By Kara Parker
First of all lets just start with...
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!! Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye Heavenly Host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. AAAAAAAAAMMMMMMEEEEEEN!
Alright... Let's do this!
I have a Bible that has 4 versions side by side. Which makes this chapter very interesting. If you've read Chapters 1 and 2 with me, you will see I jump (the Bible jumps!) VERY QUICKLY between talking about Hosea and Gomer versus talking about God and Israel. In the King James Version this Chapter is called, "Israel will return to God." But in the "New International Version" it is called, "Hosea's Reconciliation with his wife. In the "New Living Translation" it is, "Hosea's Wife is Redeemed." And in the "New American Standard Bible" it is called, "Hosea's Second Symbolic Marriage."
Anyone confused yet? Are we all translating the SAME Bible? Chapter 3 is only 5 versus. Yet the people who translated them, got all of these different meanings. And I haven't even read the first verse! So are we talking about Israel and God? Hosea Reconciling with his wife (Gomer--- I just love that name!), is Gomer being Redeemed? Or are they getting remarried. (Which is really a second symbolic marriage, don't ya think?) Maybe it's all of these wrapped up in the 5 versus. Regardless, here we go!
Verse 1: This one is pretty straight forward. God is telling Hosea to go get Gomer, even though she has been an adulteress. And Love her like the Lord loves the Israelites, even though they "turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." That is the NIV version. Raisin Cakes? One must investigate this a little further! Ha! (after googling this) it is exactly as it seems. Cakes with raisins! In a time where the vineyards were thought to be 'gifts of the gods' the raisin cakes seemed to have played a part. Moving on (Lord knows I just got hung up on food, can you tell I'm on a diet!??)
Update: Just asked my smart, seminary student, and he said it was a bunch of raisins pressed together to form a cake. Still sounds kinda yummy!
Verse 2: Hosea buys Gomer back.
Verse 3: and told her she could no longer be a prostitute or be intimate with any other man, and Hosea will live with Gomer.
Verse 4: The Israelites are about to live without a King or prince, without sacred stones, without ephod or idol "for many days."
Recap: Don't go off with anyone again. And our people are going to have no ruler.
Verse 5:Afterword, the Isrealites will return and seek the Lord their God and David as their King. They will come trembling (or they will fear) the Lord and His goodness in their later days.
So, the Isrelites will return to God. And Gomer will return to Hosea. Basically what the chapter titles told us, right?
What I took away from this, is that we can always turn back to God, no matter how bad we have screwed up and God will take us back! Amen to that!