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Gomer And Israel: My Bride Forever
"I will make you My bride forever. I will make you My bride in reward for your
righteousness, justice, kindness and compassion. I will make you a bride in reward for your faithfulness. Then you will know
Yahveh. " Hosea 2:19-20
Hosea’s Divine revelations focused on Israel’s pagan practices and their infidelity towards Yahveh. Yahveh
ordered Hosea to "Go and marry a prostitute who has conceived children from her prostitution, because
the Land strays from Yahveh." Hosea 1:2
Hosea had three children from this marriage, and was instructed by Yahveh to give them names that reveal Yahveh’s
plans for wayward Israel. The first was a son - called Jezreel, meaning that Yahveh (El) would gather the
exiled Israelites and 'plant' them in their Land. That would, however, be in the distant future. The second
was a daughter called Lo-Ruchamah - 'Object of No Mercy' - meaning that Yahveh would no longer show mercy to unrepentant
Israel. The third and youngest son was to be called Lo-Ammi - 'Not My People' - a statement that Israel temporarily
forfeited their right to be the Chosen People.
Hosea pleaded with Yahveh to have mercy on Israel once more and bless them to be as numerous as the grains of sand
on the seashore. "Yet the number of the children of Israel
shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where
it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living El."
Hosea 1:9-10
Yahveh promised Hosea that Israel, like his straying wife, will put away their sins and will be loved once again,
and the children's names will change to Ammi - 'My People' and Ruhama - 'Object of Mercy.' That, however, was also for the
future.
Yahveh's message for the immediate present was "rebuke", as Hosea told his children: "Rebuke
your mother" to live faithfully or she and the children themselves will be disowned.
Abandoned, vulnerable and utterly helpless, Gomer yearned to return to her first husband, but
he would not embrace her. Instead, he 'uncovered her shame in the sight of her lovers.' (Hosea 2:10) She lost her joyous
festivals (Yahveh's Festivals) as well as the pagan festivals (Baal worship) with which she tried to replace them,
leaving her with nothing. (Hosea 2:11-13) But this is not the end of the story...
Gomer, the wife in the parable and the people of Israel in real life, will be redeemed. Yahveh will give
them a desire to repent and come close to Him once again. (Hosea 2:14, Deut 4:29-30) They will be taken to the 'desert'
- a long period of exile, where Yahveh will give them 'vineyards' (spiritual leaders), change their 'Valley of
Affliction' to the 'Opening of Hope' and restore His relationship with Israel as in the beginning.
The issue of Yahveh, Who hates promiscuity, ordering Hosea to marry a whore can be quite disturbing.
However, we must realize that Yahveh selected him for only one purpose: to serve as His messenger in assisting the
people of Israel to repent of their sins.
The Almighty has the right to command His prophets to do whatever He deems necessary to reach
this goal. When words of rebuke do not get people's attention, Yahveh may require drastic actions to penetrate
the people's hearts. Therefore, regardless of the fact that Hosea the prophet was a holy man, Yahveh commanded him to marry
a harlot, in order to illustrate that by worshiping idols, the Israelites had in fact done the same.
The Heart Of A Harlot: Gomer's Story
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