Hosea 3: 1 – 5 NRSV

The LORD said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just
as the LORD loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin
cakes.”So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure
of wine. And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play
the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” For the Israelites
shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod
or teraphim. Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David
their king; they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.

Introduction

Love is always considered as something most sacred, beautiful, special, and respectful.

Human beings, facing with love, often enter into a sacred place. Love is a popular and interesting

topic; it is something very close to our daily life. We can also say that love can govern or inspire

our life. However, the depth of love cannot be showed out at all; its strength cannot be dried up.

Moreover, the changing feelings, complicated situations, and different status of ourselves are not

easy to express in any dimension of love. Nevertheless, even we can be able to express our love,

we cannot explain love because it requires no justification.

There is love that just blossoms; there is love that is ripe enough, there is love that

blossoms fully, there is love that reaches to the highest level–ecstasy of happiness, but there is

love that unfinished–‘not to know whether to laugh or cry and keep a white elephant’

(Vietnamese idiom). Therefore, love’s problem of all time is still there, a problem which is so

traditional; a problem that is always very excited and hot that need to discuss in our daily life. In

other words, getting in touch with love is touching all sensitive problems, touching oneself or

more explicitly is to touch the depth inside each one of us.

In the Old Testament, God’s love for His people is very strong and profound, we cannot

measure it. As the prophet Hosea said: ‘How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you

1
over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart

recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.’1 For love, God has established a

covenant with His chosen people–Israelites. God has proved this covenant by His compassion

and faithfulness. His compassion in the Old Testament is expressed through His tender love in a

way that His people could ask for forgiveness whenever they commit sins or go astray. Even

though those people know that God knows that they may betray Him; they pretended to be deaf

and blind. They also forgot the meaningful works that God has made for them. ‘They refused to

obey, and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them; but they stiffened

their necks and determined to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to

forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and you did not

forsake them.’2 The mercy and compassion of God is always prolonged by His faithfulness in the

process of carrying the covenant that He had sealed with His people, that is, He is a God who

keeps His faithfulness forever. Therefore, we come to know that God is not a God of

punishment3 but He is the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in

steadfast love and faithfulness.4

In this exegetical – theological pastoral paper, the researcher chose the verse one on the

chapter three of the Book of Hosea that is written as: “The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love

to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress” to make exegesis.

This exegetical analysis is intended for all of us–Christians, most especially for broken families.

The researcher will divide the paper as follows: Historical Background, Exegetical Analysis and

Theological Interpretation, Pastoral Reflection, and lastly conclusion.

1
Hos. 11: 8.
2
Neh. 9: 17.
3
Cf., Jon. 3: 9.
4
Exod. 34: 6.

2
 Historical and Socio-Political Background

Many years before Hosea, God entered into a special covenant relationship with

Abraham.5 Later, at Mt Sinai, under Moses’ leadership, God established His special covenant

relationship with the children of Israel. However, despite the fact that God is faithful in keeping

the covenant, Israel was never faithful in of keeping the covenant.6

During the reigns of King David and Solomon, Israel could really reach the “golden

peak” of her peaceful and blessed years. Towards the end of Solomon’s reign, the nation began

to show signs of spiritual and moral decline. Not long after Solomon’s death, the great nation of

Israel divided itself into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom, under Jeroboam, had ten tribes,

and retained the name Israel, while the southern kingdom, composed of two tribes, Judah and

part of Benjamin, and gained the name Judah. Rehoboam, son of Solomon, became the first king

of Judah.7

The northern kingdom of Israel quickly turned away from her covenant relationship with

Yahweh, her God-king. King Jeroboam made two golden calves, and built two places of

worship, one at Bethel and the other at Dan, and prevented the people from the northern tribes

from going down to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to God (1 Kings 12:25-33).8

The book (1:1) dates his mission to the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah of

Judah, and of Jeroboam son of Joash in Israel. The fact that nowhere in his book is there a

5
Cf., Gen. 12:1-3.
6
Cf., W. R. Farmer, ed., The International Bible Commentary: A Catholic and Ecumennical Commentary for
the 21st Century, (Quezon Philippines: Claretian Publication, 2001), 131.
7
Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Michigan: Zondervan,
1994), 399.
8
Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament (Michigan: Zondervan,
1994), 400.

3
reference to the Assyrian conquest of Samaria suggests that Hosea’s mission had ended

sometime earlier. The oracle prophesying the collapse of Jehu’s dynasty (of which jeroboam II

was the heir), in 1: 4. is proof that it began prior to the death of jeroboam in 743.9

Hosea was active in the third quarter of the 8th century B.C. when he began to prophesy,

Jeroboam II (786-743) was still on the throne. When he ceased, the fall of the northern kingdom

of Israel was imminent. Therefore, his career stretched from times of prosperity and comparative

stability through the instability of the toppling dynasties, social unrest, warfare, vacillating

leadership and partial subjugation to humiliation and the shadow of final disaster.10

From the time of the Jeroboam’s death in 743 until the destruction of the Israelite

kingdom in 721, six kings reigned, two of them (Zechariah and Shallum) for less than a year.

Four of these kings were assassinated by their successors–one symptom among many of the

disarray and confusion that prevailed in the face of now ever present threat to Israel’s existence

posed by the Assyrian under their new and powerful leader tiglath-pileser III (the biblical ‘Pul’;

Cf., 2 Kgs 15: 19). Neither hefty ransoms nor military alliances (Is 7: 1-9) could stay his

advance. The end came at the conclusion of a relentless three year siege of Samaria in 721.11

Just prior to the end, some Israel (perhaps Hosea himself or his disciples) fled south into

Judah. This would explain how a record of Hosea’s prophecies survived this ordeal. However,

for many Israelites Assyria’s conquest meant being uprooted and deported to distant places,

while foreigners were brought in to take their place (2 Kgs 17: 6, 23-24). For all intents and

9
John W. Miller, Meet the Prophets: A Beginner's Guide To The Books Of The Biblical Prophets: Their
Meaning Then And Now (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987), 75.
10
H. Beeby, Grace Abounding: A Commentary on the Book of Hosea (Michigan: William B. Erdmans, 1989),
2.
11
John W. Miller, Meet the Prophets: A Beginner's Guide To The Books Of The Biblical Prophets: Their
Meaning Then And Now (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987), 75.

4
purposes, Israel (northern kingdom) had now ceased to exist. Judah alone survived and this only

a puppet of the new gigantic Assyrian empire.12

The Person of Hosea

At the beginning of the book, Hosea is identified as the son of Beeri. Because of his

father’s name, many claimed that he may be from the tribe of Rueben in the north but there is no

clear evidence to support this. The book was probably written out in Judah when the prophet had

been sent away. It is no doubt that Hosea was a citizen of the Northern Kingdom, as we find him

very familiar with the historical conditions of the land and the foreign interest of the North.13

Understanding the message of Hosea consists of understanding the Sinai covenant that

God had made with His people–Israelites. Hosea depicts this by announcing a series of blessing

and healing by God, each healing or blessing based on the Mosaic Law. The task of Hosea was

mainly to warn the people that God intended to enforce the terms of His covenant. Because of

the nature of the state of the northern kingdom, it was clear that God’s word to people could have

hardly been positive. The book contains hope to the faithful that someday God would bring

prosperity to Israelites again. However, majority of the book contains oracles of woes against the

nation for breaking the covenant.14 From God’s perspective, Israelite spiritual, moral, social and

political infidelity were so bad and damaging such as broken love, broken marriage and broken

covenant relationship that depicted by Hosea through his personal life experience of

unfaithfulness in marriage and then Hosea’s message about love was expressed in his prophetic

ministry.

12
Ibid., 75.
13
S. R. Driver, A Plummber, C.A Briggs, eds., The International Critical Commentary: Hosea (Edinburgh: T &
T Clark LTD., 1979) cxl.
14
David Hybbard, Glenn Barke, eds., Word Biblical Commentary: Hosea – Jonah (Waco: Word Books
Publisher, 1987) 6-7.

5
 The structure of the Book

The book is structured in three sections, each highlighting a particular metaphor of God

and Israel’s relationship.

Hosea’s chapter 1-3 focuses on the husband-wife metaphor. The bitter experiences of

Hosea’s marriage to his promiscuous wife, Gomer, and the birth of their three children (chapter

1) give the prophet deep inside into the covenantal relationship between God and Israel (chapter

2). Hosea imagines this relationship as a marriage and Israel’s worship of Canaanite deities as

adultery. God’s eventual reconciliation with Israel (his wife) seems to provide a model for

Hosea’s own reunion with Gomer (chapter 3).15

Much of the scholarly literature on Hosea 3 deals with historical speculation arising from

different opinions about what God commands Hosea to do and what his actions mean. In its

present position, Hosea 3 presupposes the content of Hosea 1 and 2. The ‘again’ in 3:1 implies

the previous narrative of God’s directive to Hosea in chapter 1. Verbal and structure similarities

exist between God’s commands to Hosea.16

The second and largest section, chap. 4–11, contains the bulk of Hosea’s oracles against

Israel’s politics and cult. The final chapter summarizing and concluding this section, chapter 11,

employs the parent-son metaphor for the God-Israel relationship. God is the loving and caring

parent, while Israel in its breach of covenant is the rebellious son.17

In the third section, chaps. 12–14, the prophet takes up the husband-wife metaphor again.

The repentant wife returns to the husband and to the land. Symbolizing the wife and her reunion

15
Cf., Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, Women’s Bible Commentary: Expanded Edition (Kentucky:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 207.
16
Leander E. Keck, ed., Hosea vol. VII of The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 230.
17
Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, Women’s Bible Commentary: Expanded Edition (Kentucky:
Westminster John Knox Press, 1998), 207.

6
with her husband, the land that had formerly been devastated blossoms forth into a fruitful,

luxurious plantation.18

Literary Form of Chapter 3

The literary form of the ch.3 is distinctly poetic. In no portion of the book is the

parallelism more marked or more perfect. The first person is employed instead of the third as in

ch.1. There are three strophes of 6, 6 and 5 lines, in which the trimester movement prevails.19

The first, verse 1 describes the faithlessness of both Gomer and Israel; the second, verse 2

and 3, is devoted to Gomer, picturing her degradation and seclusion; the third, verse 4 is devoted

to Israel, picturing her degradation and seclusion. Verse 5 is a later addition.20

In this chapter (3), which stands closely related to with the contents of ch.1, both in form

and thought, the artistic element is seen in (1) the distribution of the contents into the three

strophes; (2) the regularity of the rhythm; (3) the parallelism; (4) the use of poetical phrases; (5)

the use of rare and poetical words; (6) the use of the first person throughout; and (7) the

assonance prevailing in the closing lines of each strophe.21

Exegetical Analysis

As earlier he had done in taking Gomer as his wife, so Hosea again follows God’s

command and secures Gomer–this time from another man. Since the last occasion when the

reader was informed in a narrative concerning relations between Hosea and Gomer, he now

learns that Gomer had gone off with another man in an adulterous relationship. In spite of her

sin, Hosea is to show his abiding love for her and take her back as his wife. In doing that Hosea

18
Ibid.,207.
19
W. Rainey Harper, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea, (New York: T. & T. Clark,
1966), 215.
20
Ibid., 216.
21
W. Rainey Harper, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea, (New York: T. & T. Clark,
1966), 216.

7
will symbolize the Lord’s unending love and concern for Israel even though the Israelites have

flirtation with Baal and other pagan gods and as a result, God needs to punish His people in order

to remind them about their covenant with God.22

Hosea was forced to pay her lover for Gomer’s release. Although he did pay in silver and

grain, the total amount was so inexpensive–so little did Gomer’s lover value her. Since thirty

shekels constituted the worth of a slave (Exod. 21:32; Lev. 27:4) as well as serving as a standard

expression of something that is very little value, Gomer’s price was even less considerable. By

way of contrast, God’s ultimate restoration of Israel was later to come at the cost of the sacrifice

of His Beloved Son, Christ Jesus, even though He was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Mt.

26:14-15; 27:3-10).23

Having brought Gomer back to his house, Hosea instructs her that she must live in total

sexual abstinence for a period of time before her full family status is restored. Therefore, Gomer

will be cut off from normal relations with her husband until she fully recommits herself to him

(cf. 2:6-7). However, Hosea will remain faithful to her (cf. 2:19-20). After Gomer turns to him in

loving commitment, again she will receive all the blessings of full family privileges. By

observing the situation between Hosea and Gomer, Israel was able to understand that even there

is a soon approaching time when Israel will be separated from the Land of Promise for a

prescribed period. Only when Israel recommits itself to the Lord in authentic love and surrender

to the Lord, they will experience full covenant status and participate in divine blessings.24

22
Marvin A. Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets: Volume One, Ed., David W. Cotter, OSB (Minnesota: The
Liturgical Press, 2000), 6.
23
Marvin A. Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets: Volume One, Ed., David W. Cotter, OSB (Minnesota: The
Liturgical Press, 2000), 6.
24
Ibid., 7.

8
 Theological Interpretation

The LORD said to me again, Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress.

Here, God directs Hosea to go back to his wife, even though she is committing adultery. It is not

in the past, it is not in the present and yet God is commanded to go back to her and to love her.25

This shows to us that Deut. 24: 1 and Mt. 19: 7-8 permit divorce when adultery breaks the

marriage union, it by no means commands divorce. If God commanded divorce in the case of

adultery, then He will go again His own command here. 26 On the other hand, the command from

Hos. 3: 1 also shows to us an important principle about love, that is, Hosea isdirected to love,

even at times when it must have been hard to love.

Just as the Lord loves the people of Israel: Why God commanded Hosea to go back to

his wife, even she is still unfaithful? Because it is not only for the sake of Hosea and his wife,

Gomer, but also it is a living lesson of the God’s relationship with His people, Israelites. Even

though they were still steeped in spiritual adultery, yet the Godstill loved them.27 From this

statement, we can realize the greatness of God’s love and compassion towards us. It invites us to

show our affection and love, compassionate and forgiving towards others especially to those who

betray us or unfaithful to us.

Though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes: It is important to note that the

Israelites loved to eat raisin cakes and then they often enjoyed on special occasions (e.g.,2Sam.

25
Cf., David Guzik: Commentary on the Bible from: https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/hosea-
3.html, accessed April 17, 2016.
26
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/hosea-3.html, accessed April 17, 2016.
27
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/hosea-3.html, accessed April 17, 2016.

9
6:19) or offered them to Baal (as was done in ancient Mesopotamia) as part of a religious

ceremony.28 This is the reason why the Israelites betrayed God and worshipped other gods.

Upon reading the book of Hosea, we will know that ch. 3 relates to chs. 1 and 2 as well as

the rest of the book. Chapter 3 has a close similarities to ch. 1. Both of them contain commands

of God to the prophet Hosea and the forms of the commands are likewise. Furthermore, in each

case Hosea is told to cohabit with a harlot or an adulteress, and a parallel is drawn between this

relationship and God’s marriage to adulterous Israel.29

In chapter 3, there are questions to be raised about the concern of Hosea’s marriage. This

concern is particularly curious about the identity of the woman. We know that ch. 3 is a

continuous of ch. 1 and it also shows that the happenings of ch. 3 are identified with ch. 1 that

this is the original marriage of as Hosea was told about it. Then the question about the identity of

the woman remains open as whether the woman of ch. 3 is Gomer or a second harlot. However,

the woman can be Gomer because in the parallel marriage of God and Israel, Israel remains the

continuing factor.30

Hosea was compelled by his love for gomer – a faithless wife, to purchase her at the price

of a slave. However, he does not at once reestablish the old relationship to lead a life shut off

from men, even form her husband. This period of seclusion will last ‘many days.’ The prophet is

led to see in this also (1) a parallel of Yahweh’s treatment of Israel and (2) this together with the

first act of the domestic tragedy constitutes his call to preach, and furnishes him the fundamental

factor in his preaching.31

28
https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/hosea-3.html, accessed April 17, 2016.
29
H. D. Beeby, Grace Abounding: A commentary on the Book of Hosea (London: The handsel Press, 1989), 35.
30
H. D. Beeby, Grace Abounding: A commentary on the Book of Hosea (London: The handsel Press, 1989), 36.
31
W. Rainey Harper, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea, (New York: T. & T. Clark,
1966), 215.

10
 According to Bruce Vawter, ch. 3 verse 1 refers to a new experience in the life of the

prophet or rather to a resumption of an old experience–whether he is being told to take yet

another adulterous and harlot woman to wife or rather to ransom back to his bed a faithless

Gomer who had deserted him. Hosea, prophetically playing the part of the God of Israel, recalls

his faithless wife and makes it possible for her to become that for which she was originally

designed. The action is entirely on the part of Hosea and not on the merits or even repentance of

Gomer.32

According to the law, Gomer must be sentenced to death (Cf., Deut 22: 22, Lev 20: 10).

However, God through Hosea will not be bound by law, not even His own law. God will show

His mercy that extends beyond the law. For law is what regulates the affairs of men according to

the ordinarily sensible rules that men have devised to regulate their polities. More than that grace

is a vastly different thing.33

The text of ch.3 says that Israel has been redeemed: the Lord has bought Israel back and

reacquired it. Whatever details of silver shekels and barley measures may be as they show the

ransom price, they have little to do with the prophet’s message. They merely add a concrete

dimension to the symbolism that Hosea experienced with Gomer continues to show God’s

presence with Israel. Even though Israelites had betrayed God as Gomer did to Hosea.34

Another commentary says that ch. 3 verse 1 is able to set up an analogy between Hosea

and the adulterous woman on the one side and the other side is God with faithless Israel. Hosea’s

interpretation of God’s way with Israel as the way of a husband with his wife that provides a

bridge of meaning from Gomer to the Israelites. They too left their husband for lovers, the Baals,

32
Bruce Vawter, Amos, Hosea, Micah: with an Introduction to Classical Prophecy (Delaware: Michael Glazier,
Inc., 1981), 89.
33
Ibid., 89.
34
Ibid., 89.

11
out of desire for their gifts of fertility and abundance. The ‘raisin-cakes’ are sweetmeats made of

pressed grapes, a delicacy, distributed at cultic feasts. Israel’s love for such delicacies is put in

parallel to ‘turning to other gods’ because they mistakenly thought that the good things of the

fertile land were the gifts of the Baals.35

Another commentary says that Hosea 3 is structurally important because it concludes the

first section of this prophetic book. Although crucial, it is also the most difficult chapter to

interpret. Along with ch. 1, ch. 3 deals with Hosea’s marriage. 36

Hosea 3:1. The Hebrew text of this verse locates the “again”/ “further” / “once more”

between “said” and “go,” where it could modify either word or even both. On one hand, verse 1

could mean “The Lord said to me again” (NRSV). On the other hand, the verse could be

rendered, “Go again and love a woman” (NEB). In the NIV, “again” modifies “love”: “Go, show

your love to your wife again.” Yet, God did not command Hosea to “love” his wife in ch. 1, but

to “take” a promiscuous woman as wife.37

Hosea 3: 1 plays upon different nuances of the word “love.” “Love” characterizes both

the profound emotion of Hosea and God and the unfaithfulness of Gomer and the children of

Israel. In God’s command to Hosea, “love” is changed to the passive voice to describe the wife.

The love that identifies Hosea’s devotion to Gomer and God’s passion for the Israelites is a

covenantal love. In contrast, the love between the wife and her lover and between Israel and its

other gods is an adulterous love.38

One of the attitudes single out in 3:1to illustrate Israel’s infatuation with other gods is

that they “love raisin cakes.” In 2Sam 6:19, raisin cakes are distributed to the people as food

35
James Luther Mays, Hosea: ACommetary (Philadelhia: The Westminster Press, 1969), 57.
36
Leander E. Keck, ed., Hosea vol. VII of The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 230.
37
Ibid., 230.
38
Ibid., 231.

12
after ritual installation of the ark in Jerusalem. Sine this allocation of food is not censured in its

connection with the cult, it is not clear why Hosea raisin cakes embody Israel’s rejection of God.

One scholar associates the raisin cakes with the cakes of dough made in the image of the Queen

of Heaven (Jer. 7: 18; 44: 19). Raisin cakes also may have been an aphrodisiac; the lover in Cant.

2: 4-5 feeds his beloved raisin cakes as a way to her heart.39

Pastoral Reflection

With the details and lessons I got from my research in this particular topic about the book

of the prophet Hosea 3:1, I would like to start my pastoral reflection with the words of Pope John

Paul II during his visit to Mexico in 1990. The Pope said about family that love in our world is

being threatened by many means and the love of family is being blurred gradually. 40 In order to

address the situation, Pope John Paul II highlighted the responsibility of the family. Family is the

first community of life and love. Family is also the first school where we learn how to love and

where we feel not only the love of one another but also feel the love of God. The Pope invited:

“Dear Catholic parents, your duty is to build and maintain happiness and joy of your family, in

which your children are born and grow up with the dignity of being children of God. However,

your love can speak about God for your children only when you live in the holiness and total

consecration for each other in marriage life.”41

From this book of Hosea, I came to realize that first and foremost, marriage requires

faithfulness in keeping the covenant and generosity in forgiving one another when either one of

the couple committed sins or adultery. When I studied this chapter from the book of the prophet

Hosea, I got to know that this great prophet of the Northern Kingdom has a message to the

people of Israel which remained unrevealed – the generous forgiveness of a husband to his wife
39
Leander E. Keck, ed., Hosea vol. VII of The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 231.
40
http://www.dongcong.net/DoiSongKH/GDsongdao/khungHoangTrongDSGD.htm, accessed April 19, 2016.
41
http://www.dongcong.net/DoiSongKH/GDsongdao/khungHoangTrongDSGD.htm, accessed April 19, 2016.

13
as the image of the greatest mercy and compassion of God for His people–Israelites who

betrayed Him to follow other gods. From Hosea’s message, I believe that Hosea’s prophecy is

still inspiring and giving us many relevant lessons for our family in today’s world. I, too, was

able to reflect on the reality of the challenges and difficulties that married couples try to

overcome in their daily living.

Our today’s world is marked by a relationship based on the development of technological

science, especially in the field of massive communication. Globalization affects our life and

makes some changes in each one of us. Another thing, positive contributions bring development

of globalization to our society. In contrary, it also brings negative contributions which contain

negative effects to us especially with the married ones. We are living in a world that our family

is being attacked by many things which is due to the so called consumerism. From this

perspective, family becomes a kind of motel or hotel (instead of a loving family) which are for

an instance composed of separated parents, uneducated children, womanizer fathers, and women

who are not being respected and loved by their husband which supposedly be given to them

because they, too, deserve to receive dignity. In the same manner, family violence becomes very

popular in the sense that in most cases, it has been the cause of struggles of the Church and our

today society in preserving good family conduct in line with the Church’s teachings.

Many families are changing. Most of the traditional values of a family are being upset.

Couples do not show respect to one another and children are being ignored by their parents. In

contradiction with all of these things, supposedly, they should live and enjoy their lives freely.

Then, the individualism is highly appreciated and family value recognition is being somehow

forgotten by its members. There are many families like motels or hotels wherein they stop for a

14
while whenever they get tired. In addition, the concept about family and marriage is also

changing negatively. They do not give value to the importance of married life. Husband and wife

are gradually becoming unfaithful to one another; they do not love each other anymore, they also

do not respect and show empathy to each other. All these things eventually lead them to

separation and to divorce each other easily. There are much more things which are needed to be

considered such as live-in, living together without recognition from the Church and civil

government, abortion, separation, and divorce. It becomes a trend in our society nowadays.

Therefore, spiritual values of married life and family are being steadily eroded and lost in

oblivion.

Facing all these things that we are trying to resolve, each Catholic family is being invited

to re-discover and recover high traditional values of married life and family in order for all of us

to be more aware and to live married life with faithfulness to the covenant of love (that they

promised to one another during the time when they got married) and to the covenant of vocation

of living married life which they chose to embrace considering its possible consequences.

Nothing is more lofty and beautiful than love but nothing is as faint as love. When the

two decide to live together as family under witnessing of the Church and civil government,

meaning to say, the two must put totally all their trust in each other. They are also human beings.

They are prone to be limited and weak that can cause misunderstanding for each other in married

life. Nowadays, we are facing more challenges and difficulties in married life such as differences

in characteristics, favorites, mentality, belief or religion. All these things makes a family to

become complicated and little by little lead the family not to resolve any issue at all if both of

them, the couple, do not know how to sacrifice for themselves or the sake of the family.

15
 Moreover, after living together, the two will discover their weaknesses, positive and

negative points in life and all these things will contribute to the tension of the two that will make

them dissatisfied and displeased. Many experts in the family field also say that the crisis of

family is easy to happen during the period of late 40s. During this period, the two is easy to get

irritated when they cannot control their feelings. As a result, one of the two or the two will look

for a new relationship that can please them. That’s the time when adultery is cannot be avoided

because they will find comfort or consolation that can fill the emptiness in their hearts from

another partner.

Based on the story of Hosea, there are some pastoral concerns that may help the couple

maintain their faithfulness to one another in married life which happen to capture my

understanding in presenting some solution for resolving problems of broken families.

To be honest and frank in everything of married life, the couple often has tendency to

hide their feelings and emotions to one another. From the outside, they show happiness and

satisfaction but deep inside there are many things that they cannot express. The unresolved

dissatisfaction and secrets will cause unexpected results that can make family collapse or lead to

separation. In married life, sex is very important to the life of the couple but it is a sensitive

problem that is not easy to resolve. Looking for a solution for this problem, the couple first and

foremost needs to be open to talk to each other. However, the talk must be in the spirit of sharing

not condemning. The couple knows how to talk this matter to one another and surely if they may

be able to handle it with care, it may give true happiness and joy to both of them.

Second, do not expect too much from their partners in life. The couple before their

marriage often has tendency to put too much expectations. When they come to live together in

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family which any expectations are not met, it will make them disappointed to one another. The

wife always expects her husband to be good at social work and family work such as taking care

of the family and the children as well. On the other hand, the husband expects his wife to be

faithful and perfect in household chores. The husband often thinks that his worries are about

earning a living for family and the rest belongs to his wife.

Besides, many couples in our society today often have tendency to change habits of one

another. Wife often wants husband to change negative habits and vices. In contrary, husband

wants his wife to be perfect in everything. They do not know that their demands unintentionally

make serious pressure for the partner. This problem is so small but it can cause separation for the

family.

Present marriage also demands the couple to know how to sit together in resolving

everything with patience, faith, hope, and love; not only in the family but also in our society.

When difficulties and challenges meet the demand, it will give inspiration and positive

motivation for the couple to maintain their family in happiness.

Another problem needs to be considered, that is, unfaithfulness and unbelief in each

other. One of the characteristics of married life is the boredom in family. When the two is in

love, they can found attraction towards one another but when they get married, they cannot find

the attraction anymore. After some years in marriage, one of the two will discover his/her partner

in life does not have any difference with others and feels nothing new and then, one of them will

be unfaithful even more serious ,that is, adultery. Perhaps, Gomer is a good example for this

case.

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 Faithfulness in family plays an important role in order to safeguard or to ensure

happiness. When faithfulness is threatened, it can make the two doubt one another. From this

point of view, the family will not be happy. The unfaithfulness is like a poisonous medicine to

kill gradually the happiness wherein tension is being kept for a long time and eventually

explodes. In that case, the family cannot be in control and so many things will happen.

Taking a deep long loving look on the reality of family life, of course, we realize that

there are many difficulties and challenges that can make family reach its saddest point. However,

through Hosea’s prophecy, we come to know that all these difficulties and challenges may be a

good way for family to be more aware about its true realities in daily life, that is, the couple

needs to overcome the first period of family life in order for them to reach a true state of married

life–a love based on sacrifice and serving one another until the end. If the family has not yet

experienced and passed the tough difficulties and challenges even pains, then they cannot

understand fully the meaning of love. Therefore, God’s providence shows us that a true love for

family must be experienced and nourished in difficult and challenging moments of their life. We

can realize this love through the love of Hosea given to Gomer regardless of how Gomer’s

betrayal. Hosea still loves her with his whole heart without paying attention to what had

happened.

Conclusion

As my concluding assessment, people should be encouraged by the story of Hosea to

strive for a relationship of deep love, enduring commitment, and real intimacy; knowing that this

is truly the work of the Lord. In addition, from the love story of Hosea and Gomer, we can take

some very practical pieces of advice. Hosea truly experiences the horrors of his wife’s

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unfaithfulness. He does not deny the pain. His pain is clearly seen in his words of anger. His

anger is real and appropriate, and he is not afraid to express it. However, he does not persist in

pride, nurturing his anger and taking revenge. Eventually, he chooses to fight for the true

relationship by forgiving and healing. He challenges himself to remember his love and to renew

his vows. He takes away his pride, works on his own heart and then sincerely asks his wife to

respond in similar humility and love. This process is the only hope for true intimacy and

successful relationships. To be a happy family is to have God’s blessing in every moment; in the

manner, it is also leads to be in a divine relationship with the Lord. A happy family always

knows how to behave and act in accordance with the help of God in order for them to forgive

each other even though they have been betrayed or have been unfaithful to their partners in life.

A truly happy family will forget what makes displeased their family and this family also knows

how to follow and do as Hosea did to Gomer to be consistent in loving faithfulness which is to

call or to bring her back to live in a loving family because only loving faithfulness can resolve

and unite the problem of faithlessness and betrayal in relationships.

When we put our faith, trust, and confidence in others and ourselves rather than in God,

we lose our vision and direction and we will go astray as Gomer did. In some way, when one

fails to love God and obey His commands, he/she commits spiritual adultery. However on God’s

part, He still loves His people. He is faithful and keeps His covenant promises. Perhaps, God

must judge and discipline those who do not keep their faith in Him. In many cases we realize that

God disciplines His people by letting them go through hardships and face up with miserable

circumstances in order to draw them to repentance and return to Him. Only through a sincere

repentance and a real desire to know God that He will forgive us, heal and restore our

relationship with Him.

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 The true story about Hosea and Gomer took place so many centuries ago. However, it

was a meaningful message that woke up the Israelites from their sins. At the same time, it was a

profound message that God highlighted His faithful love for His people. So many years have

passed, the message has not been changed. In the same way, God’s love has not changed. No

matter what we have done, no matter how bad our sins are, no matter how many our sins are,

God’s love is still faithful forever. We as Christians believe that Jesus came to seek, to save the

lost and to show the unconditional love of the Father for us. Therefore, we as God’s children

must know how to show our love to one another in our daily life and the conviction to fight for

the healing of broken families. They are invited to be like Hosea to “Go, love a woman who has

a lover and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the people of Israel” (Hosea 3:1).

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:

Bruce Vawter, Amos, Hosea, Micah: with an Introduction to Classical Prophecy (Delaware:
Michael Glazier, Inc., 1981).

Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, Women’s Bible Commentary: Expanded Edition
(Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998).

David Hybbard, Glenn Barke, eds., Word Biblical Commentary: Hosea – Jonah (Waco: Word
Books Publisher).

H. Beeby, Grace Abounding: A Commentary on the Book of Hosea (Michigan: William B.

Erdmans, 1989).

James Luther Mays, Hosea: A Commetary (Philadelhia: The Westminster Press, 1969).

John W. Miller, Meet the Prophets: A Beginner's Guide To The Books Of The Biblical
Prophets: Their Meaning Then And Now (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1987).

Leander E. Keck, ed., Hosea vol. VII of The New Interpreter’s Bible (Nashville: Abingdon Press,
1996).

Marvin A. Sweeney, The Twelve Prophets: Volume One, Ed., David W. Cotter, OSB
(Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2000).

S. R. Driver, A Plummber, C.A Briggs, eds., The International Critical Commentary: Hosea
(Edinburgh: T & T Clark LTD., 1979).

The Bible (New Revised Standard Version).

Tremper Longman III and Raymond B. Dillard, An Introduction to the Old Testament
(Michigan: Zondervan, 1994).

W. R. Farmer, ed., The International Bible Commentary: A Catholic and Ecumennical

Commentary for the 21st Century, (Quezon Philippines: Claretian Publication, 2001).

W. Rainey Harper, Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Amos and Hosea, (New York: T. &
T. Clark, 1966).

Websites:

http://www.dongcong.net/DoiSongKH/GDsongdao/khungHoangTrongDSGD.htm

https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/guz/hosea-3.html

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