Describe Hosea's marital experience and how it demonstrates God's love for Israel.

Explanation

God asked Hosea to take to himself a harlot as wife. He took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim and she bore him a son. And the Lord said to him "call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. She conceived again and bore a daughter called Not Pitied, for God will not pity the house of Israel. She bore a third child, a son named Not my people, for Israel is no longer the people of God, neither is He their God. Gomer's faithlessness later made her abandon Hosea and the children. In love, Hosea paid to bring her back and sent her children to plead with their mother - all in vain. Inspite of her faithlessness and disappointment by her lovers, Hosea's love for Gomer still persisted.

Hosea's marital experience and love for his wife was a demonstration of God's love for Israel in the following ways:

(i) Inspite of Israel's unfaithfulness, God still remained faithful.

(ii) God promised future glory and unity of Israel and Judah.

(iii) He also provide their needs inspite of disappointment.