God brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He made a covenant with them. But over and over throughout their history they broke their promises to God. They worshiped him on the weekends, but broke the Ten Commandments throughout the week. They bowed before other gods. They treated the poor poorly. They trusted in the armies of their enemies rather than the Lord Almighty. It looked like the Snake was winning. And God was upset with their bad behavior! He had a right to be upset. They were like a wife who leaves her husband to be with other men. God could have stopped loving them. Instead, he chose to keep loving them—to renew his promises to them and restore his relationship with them.

The short story of Hosea’s love for Gomer is like the Big Story of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. We have broken the Ten Commandments. We deserve for God to show us no mercy. We deserve to be crushed along with the Snake. He should not call us his children. But instead God does the unthinkable! He shows his love for us in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). Through Jesus’s blood (what a loving sacrifice!) we have been forgiven. We have a fresh start. He loves us as his children. Let us love him in return with our whole heart.