Hosea

Hosea 3: Bought back for a price

Begin in prayer

Before you open Hosea 3, ask God to help your family see what His love paid to win back His people.

for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

1 Corinthians 6:20

Father in heaven, please open our eyes as we read Your Word. Show us that Your love pays a price to win back a people who turned away. Show us Jesus, who bought His people with His own blood. Make us more like Jesus. And please bless our family as we worship You together. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

The LORD tells Hosea to go again and love a woman who is loved by another and has broken her marriage promise. He says Hosea's love must be like the LORD's own love for the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods. So Hosea buys her for himself with fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley. He tells her to stay with him many days and to belong to no other man, and he promises to be faithful too. Then Hosea says Israel will live many days without a king, a prince, a sacrifice or idols. Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come trembling to Him and to His blessings.

As you read Hosea 3, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

The LORD loves His unfaithful people, and He pays a price to buy them back.

Chapter 3 is short, and it shows what chapter 2 promised, a husband who pays to win his wife back. The chapter does not name the woman, but it follows Hosea's marriage and gives the same picture. The LORD says Hosea's love must be like His own love for Israel, which goes on even while they turn to other gods. Hosea paid in silver and barley, so the cost was his own. He asked her to be faithful to him alone, and he promised the same, as God made marriage for one man and one woman. In the same way Israel would spend many days without a king, a sacrifice or an idol. Verse 5 is the turn, for the children of Israel will return and seek the LORD and David their king. Jesus is the Son of David, the King the people seek (Matthew 1 verse 1, Luke 1 verses 32 and 33). Peter says Christ's people were bought with His precious blood, worth more than silver or gold (1 Peter 1 verses 18 and 19).

How does Hosea 3 show us that the LORD loves His unfaithful people and pays a price to buy them back?

Hosea is told to love a woman who has broken her promise.

The LORD says Hosea's love must be like His love for the children of Israel (verse 1). That love goes on though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins. It does not wait until they have earned it. This is how the LORD loves sinners, and it is how Hosea must love.

Hosea buys her back with silver and barley.

He pays fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley (verse 2). Verse 1 shows why, for his love must be like the LORD's love for Israel. The husband pays the cost himself, to keep her as his own. Jesus paid far more for His people. Peter says they were bought with His precious blood (1 Peter 1 verses 18 and 19).

Israel will return and seek the LORD and David their king.

Verse 4 says Israel will live many days without a king or sacrifice. Verse 5 says they will then return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. Jesus is the Son of David (Matthew 1 verse 1). They will come with trembling to the LORD and to His blessings.

Memorise

So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.

Hosea 3:2

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, do I see that Jesus paid a price I could never pay?

Hosea says, “So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley”. The LORD told him to love her “even as” He loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods. Hosea paid the price himself.

The LORD's people owe a debt they could not pay, and the price was far greater than silver. Jesus loved sinners while they were turning away, and He gave His own blood as the ransom. He died on the cross, and He rose on the third day. Once for all, the whole debt was paid.

So come to Him. Turn from your sin and put your trust in Jesus. He forgives the sins of all who come to Him, and they belong to Him, for He bought them.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the LORD loves His unfaithful people and pays a price to buy them back. Parents, please explain verses 1 to 3 in your own words, and be gentle with any child whose parents are apart. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God that His love paid the price to buy back His people, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so let each one say a short prayer if they want to.

Those ransomed by Yahweh will return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy. Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 51:11

Lord Jesus, thank You for loving Your people and paying the price to buy them back with Your blood. Please forgive our sin and make us Yours. Teach us to trust You. Amen.