Hosea and Gomer are characters that can be found in the Bible – in the Old Testament, to be exact. They are husband and wife; the man, a prophet, and the wife, a prostitute. In the Bible, you can see that God often asks his prophets to do difficult things in His name. Hosea’s case was no different. He was asked by God to marry a woman who would, later on during their marriage, become a prostitute. This was how God wanted to exemplify His relationship with Israel at the time.
The Israelites are said to be God’s people, but during the reign of the infamous seven kings, in which time frame Hosea tirelessly prophesied, they were everything but. During that period, Israel became a harlot in the sense that it welcomed different religions with open arms. The people of Israel worshipped the idol that their kings worshipped, gods from other lands ruled by kings who did not believe in Yahweh. They were divided into two kingdoms, the North and the South. Hosea spent his time prophesying to the Northern Kingdom, but the people of Israel were not keen on listening.
Married life is not easy, but it was especially difficult for Hosea and Gomer. Their marriage was far from ideal, and they had more downs than ups. In the Bible, Gomer is described as a “quarrelsome wife,” which experts found to have the same meaning then as the modern phrase “adulterous wife.” One of their children, in fact, had a name that literally translates to “Not Mine.” That was how tainted Gomer and Hosea’s marriage was. But if there is something married couples of today can learn from the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer, it is the importance of love and forgiveness.
Hosea sought out Gomer when she went away from the marital home. His love, like God’s love for Israel, made him forgive her sins, just as God forgave the sins of the Israelites. A love relationship is similar to the covenant God shares with His people. With love and forgiveness, there is nothing a couple can’t overcome, including adultery or infidelity. The party who has been jilted or cheated must learn to forgive.
But of course, it must be a two-way street. The party who has done wrong must learn to repent. Gomer, like the Israelites, repented. True repentance, which consists not of empty promises but of real change, can turn any troubled love relationship into a happy one. It takes a lot to do this, but with love – and the knowledge that you have been forgiven and are being given the chance to become a better partner – all things are possible. Partners must work hand in hand in order to make their love relationship work.