After the death of Solomon, the Northern Kingdom revolted. Now for the Hebrew people the land was divided into two nations. In the north there was Israel. In the south, Judah. Occasionally the two nations would work together to defeat an enemy. But one empire was looming too large. In an effort to avoid attack Israel and Judah starting paying tribute to Assyria. The thought was that if they were to pay tribute, Assyria would lay off. Tribute is a fancy word for selling yourself out. In essence, they prostituted themselves.
When we prostitute ourselves do we really expect good things to happen?
So as the epic story goes … Assyria relentlessly attacked Samaria the capital of Israel and years later Jerusalem the capital of Judah. They both fell, the Temple was destroyed, the Jewish people were exiled, and to top it off, they never got the refund on the tribute.
Hosea & Gomer by Cody F. Miller
Enter Hosea, a minor prophet. Artist Cody F. Miller gives us a sort of awkard painting of Hosea and his wife Gomer. The story (read chapter 1) goes that God asked Hosea to marry a prostitute. So Hosea was like “yeah no problem,” and he found Gomer to be his wife. Putting aside the victimology report of prostitution (the crime, drug abuse, human trafficking, sex slave industry, immigration relatedness, the use of children, etc.) I must say that Gomer has to be the sexiest prostitute name ever.
What if this story of Hosea and Gomer happened to be theologically illiuminating? Sure for Hosea and Gomer I am sure their life together wasn’t theologically illuminating, but if it were for us … what would it illuminate?
Obviously (or maybe not so considering all the bad theologians we have in the world) the story illuminates the story of Israel, and Israel’s continued abandonment of God. And obviously (or perhaps not so) Israel also means us (that is … the body of Christ … Christians). This is a story of our abandonment of God and our (Israel’s) propensity toward prostitution. That is, selling ourselves out. Israel and Judah liked to call it paying tribute. If by tribute they mean prostitution … then yes.
After all Israel was an idol making factory. That is, we are idol making factories. I love Bible dictionaries. The Oxford Companion defines an idol as “a figure or image worshiped as the representation of a deity.” Harper’s states an idol is “an image or statue of a deity fashioned to be an object or worship.” Let me give it a try … “an idol is something you pay tribute.” Or better yet “an idol was what we sell ourselves out to.”
We all have idols. It may be a “vice” like alcohol or cigarettes or cocaine. Or our idols may be more subtle. And by subtle I mean we convince ourselves otherwise. Regardless, once we make an idol, then we are just playing God. By the way, a good definition of injustice is playing God to someone else. And when we make idols … that is, play God, all hell breaks loose.
Israel and Judah paid tribute to Assyria. Yet they still were attacked. In fact, it would be safe to assume three bullet points:
So Hosea and Gomer have three kids. The first was Jezreel. That’s Hebrew for God scatters.
- Yes idols make us feel good for awhile, and yes we can rationalize them, etc. But eventually a result of playing God is that we will think God has scattered. God isn’t readily available like we want. After all, if we are playing God then we start to think this thing we call God is … us. So we are all scattered and mixed and chaotic. Have you ever felt life is a little chaotic? Perhaps you gave birth to Jezreel.
Their second kid was named Lo Ruhamah. That’s Hebrew for not loved.
- Idols begin to demand everything, don’t they? Think drinking. Our idols … that is us … we convince ourselves that we are not loved.
Their third kid was named Lo Ammi. Hebrew for not my people.
- Bullet point three … we feel God has abandoned us. I mean we might be able to convince others we have it all together … but we also give birth to Lo Ammi.
That’s Hosea chapter 1. I also like Hosea 3. By the way for anyone who thinks that Gomer was really unfaithful (that is – us) and not a prostitute … read chapter 3. If you didn’t get that we are the prostitute from chapter 1 … chapter 3 helps.
The Lord said to me again, “Go, love a woman who has a lover and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the people of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.” So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer of barley and a measure of wine. And I said to her, “You must remain as mine for many days; you shall not play the whore, you shall not have intercourse with a man, nor I with you.” For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim. Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days. (NRSV)
Chapter 1 is the story of our abandonment from God. Chapter 3 is the story of God’s redemption. Hosea must go back to Gomer and BUY her back. The only way you can get the prostitute is to pay.
We have sold ourselves out. We have worshiped other gods. We have played God. We have walked the streets like a broken prostitute. Yet, God still is willing to buy us back. Jesus just pushed through all that shame, pulled up to the curb and bought us back.
-Steve