Lessons Learned: Gomer A Prostitute Example

Hosea 1 – 3

Gomer’s story is an example of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and how much He loves Israel.  In chapter one Hosea is told to marry a prostitute and have children with her.  In chapter three Hosea is told to bring her back home.  Not much is mentioned about Gomer and I was again surprised she even came to mind when I asked God who I should write about next.  Again, since not much is written about her, I will use my imagination and make up a story about her.    I did a lot of research about Hosea from different versions of the Bible and study helps.  Scripture is from the New Living Translation and is in italics.

Gomer’s Story

I was just twelve years old when my father died leaving me and my mother alone to care for ourselves.  We had a nice home, but we had no money to buy food or to buy clothing.  My mother went to work washing and mending clothes for the rich people in our town.  I helped her because she did such a nice job many people asked her to work for them.  After five years of this my mother was worn out.  I was so tired of working for others.  I wanted the nice things they had.  One day I tried to wake my mother, but she had died in her sleep.  I was alone.  No relative to take me in.  I wondered what I would do. 

I continued to do wash for rich people since I had no one to help me and I did not know any other way to keep myself fed.  Maybe someone will come along and offer to marry me.  I did not feel like that was likely to happen because I had no father or brother.

The Temptation to Prostitute

One day one of the sons of a rich family I was washing for came to me while I was washing their clothes alone and said he would give me a shekel if I would lay with him.  I slapped him and said no!  He left but he was back the next time I was doing the family’s wash and asked me again.  I still said no but refrained from slapping him.  This went on for three weeks.  Finally, he said no one will know and it is not like I was going to get any marriage offers.  Might as well enjoy life while you can.  This time he offered me two shekels.

I gave into him.  I half expected him to offer to marry me but no he said he would just pay me whenever he wanted to be with me.  I started to enjoy the money.  One day his friend came by and offered to pay me for sleeping with him.  I was used to it now and I thought to myself might as well earn a living this way because it was easy money and I did not have to wash clothes anymore.  So, I said yes and somehow became immensely popular.  Often men would bring me food or beautiful clothing instead of payment.  My house became beautiful with gifts from some of my favorites.  I liked my life and the riches I had.

Sought After by Love

Then one day a man named Hosea came to my door.  I thought he was just another one of my paying customers, but he said something strange to me.  He said, “Gomer, God told me to marry you and bring you home to my house.”  I was shocked and replied, “What?  God told you to marry me, a prostitute?”  He said yes!  The look on his face I could tell he was serious and not at all crazy.  I said “Why?”  He then said something even stranger.  He said, “Because God wants you to know what love is like.”  Why does God even want to have anything to do with me or want me to know what love is?  It is not like I am welcome at the synagogue or anything.  My mind was stunned!  Suddenly I could tell he looked very tired and hungry.  Perhaps he came a long way.  I invited him in and fixed him some food.  He seemed kind of shy after telling me why he came but I have a knack to get men talking so I used it on him.  Hosea was a prophet of God living in a town about fifty miles from here.  He was thirty years old and had never married.  He spent much of his time studying scriptures and being open to God’s leading.  He was going to write a warning to Israel. 

Hosea talk all through his lunch then he got up to leave.  He asked me one more time to marry him and to come home with him.  I did not know what to say.  I looked around my house.  Do I want to leave all this?  What will my life be like in ten years?  Will men still want me?  Probably not!  I decided to marry Hosea because I knew it would be my only means of support as I grew older.

We left right away that day.  I took a few clothes but just locked up the house.  Maybe someday I will come back for more of my things.  It took a couple of days to get back to Hosea’s home.  It was a poor home, but his servants were nice and gave us a nice marriage supper.  We waited until then to consummate our marriage.  Hosea was a pleasant fellow.  I was happy to be a wife.

The Children-God’s Judgment

It was not long before I discovered I was pregnant.  I was thrilled and Hosea seemed happy.  I gave birth to a son.  Hosea came to me and told me God had told him how to name our son and why.  He said God said:

“Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence. 5I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”

I became pregnant again and this time I gave birth to a daughter.  Hosea told me the Lord had also told Hosea her name and why.  I cried when I heard her name.  I loved her so much.

“Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.

I gave birth to a son next and Hosea named him what God had told him to name him.

“Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.

The Temptation Returns

After that I had had enough. I missed my old life.  I loved the fine clothing and jewels.  Yes, I feel loved by Hosea, but I want more!  I really miss the freedom to live any way I want.  I feel like my old life is calling me and I am finding it hard not to answer. 

One day I was in the market and I saw an old customer I had dealing with one of the marketeers. He was a fine clothing dealer.  I have fond memories of this man even though sometimes I felt he was a bit possessive.  I went over to him to say hello.  He remembered me.  He asked why I was here, and I said I had married a man from here.  He seemed startled and asked if I loved my husband.  He looked at how I was dressed, so plain, and wanted to know where was all the fine clothes he had bought me.

I looked down at my shabby clothes.  They were nice but not anything like the fine clothing this man had bought me.  The memories of the fine clothes and jewelry came back.  Oh, how I truly miss them.  They were at my old house probably rotting away by now.  I suddenly asked him to take me back to my old home.  My surprise is he agreed.  I should have become suspicious of this because of his former possessiveness but I just wanted my old life back.

I did not return home.  My children are weaned and well cared for by the servants.  I felt so free!  The man took me back to the inn where he was staying.  He showered me with fine wine, food and clothing.  I was in heaven, or so I thought, until his whispered in my ear I was his and he was never going to let me go again.  We had just made love, so I was not thinking straight.  I drifted off to sleep feeling happy.

Captivity

I woke up to the uncomfortable feeling of leg irons being clasped on my ankles.  I was being chained to him.  Ten feet of chain was all the freedom I had.  We left town before dawn and headed in the opposite direction of my old home.  I was crying as I followed behind his donkey.  I asked why and he hit me.  I was his harlot now and no one can have me but him. 

We got to a town the next day and went to what I now realize was his home.  He only had one servant, a man, who seemed like he would do whatever his master told him.  I was chained to a bed in a room.  The door was kept locked.  There was a window, but the chains did not allow me to reach it.  The servant brought me a little food and water once a day.  I cried for my stupidity of leaving Hosea.  He genuinely loved me and always care for me.  Why did I think my old life was better?

The man came to my room only to sleep with me.  He was not nice about it either.  He would often take me when I was asleep and hit me if I did not respond nicely.  When I beg him to let me go, he would hit me again and he would rape me to prove his ownership.  I wanted to die!

This went on for a week.  Then one evening a stranger came into my room wanting to sleep with me.  It turns out my captor loved money more than he “loved” me.  I was now to sleep with men for my captor’s financial gain.   He seemed to take much enjoyment out of my misery.

The Rescue! 

One day, much to my surprise and joy, Hosea showed up in my room.  Hosea put his finger up to his lips to keep me quiet.  I wanted to shout for joy, but I kept quiet.  He paid my captor fifteen shekels and a pound and a half of barley to sleep with me.  Fortunately, Hosea said he wanted to be with me alone for the whole night.  Since Hosea had paid my captor much more than any of the others, my captor allowed Hosea to be alone with me.

Hosea managed to get the chains off my ankles.  We escaped through the window as quietly as we could.  My captor had gone out to buy more wine with the money Hosea had paid him.  We headed away from town knowing my captor would be too drunk to notice I was gone until long after sunup.  His servant would be drunk too as they both like to drink in excess when an opportunity arose.

When it was safe, I asked Hosea how he found me, and he said God told him exactly where I was.  Then I asked why it took him so long to come get me?  Hosea, always the gentleman, said he was waiting for me to return on my own.  I hugged him so tightly then and there with tears in my eyes.  I was so sorry for the pain I caused him.  I realized how stupid I was for running away.

Hosea said I must live with him from now on and not go back to my old ways.  I promised him I would.  I suddenly realized I loved Hosea.  And Hosea’s God too.  After all, it was God who told Hosea to marry me and to find me when I was in captivity.  I felt so loved!

We got home the next day.  Oh, it was so wonderful to be home.  Our children greeted me with their arms wrapped around me so tightly.  I never want to leave Hosea or our children again!

Lessons Learned from Gomer

Can you feel the love God had for Gomer through Hosea?  Even though for a time Gomer loved her old life more than she loved Hosea, Hosea still loved her.  This book is about how Israel went away from God even though God loved Israel like a husband loves his wife.  Yet, it is also a picture of how God loves us!  God loves us so much He sent His only Son to come and rescue us from our sin.  He is also so patient with us when we go astray.  He waits for us to return to Him.  He rescues us when we repent. 

I think God is waiting patiently with America to repent.  He has allowed the COVID-19 virus and now the rioting throughout the nation.  I have shed tears of anguish over the postings for and against the riots on social media.  I have prayed God would end this, but acknowledge America needs to repent.  You may not agree with this paragraph and that is fine.  I am only stating my opinion which is something I usually refrain from doing.  But, oh, please consider God’s warning to Israel and how it may relate to things happening here in the United States.

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The Gomer Anointing: A Calling to Deliver a Nation By Stacia V. Hunter Redeeming Love: A Novel – eBook By Francine Rivers Can God’s Love Save Anyone? Best-selling author Francine Rivers skillfully retells the biblical love story of Gomer and Hosea in a tale set against the exciting backdrop of the California Gold Rush. The heroine, Angel, is a young woman who was sold into prostitution as a child. Michael Hosea is a godly man sent into Angel’s life to draw her into the Savior’s redeeming love.