The Saddest Story in the Bible

She was an unfaithful wife, a woman who strayed outside her marriage and home, not just once, but repeatedly. Her husband’s heartbreak was awful to see.  Soon his tears turned into a terrible, justifiable anger.  In his angriest moment, he declared -   “You don’t belong to me!”  “You are not loved!” “You are going to pay for this!”  But, his love was stronger than her infidelity and when she was impoverished, broken, and at the bottom of life’s barrel, he reached out and told her to come home.  He changed his words, and now he says, “You are mine.”  “You are beloved.” “You are forgiven!” Sound like a movie script?  It isn’t.  It is a true story, straight out of the saddest book in the Bible.

Hosea, the prophet, took at wife who broke his heart. At first, she was fine, supported by her lovers, laughing and forgetful of her husband and her children. Then, life collapsed under the weight of her sin and irresponsibility. Her found her at the slave market, paid 15 pieces of silver for her, and brought her home to find restoration.  His book is difficult to read without feeling first disgust, then horror, and finally amazement.  How could he love her so, even after such betrayal?

Why does the Bible contain such a story? 

Hosea’s life was a parable of God’s experience with His people.  “When Israel was a child, I loved him as a son, and I called my son out of Egypt. But the more I called to him, the more he rebelled, offering sacrifices to the images of Baal (the fertility god of the region) and burning incense to idols. It was I who taught Israel how to walk, leading him along by the hand. But he doesn’t know or even care that it was I who took care of him. I led Israel along with my ropes of kindness and love. I lifted the yoke from his neck, and I myself stooped to feed him. 
“But since my people refuse to return to me, they will go back to Egypt and will be forced to serve Assyria. War will swirl through their cities; their enemies will crash through their gates and destroy them, trapping them in their own evil plans. For my people are determined to desert me. They call me the Most High, but they don’t truly honor me.

“Oh, how can I give you up, Israel? How can I let you go? … 
My heart is torn within me, and my compassion overflows. No, I will not punish you as much as my burning anger tells me to. I will not completely destroy Israel, for I am God and not a mere mortal. I am the Holy One living among you, and I will not come to destroy. “For someday the people will follow the Lord. I will roar like a lion, and my people will return trembling from the west. Like a flock of birds, they will come from Egypt. Flying like doves, they will return from Assyria. And I will bring them home again,” says the Lord." (Hosea 11:1-11, NLT)

Christian, some of us choose to forget that God is our husband, the Church His  bride.  We choose to forget that we are His by covenant, that leaving Him for other lovers breaks His heart and invites His anger.  “Anger,” you ask? “God cannot be angry, He is loving.”  Oh, but He does grow angry when we abandon Him for the trinkets of life, when we leave His embrace.  But, as we learn from Hosea and many other passages in the Scripture, His love is amazingly deep.  His desire is our return.  “Come home,” He says.   Listen to God’s words about His people then and hear His love for us still.  “And now, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again. I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her. I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt. “At that time”—this is God’s Message still— “you’ll address me, ‘Dear husband!’ Never again will you address me, ‘My slave-master!’" (Hosea 2:14-16, The Message)

I am so thankful for the Gospel of Christ.  That story is not one that glosses over the rebellion of humanity, nor does it teach us that God chooses not to know our sins. He sees. He is angered, but He loves. "God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s judgment." (Romans 5:8-9, NLT)   Will we respond with love, with fidelity, giving Him all our love – heart, soul, mind, and strength?

Here is the word from the Word.  Jesus, the Lord, speaks to His Church with a call to ‘come home.’  "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." (Revelation 2:2-5, NIV)

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Lord I Need You

Lord, I come, I confess.

Bowing here, I find my rest,

And without You I fall apart,

You're the one that guides my heart.

Lord,I need You, oh, I need You.

Ev'ry hour I need You.

My one defense, my righteousness,

Oh God, how I need You.

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more.

Where grace is found is where You are.

And where You are, Lord, I am free.

Holiness is Christ in me.

Where You are, Lord, I am free,

Holiness is Christ in me.

So teach my song to rise to You,

When temptation comes my way.

And when I cannot stand, I'll fall on You.

Jesus, You're my hope and stay,

And when I cannot stand, I'll fall on You.

Jesus, You're my hope and stay.

Lord, I need You, oh I need You.

Ev'ry hour I need You,

My one defense, my righteousness,

Oh God, how I need You.

Christy Nockels | Daniel Carson | Jesse Reeves | Kristian Stanfill | Matt Maher

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