Remember

Week? Day? Remember

How often the Bible tells us to remember. There are important milestones in our lives, and we are to stop, build an altar and remember what has been done. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan and entered into the Promised Land, a stone to represent each tribe was to be taken from the river and piled on the other side as an altar of remembrance to the following generations. They were told to do this so that when the children would see the stones they would ask, “What do these stones mean?” It would be the perfect opportunity for the parents to then teach their children about how God had delivered them and brought them into the Land of Promise.

We all have those stories that we like to tell. Maybe how we met our spouse, when a child was born, or something cute the kids would say and of course, how much harder we had it as children than our kids or grandkids do. But the stories that God wants us to tell over and over are about how we have been given freedom, how our enemies have been defeated, how we were bought and paid for with an extremely high price. We are to tell the stories that give God the glory and we are to add new stories as the Lord does new and marvelous things in our lives. Our testimony of how we were saved is wonderful, and worth the retelling, but there also needs to be current stories so others can see that God is indeed working in us daily.

Let’s see what we are to remember in Hosea.

Hosea 2:7

7 She will chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
‘ I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.’

It is interesting to note what is going on in this section of Scripture. God is telling Israel why she is being punished. It is because of the blatant idolatry and spiritual harlotry that is rampant in the land. We will look at that in another place. The point I want to emphasize today is there can come a time when the sinner comes to their senses and realizes that it was God that took care of them and had been such a great blessing to them and that even if they returned and were treated like God’s slave it would be better for them than the life they are leading now as a slave to their sin.

The New Testament counterpoint to this verse is found in the parable of the prodigal son. We have all heard this parable over and over so let’s look at the similarities between it and Hosea’s wife.

Read Hosea 2-3 and Luke 15

Let’s list some similarities:

Both the prodigal son and the harlot wife wanted similar things. They wanted to live life on their terms and not follow the one that had authority over them, whether a father or a husband.
• They left home
• They wanted a life of sin and debauchery
• They spent everything they had on sinning
• They ended up as slaves
• They were so low that the pigs had it better than they did
• They finally realize that where they came from was not so bad
• Their blessings had come from the person they had run away from (father or husband, as the case may be)
• True freedom was serving their father or husband not their own selfish desires



Now let’s look at Hosea and the father…how are they similar?
• Both loved the one that had left
• Both are a portrait of God the Father
• Both were willing to give their all to get them back
• Both looked for the one that was lost
• They were not afraid to look silly when they welcomed back the one that had strayed.

This last point is very important. As they both represent God the Father. In Middle Eastern society for a man of status to lift his robes and run to greet his son would have been very undignified. And for a man to buy back the wife that had made a fool of him would have been unheard. Both Hosea and the father are setting themselves up to be a laughing stock for many years to come in their community but their love was more important to them that what the gossips would say about them later.


Look at the two sections of Scripture again and see if you can find any other similarities (either between Gomer and the Prodigal or Hosea and the father) and jot them down here.


I want you to take a moment and write out how you think Gomer would have felt to be bought back by her husband that she had shamed.


Can you identify with these feelings?


Even if you have never lived a life like the prodigal or Gomer, can you admit that there have been things you have allowed in your life that could have caused your destruction?

Take the time now to write out your thankfulness to God the Father for paying the price to redeem you from a life of self defeat. This can be your altar of remembrance!


If you do not feel that you have been welcomed back by the father/husband of your soul yet, now would be a good time to realize that the only way to freedom is to turn back to Him and repent. There is a feast waiting for you! All you have to do is tell God how sorry you are for the life you have led and ask Jesus to come into your life right now.

Or maybe you are already a believer, but do not feel you are living the victorious life…these stories should inspire you to know that God is there watching for your return so He can throw a feast in your honor and he has already done everything necessary for you, just turn back to Him and accept His forgiveness.