The Preacher’s Wife
One Year Bible Dec. 5
Hosea 1:1-3:5
The Preacher’s Wife
I love the 1996 remake movie called “The Preacher’s Wife” with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. This is a “feel-good movie” for the Christmas season about a preacher who is down and doubting himself in the ministry. An angel is sent down to help the good reverend get over his mid-life crisis but becomes enamored by his beautiful, amazingly talented wife, played by Whitney Houston (who sings like an angel).
In modern times, we call her “The Pastor’s Wife.” She is the “two-for-one special” who is supposed to wear many hats, serve endlessly without funds, and always make “The Preacher” look good! She is to be his right hand, side eye, and back support, among other things…
This book is about “The Preacher’s wife” only the kicker is that she is nothing at all like I just described in the description above. I don’t think this one could sing, either… Her name, by the way, was “Gomer the Roamer,” and when she heard the part about the “two-for-one special,” she had other things in mind…
Hosea was a prophet (the pastor/proclaimer of their day). So, all eyes were on him and the “glass parsonage.” To make things more complicated, he took a wife, and she was a prostitute. Oh, and there was one more small matter to add to this situation… Ummmmmm, the Lord told him to marry and have children with her!
Please, don’t bite your tongue while swallowing that small, unbelievably congruent fact. Okay?
Everything about this contradicts God’s laws, desires, and will for his people!
Bingo! And that is exactly why God told Hosea to do this beyond-comprehension object lesson right before “Enquiring Eyes.”
If it wasn’t enough that he was to marry this woman who was a prostitute, he was to have children with her, and their names were enough to “sink the ship”!
“When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute,” so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.” (Hosea 1: 2)
You see, Hosea was no ordinary prophet. God had already sent many of those. In fact, Hosea lived in the time of Isaiah and Micah. God had sent message after message and discipline after discipline to his unfaithful people. Now, he is not sending a prophecy. He is sending them an object lesson right before their very eyes, and it is going to be “something worth talking about.”
Gomer’s three children were given meaningful names selected for them by God himself. Their names are part of the “Object Lesson” for the watching world.
Child one was a boy, and his name was “Jezreel.” His name means “God sows” or “God scatters.” We read about this name in Hosea 1:4-5. This name is associated with the judgment executed on Jehu and the family of Ahab. (2 Kings 9-10). Through this name, God is proclaiming that he will avenge the innocent blood shed by Jehu and put an end to his dynasty.
The second child is a daughter named Lo-ruhamah (1:6-7), which means “unpitied’ or “not loved.” Her name was to show that God would no longer “show them mercy.” God is about to allow the Assyrians to swallow up the northern kingdom as discipline for their actions.
The third child, a son, was named Lo-Ammi (1: 8-9), which means “not my people.” Not only would God withdraw his mercy and protection of his wayward people, but He would also declare a final warning to them.
Three children and a white picket fence to go around the parsonage. Sounds idyllic, but the problem is that Hosea may not even be sure who really is the father of his children as she leaves him again to return to her “secret” or “not-so-secret” life.
I am pretty sure the “Enquiring Minds” are watching this entire theatre production.
Not only is Hosea’s marriage destined for trouble, but this turbulent relationship is on display for the entire Idolatrous nation to behold. That’s the point!
Things are about to get even more interesting because the Lord asks Hosea to go and buy back his wayfaring wife. He is to go hunt her down while she is dwelling in all of her sins and buy back the bride that has chosen to turn her back on him.
Where is Jesus in the Old Testament, people often ask? Does this story sound familiar?
Who is this bride that turns her back on her husband to choose sin?
She is “The Preacher’s Wife,” and she represents Israel, Judah, and you and me, for that matter. She turned her back on true love, but true love would not be stopped. It would pay the price.
There is a song from “The Preacher’s Wife” called “I believe in you and me.”
“See, I was lost; now I’m free ‘Cause I believe in you and me.”
I don’t think this Preacher’s wife even knew she was lost, nor did she want to be found.
That is the message that God wanted Hosea to live out for the world to see, and so he wanted Hosea to marry “Gomer The Roamer”... The Preacher’s Wife.
