Hosea You are a Fool!

The creation of a man and a woman is part of the core story that God is completing for the glory of His son. The family, husband, wife, children are all part of the reflection of what God has set upon as model on the face of earth.  God is fierce and is beautiful two adjectives with almost opposite connotations. When you study the creation story in Genesis each day is magnificent, the crescendo goes on swelling like a great symphony till God creates man, the work of his glory. He creates Adam in his very own image; Adam bears the likeness of God, he possesses his fierceness and his passionate heart and yet one more thing remains. In the finishing touch of creation God unveils the beauty part with the creation of the woman. Eve is the crown of His creation and no wonder man is captivated by the woman.  God fashions Eve embodying the beauty and mystery and the tender vulnerability of God. William Blake says "The naked woman's body is a portion of eternity too great for the eye of man".

With this background set I want to introduce you to how God shows His pattern of love in rescuing us and coming after us no matter what. Michael card wrote a song on the book of Hosea a minor prophet entrusted to be an example of enormous proportions to tell God's story of love through his life. Hosea is asked by God with an unusual request ...to marry a prostitute, a adulterous woman.  He is deeply in love with this woman and she bears him children. Eve has enraptured him in her love and he finds no satisfaction elsewhere. But time to time she runs away from him to her way ward ways, but each time she runs away Hosea pursues her and brings her back.The pursuit of Hosea's love is so strong that finally Gomer has realized she is not worthy for him, the scene in the story finally ends at the place where Gomer is on the auciton block of the flesh market, naked, abused, humiliated and torn. The bidding starts but nobody can match Hosea who has sold everything he has to redeem her. Here are the lyrics of the song and if you don't want to read it you can hear it here:

Don't know what he sees in me He is spirit, he is free And I, the wife of adultery Gomer is my name. Simply more than I can see How he keeps on forgiving me; How he keeps his sanity Hosea, you're a fool. Chorus: A fool to love someone like me, A fool to suffer silently;Though sometimes through your eyes I see I'd rather be a fool. The fondness of a father, The passion of a child; The tenderness of a loving friend An understanding smile. All of this and so much more, You've lavished on a faithless horror I've never known love like this before Hosea, you're a fool. Chorus: A fool to love someone like me, A fool to suffer silently; Though sometimes through your eyes I see I'd rather be a fool. This God of yours would not have told To lift a love that you couldn't hold; And though time and time again I flee, I'm always glad to see you coming after me! Simply more than I can see, How he keeps on forgiving me The wife of adultery; Gomer is my name.

Listening to the song, I was overwhelmed by the God's great love for us. God stands and bears and is willing to even be a fool to pursue me inspite of knowing my "adulterous behavior". He is willing to forgive again and again because He has chosen to love me unconditionally. His pursuit is so strong that he won't quit, give up on me and is willing to risk everything to redeem me and bring me back to Him. I am overwhelmed not just with emotions of praise and adulation of what my savior did for me on that cross, I am overtaken by His love and great concern for my life. The Lord says in Hosea:

"I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD…I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’ I will say to those called ‘Not my people,’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’” (Hosea 2:19-20,23)

My love thoughts for the day,

Sam Kurien