Redeeming Love
One Year Bible: Dec. 6
Hosea 4:1-5:15
Redeeming Love
Today we look at another “Cinematic moment” based on the novel, “Redeeming Love” by Francine Rivers.
This novel, inspired by the Old Testament story of Hosea and Gomer, went into the movie theatres. America has long romanticized the Old West, which is the setting that Francine Rivers extensively researched and brought to life for the background of this story. She brought the theme of “sex trafficking” to life, set in the time period of the California Gold Rush of 1850.
This realistic fiction novel which came to life on the big screens, was beyond the comfort of many Christians with some of its “steamy sex scenes” and also the violence exhibited to children through “sex trafficking.”
In the realistic fiction movie, “Gomer the Roamer” is rescued by her “knight on a horse” and taken to safety on his ranch to embrace an ordinary life and raise a family. Without explanation, she leaves to head back to her former life without explanation leaving the audience with a question that they can not begin to fathom, “WHY?”.
Did you know that between 15,000 to 50,000 women and children are forced into sexual slavery in the U.S. each year? Sex trafficking is big business and is fueled by a society that embraces ungodliness. God has been left in the rear-view mirror.
The “rear-view-mirror” is the setting of the book of Hosea, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think a movie on the big screen based on the book of Hosea would be FAR, FAR worse than her adapted realistic fiction. I will tell you why…
The book of Hosea provides the “rear-view mirror” very clearly for us. It tells us the “HOW” and the “WHY”...
In the book of Hosea, the real theme does not begin with Gomer. It begins with Hosea, the prophet. He was chosen because he was “a prophet.”
The people have left God far behind and have given thanks for their blessings to idols versus thanking the God who rescued them from Egypt and has provided for them in every situation despite their repeated unfaithfulness. God holds the priests responsible for their growing unfaithfulness, and so God chooses Hosea (who is one of them) to teach them a living object lesson.
“My complaints, you priests, are with you. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children. The more priests there are, the more they sin against me. They have exchanged the glory of God for the shame of idols.” (Hosea 4:4, 7-8)
Yes, Hosea is chosen because of his role of ministering to the priests. You see, Gomer is not the only one “lost in the woods.” The priests, themselves, are just as lost as “The Preacher’s Wife.” They have also desecrated the House of the Lord with abomination, and all of the people are following their “sorry lead” to destruction.
So, God instructs his prophet, Hosea, to “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.” (3:1)
There will be another prophet who will go after the lost and pay for them with His own life. It will be the ultimate down payment for sins of all time. This is the wonderful foreshadowing of that long-awaited Messiah.
This, my friends, is why God called a humble prophet named Hosea to go after a wayward wife. This is the foretelling of another prophet who will pay the price for the unfaithfulness of all mankind.
Rescue. Restoration. Reconciliation… That’s Redeeming Love!
“Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?” (And Can it Be, Traditional Hymn)
