Not Marriage Material
Gomer (2) is a prostitute. We can assume she offers her body to other men to ensure her survival: food, water, and clothes. Or perhaps she’s merely promiscuous.
Either way, she isn’t marriage material. Yet, God’s prophet Hosea marries her anyway.
Gomer and Hosea have a son, Jezreel.
Then she has two more children, but Hosea questions if he is their father. One is a girl, Lo-Ruhamah. The other is a boy, Lo-Ammi.
After that, unfaithful Gomer abandons her husband and three children. She runs away and takes up with another lover.
Shockingly, Hosea goes after her. The prophet buys her freedom. He tells her to stop chasing other men, to return home, and to be faithful to him. He offers her a love she doesn’t deserve.
Hosea married Gomer even though she didn’t deserve it. Later he redeemed her after she left him for another man.
Hosea’s astonishing actions toward the sinful Gomer hint at God’s unconditional love for us. And Gomer’s lifestyle reminds us that we are all sinful people, undeserving of Jesus redeeming us and becoming his pure, spotless bride.
How can we move beyond our past to accept God’s unconditional love for us?
How does knowing that God has already forgiven our sins help us to forgive ourselves?
[Read about Gomer in Hosea 1:2–8 and Hosea 3:1–3. Discover more in Romans 5:8.]
Learn about 100 more biblical characters in More Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in e-book, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
More Old Testament Sinners and Saints is part of the Bible Character Sketches series.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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