The KINGDOM CLARION

By Larry W. King

Volume II, Number XVI

June 15, 2009

 

Are You Done Whoring Around?

“The first time God spoke to Hosea he said: ‘Find a whore and marry her.  Make this whore the mother of your children.  And here’s why: This whole country [Israel] has become a whorehouse, unfaithful to me, God ...’

And then I’ll marry you for good – forever!  I’ll marry you true and proper, in love and tenderness.  Yes, I’ll marry you and neither leave you nor let you go.  You’ll know me, God for who I really am ...

Then I told her, ‘From now on you’re living with me [faithfully].  No more whoring, no more sleeping around.  You’re living with me and I’m living with you’ ”.  – Hosea 1:2, 2:19-20 & 3:3 (The Message) [my editorialization]

The book of Hosea is the first of twelve (12) so-called “minor prophets” in the Old Testament.  As with many of the minor prophets (e.g. Joel, Amos & Jonah), his book centers around a solitary theme and tells a single story.  Hosea’s tale is told on two levels:

1)     Hosea’s actual courtship and marriage to Gomer, a well-known prostitute; the subsequent birth of their children and their family life, AND

2)     The symbolic “whoring” of Israel – God’s chosen people – as they allied themselves with neighboring countries (Samaria, Egypt, Assyria, etc.) and adopted their gods (Baal, Assur, Ishtar, etc.), practices (idolatry, witchcraft, human sacrifice, etc.) and customs (unhealthy diet, sexual misconduct, etc.).

Dear readers, how many of us would willingly obey God if He told us to marry a whore, get her pregnant and raise children together with her?  How many have perhaps done so, without any command from God whatsoever?  Or, how many of us have naively married a woman or man, only to discover that soon after the “I Do” they began to wantonly chase after any and every available two-legged representative of the opposite (or the SAME) sex?  OK, I’m not asking for a show of hands, but you get my point, right?  Suffice to say, this would NOT be a situation many of us would feel compelled to write about and pass on as a lesson for future generations!  Without question, countless divorces have resulted from similarly sinful behavior.

God illustrates three (3) timeless principles through Hosea.

1) We will not always understand WHY God is asking us to do certain things.  Nevertheless, what He requires is our obedience.  The Bible does not say so, but is there any question that Hosea MUST have had some doubt about God’s commandment?  Had it been me and not Hosea, I’m SURE the conversation would’ve gone something like this:

God: Larry, I want you to find Gomer the whore, marry her and have babies by her.  Got it?

Larry: Um, Lord, there MUST be some static on the line.  I didn’t HEAR you right, ‘cause I’d swear you said something like marry a WHORE and have some babies.  Sorry, Lord, please DO, hit me up one mo’ time.

God: No son, you heard right.  I want you to marry Gomer the harlot, get her pregnant and have several children.  I plan to use you and your future family to represent the abominable whoredom of Israel, and my merciful reconciliation.

Larry (laughs out loud): Yeeeaaaahhh, right, Lord.  Haha!  Now, THAT’S a GOOD one!  You’ pullin’ my leg, ain’tcha?  (chuckling, as he settles down a bit)  C’mon now, Almighty Father, quit kiddin’ around!  (now grinning, in hardly-suppressed, cynical disbelief) OK … I’m kewl now, God … whew!  You can really break a brotha up when you wanna, Lord.  So, now what do you REALLY want me to do?

God (with deafening thunder and brilliant lightning striking in a perfect circle all around yours truly): Does THIS look like “kiddin’ around” to you?

Larry (gulps, then blithers unintelligibly). Brrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbllllblbl phhhffttthhhtthth!!

As the apostle Paul wrote to the Romans, “… so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous” – Romans 5:19b (KJV).   Of course, in this passage he’s referring to Christ, but the power of his statement absolutely holds true for each of us today.  Our obedience to God’s perfect will (even when inscrutable to us) can transform lives – our own and others as well.

2) The people whom God chooses FOR us, are not often the ones we would choose for ourselves.  Why do you think God chose Gomer for Hosea?  Hosea, whose name in Hebrew literally means “salvation is from the Lord”, was a prophet.  Gomer was a prostitute.  Could there have possibly been a more unlikely couple?  But God sees the inner Spiritual being and not the outward appearance.  As such, His vision is perfect 20/20 at all times.  He knows what’s best for us and what will accomplish His purpose.  The major prophet Isaiah declares, “for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD” – Isaiah 55:8 (KJV).

3) In the end, when we are obedient to His will, God ALWAYS improves our situation far beyond anything we can imagine.  By the time Hosea’s prophecy closes, he is happily and faithfully married to his perfect mate with loving children.  Moreover, God promises to restore Israel as His chosen people, despite their collective self-abuse, if they return to Him.  He declares:

“O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.  I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities?  And thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?  Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously …” – Hosea 13: 9-10, 14: 2a (KJV).

So, regarding your Spiritual marriage to God, cherished reader, my question to you is the same one Hosea probably asked Gomer, “Are You DONE Whoring Around?”