Hosea 3-4   The Lord tells Hosea to get his wife back.. " Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband yet an adulteress.." So, Hosea goes and finds Gomer and buys her.. for 15 shekels of silver and some grain.  

This, the Lord says, is how He loves His people Israel.. "though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes."  

Chapter 4 describes the extent of Israel's rebellious heart.. ".. there is no faithfulness, or kindness, or knowledge of God in the land. There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, adultery.  they employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed."  Sounds familiar.. doesn't it?

Sin not only affects people, God reveals here.. it affects the land.. " Therefore the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky; and also the fish of the sea disappear."  Our world wants to call it "climate change" or whatever.. ... but God says otherwise!

V 6 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge. I also will reject you from being My priest."  Israel was meant to be God's nation and the Light to draw all nations to the Lord.. but they did not even know Him anymore.  He was the Husband who loved her... but she turned to idols and played the harlot. They had lost everything that had set them apart as God's people. They were so stubborn that they would not heed the warnings of the prophets.. and they would find themselves under the judgement that they deserved. 

We need to heed the lessons that Israel did not learn.. we need to hear the Lord's call to faithfulness and kindness.  He wants us to know Him and to love Him with all our heart!  He wants to bless us and provide for us.. to be with us and never leave us.  Oh may we have humble and yielded hearts  to find that depth of love and grace that only our God can provide. 

Father, may we dwell with You forever and ever!  Thank You for buying us back.. through Jesus Christ our Lord.  We have been bought with a price and we are not our own!  We are Yours and we love You. Be glorified and exalted Father!  Let the Light of Jesus shine in us that we will be light to the world. You are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.. may the truth ring out across our land and to the ends of the earth..  Amen.