#soap # Hosea 01 ## Title: The Reckless Love of God ## Scripture: (Hosea 1:2) When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, he said to him, “Go marry a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution because the nation continually commits spiritual prostitution by turning away from the Lord.” (NET) ## Observation: I know people who read Hosea and are offended. They say things like, “Why would God have a prophet marry a prostitute. That’s unfair. That’s nasty. That’s not kind toward the prophet. He does not deserve that. He did not do anything wrong to deserve that.” All of this is true. However, Gomer had a different point of view. For her, this was a miracle. She was a prostitute, and that likely could have meant she was a slave, a captive of war, or something else. This was her chance to be free, have a family, and have something she probably thought was gone… a future. Think about it. We are offended for Hosea, but God clearly says that Hosea illustrates His relationship with His wayward people. Therefore, we should not be mad at God. We should sympathize with Him. He is the one who has suffered. Yet, the reckless love of God rescues us every time we walk away and into sin. ## Application: Think about this story. We are not Hosea. We are Gomer. The Lord has rescued us. ## Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for rescuing us out of a life full of destruction and indignity. You have given us back our honor. You have given us a home. You have given us a future.