marriage leaves everyone with no doubt of the relationship - any other relationship can bring up questions & destroy one's witness & standing. And this type of relationship, particularly if based purely on sexual gratification, the Lord cannot condone. You can see Jesus' Words in Matthew 19:3-9, particularly verses 5 & 6, pertaining to the 'one flesh' union that is enjoyed & blessed in a monogamous marriage. And 1 Corinthians 7:1,2, where the apostle speaks of sexual fidelity pre-marriage, & to enjoy the fullness of the blessings of a deep meaningful relationship, then the two ought to be married. The persons in your question may indeed enjoy all the facets of a marriage even to sharing in a Last Will & all possessions, so to make it official would be a very small matter.
Does this mean a man & a women that are both widowed and in there 70's & 80's that wish to have a sexual relationship would be called adulteress unless they get married?
a. if we pray in earnestness (i.e. a genuine, heartfelt prayer) seeking God's forgiveness over a sin we've committed, then He does forgive us. Even if we say the same words, if they are from our heart & we mean what we say, then God forgives us based on what Jesus Christ has done for us on the Cross. 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
b. God is our Father in Heaven & He wants to forgive us always & help us to defeat any sin that gets a hold on us. If you are truly born again of God's Spirit, then you not only know when you've done wrong, but you have God's Spirit in you to give you strength to withstand that particular sin or any other sin that comes to you. But if you enjoy doing that sin, then you must quickly bring the matter to God to help you hate that sin & take it out of your life. God sees our struggles & He is a patient God Who will help you in your struggle giving you a way to escape. Spend time reading God's Word & in prayer. And when sin comes knocking at your heart's door, look away from it, talk to God about it, put on some Christian music, sing along that music to the Lord - by making your effort against sin, you will find that the Devil will leave you. But if you dwell on sin when it comes & see its enticing ways, then it becomes easier to give in & sin against God.
God sees a truly penitent, struggling heart before Him. He will help you - ALWAYS. Have faith, hold onto God & hate the sin.
The fact that he at one time encouraged you towards the Lord is remarkable given his present state. And this shows that he has some serious issues within. Do you attend Church? Or are you able to get some Christian help to find a Christian counsellor or Pastor who can sit with you both & try to guide you from under this dark cloud? Your husband may not agree with you doing this, as pride can take over & make one resistant, but for the sake of your well-being & marriage, you really need to pursue some external help along with looking to the Lord.
But don't push him into doing something - he may turn the other way altogether. Be the wife of understanding, compassion & help to him - let him see you loving him in spite of himself & you trying to get him well again. Can you get out of the house & enjoy even a simple walk in the park, a movie, a meal, sharing things that can encourage both of you, rather than bringing on sadness or anger? If he has become reclusive, then small steps might be needed to get him 'going' again. If Bible reading is too heavy for him now, maybe a light devotional book that shares a word of encouragement & guidance might be useful. He needs to have a fresh view of God, of His Love for you both, & that the life & marriage God has given you, can be made fresh & enjoyable. My thoughts & prayers are with you both as you seek God's guidance for yourselves.
Just talk to God about your sin or weakness. He will forgive a sincere prayer & He will help you by His Spirit to withstand that sin again. Often, we don't just fall into sin - it's usually a deliberate act to satisfy ourselves. But God understands & "will make a way of escape through the temptation" ( 1 Corinthians 10:13). Feed on things that satisfy your soul & not leading to the desires of the flesh. When temptation comes, turn to the Lord in prayer, attend to God's Word, listen to wholesome music that enrichens the soul, even call a brother in Christ & share your time of weakness & need for prayer. God provides many external & internal (in your spirit) ways to deal with temptation & sin. If we're sincere about it, we will seek a way provided for us rather than satisfy our desires.
From the account you read in this chapter, Hosea was to demonstrate very vividly, through having an unfaithful wife, Gomer, God's displeasure with Israel, yet His longing that they would be brought back to Him. When Hosea had to repurchase her, she was to be kept in seclusion (depicting the state of Israel, then & now, when she would have no one to rule, nor would God be present through the ephod & teraphim). Israel may have a Prime Minister & a lawful government now, but there has never been nor will be a human King to rule over her since the days of the kings of Israel & Judah.
But the day will come (in the future) when Israel will begin to truly seek the Lord & yearn for "David their King". So the reference to David cannot be to King David who had long been passed away, but to the Son of David, Jesus Christ, Who would at long last be recognized as Israel's King & Messiah. That's why, when Jesus comes back, He comes with His Title, "King of kings & Lord of lords" on His Vesture & Thigh ( Revelation 19:16). And He comes to rule, in the Davidic line, in Jerusalem & His Rule will be a righteous rule unlike any king before Him & without end.