Love and Sacrifice

Hosea 3:1-5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)

1Then the LORD said to me, “Go show love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”

2So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3Then I said to her, “You must live with me for many days; you must not be promiscuous or belong to another, and I will do the same for you.”

4For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or idol. 5Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.

The Gospel of Christ

When I read this passage of Scripture today from the book of Hosea, I immediately saw the gospel of our salvation. I see Hosea representing Jesus Christ here. And his wife (or x-wife, i.e. not his wife) is representing the people who are living in adultery against the Lord Jesus, many of whom have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ but who never died to sin or obeyed God in practice, and so never were of genuine faith, and many who once did follow the Lord in obedience but had since fallen back into sin.

Jesus Christ loved us so much that He willingly gave up His throne in heaven, and came to earth, and let Himself be born as a human baby to a virgin woman, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man. He allowed Himself to take on human flesh and to feel what we feel and to be tempted as we are tempted, yet without sin. He put himself out there among the people knowing that He would be hated and persecuted and ultimately put to death for speaking the truth of God’s Words for the people’s salvation.

And on that cross He bought us back for God out of our slavery to sin so we will now live for Him in obedience to His commands in holy living and no longer as slaves to sin (represented here by Hosea buying back the one who was his wife, but who was not his wife). Now Jesus gave His life up for the whole world, not just for the Jews who were His people but who were living in adultery against God. So this illustration is not going to be 100% “apples to apples,” i.e. an exact duplicate in every way to the book of Hosea.

But Jesus loved us even while we were yet sinners. And that is what God told Hosea to do. And Jesus bought us back for God with His blood shed for us on a cross, and Hosea bought his wife back for him. And Jesus redeemed us out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now live for Him. And Hosea bought back his wife, and he instructed her that she must no longer be adulterous, but she must remain with her husband. And Jesus said if we are to come after Him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and obey His commands, or we do not have life in Him.

And just as the Israelites of Hosea’s day were to give up their kings and their idolatries and their idols of worship and their adulteries, in order for God to be king of their lives, we who profess faith in Jesus Christ are required of God that we must deny self, die to sin, and obey God in life practice if we are to have eternal life with God. If we want to be saved from our sins, and to have Christ as our Lord, then we must submit to Christ as Lord, leave our lives of sin behind us, and obey God and His commands in life practice.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Christ Died to Free us From Slavery to Sin
An Original Work / August 26, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Seek the Lord

Based off Isaiah 55
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Musical Instrumentation by Mark Bradley

“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”

Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.

“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”