WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOVE STORY?

There are a lot to choose from. Romeo and Juliet. Titanic. Cinderella. Rocky and Adrian. Sleepless in Seattle. Beauty and the Beast. My current favorite love story is one tucked away in the Old Testament book of Hosea. It reads more like Desperate Housewives than Cinderella, but the love story pictures God’s radical love toward us.

God told Hosea, the prophet, to marry a prostitute named Gomer as a living parable illustrating God’s love. I’m sure this idea didn’t go down too well with the Ladies Auxilary. Gomer depicts Israel’s unfaithfulness and Hosea represents God’s love for Israel. Israel had strayed into idolatry, heartless religion, violence, bribery, drunkenness and injustice.

Gomer and Hosea had three children. Only later Hosea discovered the kids were not even his. Gomer eventually remembered the good times and went back into the arms of new lovers. Hosea was broken-hearted illustrating God’s sorrow over rebellion and betrayal. Eventually, after years of hard living, Gomer was all used up and put on the sex slave block in the red light district.

Stripped bare, pawed over by lurking men, the bidding began. There were not many takers but the winning bid was made. The prostitute went to—Hosea. God commanded the prophet to show love for his unfaithful wife and redeem her out of the slave market. Remarkable! Imagine the gossip but ponder the redemptive plan.

Redemption requires three things:
1. Someone is in bondage/slavery.
2. A price must be paid to get out.
3. A mediator must pay the price.
This is what Hosea did for Gomer and the picture of what Jesus did for us. We were slaves to sin. The price for freedom and forgiveness was blood and Jesus paid the price on the cross. Grace! Redemption You can not earn it nor deserve it.

In the movie, Les Miserable, Jean Valjean is a criminal. He’s done 20 years of hard time for stealing and is now free. He meets a Bishop who takes him into his house and provides shelter and a meal. Jean leaves having stolen silver but is caught by the police. They assume he stole the silver and take him to the bishop to confirm the crime. The Bishop says, “No, no this was a gift to him. Jean, you forgot the most important gift- the silver candlesticks.” There is this dumbfounded look on the criminal’s face as he has only known hatred not kindness.

After the police leave, the Bishop says to Jean, “You must never forget this moment. You are not your own. You were bought with a price. Now you live toward God.” Jean was marked for the rest of his life. He never got over redemptive grace. He lived different because Grace changed everything.

Grace is wild, unpredictable, often outlandish and life changing. It still marks people. If you have never received God’s free gift of forgiveness, you can do that today. It is available and offered to you based upon Jesus bloodstained cross and empty tomb.

Dr. Michael Sprague serves as Louisiana State Chaplain with the Capitol Commission and President of Grace Adventures. He ministers in a non-partisan pastoral role at the Baton Rouge Capitol, offering Bible studies, prayer, and spiritual care to leaders. A former senior pastor, he holds degrees from the University of Maryland, Capital Bible Seminary, and Dallas Theological Seminary. He helped launch Touch Global Crisis Response after Hurricane Katrina and authored two books. Michael does life in Mandeville, LA with his wife Donna. His motto is “Bet the Farm on God,” reflecting his passion to help others know Jesus. You can find more information about Michael here.  

 Image by DEEPAI