The Prophet and the Prostitute

[Sam]

This is an article called "The Prophet and the Prostitute." It was printed in the Pentecostal Evangel in May of 1992 and then reprinted in July, 1998. It is based on a sermon preached by Dan Betzer on a radio program called Revivaltime. He takes some sermonic or poetic license with the story but it is a beautiful portrait of God's love for us, His wayward ones. It pictures God as our Redeemer, the One who purchased us at a very high price, which was His own blood. I have also heard the story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife called “Hosea and the Hooker.” I have a book titled “Exploring the Scriptures” by John Phillips, copyrighted in 1965. It is a review of each of the books of the Bible, giving information about the author, historical setting, etc. His title for the chapter on the Book of Hosea is called, “Hosea, Prophet of the Broken Heart and Broken Home.” What a picture of the heart of God.


The Prophet and the Prostitute

by Dan Betzer

The time --800 years before the birth of Christ. The place --Israel. Sin was choking the life from the people. Four kings had been assassinated in 20 years. Northern hordes from Assyria had invaded the land, carrying off wealth and hostages, and the nation's economy was functioning by the barest of pulsebeats.

In a remote town in the hill country of Ephraim, two young people fell in love. The man was a prophet of God named Hosea. The woman was named Gomer. She did not have a good reputation. In fact, she was a prostitute. News of the engagement must have rocked that little town. The prophet was marrying a prostitute. It was a proper marriage though. Hosea loved this woman despite her reputation. He believed in her; He gave her his name, and Gomer responded to his love.

For some years the home was happy and godly. Two boys and a girl were born to the union. The talk around town stopped. The strange family seemed to be blossoming and thriving.

Then tragedy struck. Hosea came home one day to find his wife and all her possessions gone. Word soon came to him that Gomer had gone back to her former profession --she was back on the streets selling her body.

Imagine the pain, humiliation and grief that must have tormented this man. Scalding tears must have streamed down his face. His broken heart must have pounded.

Think of the devastation done to the children. The mother they had loved and honored now walked the streets, spending the night with any man willing to pay the fare.

In his trauma Hosea sought God. Surely the Lord would tell him, "Hosea, you did your best. You attempted to give a normal life to this woman. Put the whole sordid mess behind you. Go on to another life, another relationship. You can't possibly do more."

Wouldn't that be the answer to prayer you would expect?

But that's not the answer Hosea received. Instead, God told him, "Go get her, Hosea. Bring her home. Love her, restore her, do whatever you have to, Hosea, but bring Gomer back."

Why would Hosea want her back? Gomer by now had sold herself into a prostitution ring. Good riddance. That's the reaction from a normal man. But Hosea was not a normal man. The fact of the matter was that he never stopped loving Gomer.

On the screen of my imagination I can see Hosea asking questions about her, wondering about her wellbeing, where she was, about her health and happiness.

Hosea never stopped loving his wife and never stopped searching for her. One day in the marketplace he heard of a slave auction in a neighboring city. He wondered if Gomer would be there. Perhaps, for some reason, she might be there, and he could at least catch a glimpse of his darling.

He told his children he would return as he gathered up what bartering possessions he had and made his way to the far auction house. This was not a place you bought cars or antiques --this was a place you bought people. This was the junkyard of humanity.

Even before he reached the building, Hosea could hear the raucous laughter following coarse jokes. Vulgar language assaulted his ears. It made the prophet sick to his stomach. But he was determined. Maybe Gomer would be there. He searched the crowd to no avail.

Then Hosea's eyes wandered to the staging area, and his heart almost stopped. There she was. He began to weep. What had happened to her? Gomer, his beloved wife and the mother of his three children, stood there, hands tied, broken, beaten, a diseased hag, a bag of bones. Gomer was among the human garbage about to be auctioned.

Hosea stared at the stage for a long time. And when he could trust his voice to respond, he called huskily, "Gomer ... Gomer."

She had been standing on the auction block, her dull eyes staring vacantly at the floor. She didn't care any longer who bought her or who did what with her. She knew it wouldn't be much of a price any more. She had almost no value. And then that husky voice from the crowd caught her ears, "Gomer ... Gomer."

Suddenly every nerve in her emaciated body came alive. She knew that voice. It had been years, but she knew that voice. It was her husband --Hosea. She lifted her face, and her eyes surveyed the crowd. Could she find him? Was he really there? Yes, there he was, and he was looking straight at her. Tears were streaming down both faces. Hosea lifted his hand in a tender gesture of love, and Gomer began to cry, sobs wracking her slender, sick body.

All Hosea had to his name were a few dollars and eight bushels of barley. Not much to buy a slave, not even one like Gomer. The bidding began and to his amazement --and joy-- he was the only bidder interested in this wretched woman. He could purchase her --he could redeem her. He paid the auctioneer and ran to the block, tearing the bonds off Gomer's hands. He took her bony body in his arms and lifted her gently. He had given everything he had to buy her back. In earlier years he had courted her, won her, and loved her. Then she had gone. Now he found her and bought her back. He had never, never stopped loving her.

I can see no more magnificent portrayal of God's love for the world. Behold, what manner of love the Father has for His children. While we were yet sinners, Christ poured out His life for us. God was not willing that we should perish. Let the Holy Spirit inscribe this truth on your heart: No matter how deeply you have sinned, no matter how much self-loathing you may feel, no matter if society has rejected you and you are virtually friendless, God has never stopped loving you.

The sins you have committed which have cut your life to shreds and left you a mere shadow of your former being --those sins have also wounded God Almighty. Those sins have affected your friends. They bleed inside because of your sin.

But despite your breaking God's heart,He still wants the best for you. He still loves you. No matter that everyone else may have written you off as a hopeless case, God has never given up on you. He will never stop loving you.

[Nahum]

What a beautifully written piece.

Thanks for sharing it.

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Sam

This is an article called "The Prophet and the Prostitute." It was printed in the Pentecostal Evangel in May of 1992 and then reprinted in July, 1998. It is based on a sermon preached by Dan Betzer on a radio program called Revivaltime. He takes some sermonic or poetic license with the story but it is a beautiful portrait of God's love for us, His wayward ones. It pictures God as our Redeemer, the One who purchased us at a very high price, which was His own blood. I have also heard the story of Hosea and his unfaithful wife called “Hosea and the Hooker.” I have a book titled “Exploring the Scriptures” by John Phillips, copyrighted in 1965. It is a review of each of the books of the Bible, giving information about the author, historical setting, etc. His title for the chapter on the Book of Hosea is called, “Hosea, Prophet of the Broken Heart and Broken Home.” What a picture of the heart of God.


The Prophet and the Prostitute

by Dan Betzer

The time --800 years before the birth of Christ. The place --Israel. Sin was choking the life from the people. Four kings had been assassinated in 20 years. Northern hordes from Assyria had invaded the land, carrying off wealth and hostages, and the nation's economy was functioning by the barest of pulsebeats.

In a remote town in the hill country of Ephraim, two young people fell in love. The man was a prophet of God named Hosea. The woman was named Gomer. She did not have a good reputation. In fact, she was a prostitute. News of the engagement must have rocked that little town. The prophet was marrying a prostitute. It was a proper marriage though. Hosea loved this woman despite her reputation. He believed in her; He gave her his name, and Gomer responded to his love.

For some years the home was happy and godly. Two boys and a girl were born to the union. The talk around town stopped. The strange family seemed to be blossoming and thriving.

Then tragedy struck. Hosea came home one day to find his wife and all her possessions gone. Word soon came to him that Gomer had gone back to her former profession --she was back on the streets selling her body.

Imagine the pain, humiliation and grief that must have tormented this man. Scalding tears must have streamed down his face. His broken heart must have pounded.

Think of the devastation done to the children. The mother they had loved and honored now walked the streets, spending the night with any man willing to pay the fare.

In his trauma Hosea sought God. Surely the Lord would tell him, "Hosea, you did your best. You attempted to give a normal life to this woman. Put the whole sordid mess behind you. Go on to another life, another relationship. You can't possibly do more."

Wouldn't that be the answer to prayer you would expect?

But that's not the answer Hosea received. Instead, God told him, "Go get her, Hosea. Bring her home. Love her, restore her, do whatever you have to, Hosea, but bring Gomer back."

Why would Hosea want her back? Gomer by now had sold herself into a prostitution ring. Good riddance. That's the reaction from a normal man. But Hosea was not a normal man. The fact of the matter was that he never stopped loving Gomer.

On the screen of my imagination I can see Hosea asking questions about her, wondering about her wellbeing, where she was, about her health and happiness.

Hosea never stopped loving his wife and never stopped searching for her. One day in the marketplace he heard of a slave auction in a neighboring city. He wondered if Gomer would be there. Perhaps, for some reason, she might be there, and he could at least catch a glimpse of his darling.

He told his children he would return as he gathered up what bartering possessions he had and made his way to the far auction house. This was not a place you bought cars or antiques --this was a place you bought people. This was the junkyard of humanity.

Even before he reached the building, Hosea could hear the raucous laughter following coarse jokes. Vulgar language assaulted his ears. It made the prophet sick to his stomach. But he was determined. Maybe Gomer would be there. He searched the crowd to no avail.

Then Hosea's eyes wandered to the staging area, and his heart almost stopped. There she was. He began to weep. What had happened to her? Gomer, his beloved wife and the mother of his three children, stood there, hands tied, broken, beaten, a diseased hag, a bag of bones. Gomer was among the human garbage about to be auctioned.

Hosea stared at the stage for a long time. And when he could trust his voice to respond, he called huskily, "Gomer ... Gomer."

She had been standing on the auction block, her dull eyes staring vacantly at the floor. She didn't care any longer who bought her or who did what with her. She knew it wouldn't be much of a price any more. She had almost no value. And then that husky voice from the crowd caught her ears, "Gomer ... Gomer."

Suddenly every nerve in her emaciated body came alive. She knew that voice. It had been years, but she knew that voice. It was her husband --Hosea. She lifted her face, and her eyes surveyed the crowd. Could she find him? Was he really there? Yes, there he was, and he was looking straight at her. Tears were streaming down both faces. Hosea lifted his hand in a tender gesture of love, and Gomer began to cry, sobs wracking her slender, sick body.

All Hosea had to his name were a few dollars and eight bushels of barley. Not much to buy a slave, not even one like Gomer. The bidding began and to his amazement --and joy-- he was the only bidder interested in this wretched woman. He could purchase her --he could redeem her. He paid the auctioneer and ran to the block, tearing the bonds off Gomer's hands. He took her bony body in his arms and lifted her gently. He had given everything he had to buy her back. In earlier years he had courted her, won her, and loved her. Then she had gone. Now he found her and bought her back. He had never, never stopped loving her.

I can see no more magnificent portrayal of God's love for the world. Behold, what manner of love the Father has for His children. While we were yet sinners, Christ poured out His life for us. God was not willing that we should perish. Let the Holy Spirit inscribe this truth on your heart: No matter how deeply you have sinned, no matter how much self-loathing you may feel, no matter if society has rejected you and you are virtually friendless, God has never stopped loving you.

The sins you have committed which have cut your life to shreds and left you a mere shadow of your former being --those sins have also wounded God Almighty. Those sins have affected your friends. They bleed inside because of your sin.

But despite your breaking God's heart,He still wants the best for you. He still loves you. No matter that everyone else may have written you off as a hopeless case, God has never given up on you. He will never stop loving you.

Sam,

Absolutely horrible and worthless piece of work.
Don't you know those Three-God believing idolaters who has no truth, I get no benefit from someone who isn't saved. Take heed my friend you are walking a fine line. Praying for you that you aren't taken in by this deception.

Originally Posted by keith4him

Sam,

Absolutely horrible and worthless piece of work.
Don't you know those Three-God believing idolaters who has no truth, I get no benefit from someone who isn't saved. Take heed my friend you are walking a fine line. Praying for you that you aren't taken in by this deception.

Huh???

Whaaaat?

[ILG]

I think he's kidding, Bro. Strange.

Wonderful article, Sam.

Originally Posted by ILG

I think he's kidding, Bro. Strange.

Wonderful article, Sam.

I hope you are right, sis.

I didn't see a "tic" or a "j/k" or anything of the sort.

Keith...you were joking, huh?

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Brother Strange

Huh???

Whaaaat?

No I have been turned to the Dark Side, any kind of truth statement, word from the Lord that is uttered by a unsaved trinitarian is as good as comin from the pit. I don't want to be associated with such nonsense.
Be warned Elder, I sense a comprimising spirit on you.

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by keith4him

No I have been turned to the Dark Side, any kind of truth statement, word from the Lord that is uttered by a unsaved trinitarian is as good as comin from the pit. I don't want to be associated with such nonsense.
Be warned Elder, I sense a comprimising spirit on you.

what did you do with Keith?? lol

[Pastor Keith]

Originally Posted by Berkeley

what did you do with Keith?? lol

Berk, I can't even do it very good in fun.

Sam,

In all honesty, good article, I love the book of Hosea for the reasons you posted, God is so unlike any kind of lover, He puts up with such unfaithfulness time and time again, returning for more abuse by those who he has only been good towards.

Thanks for posting it,

Keith

[berkeley]

Originally Posted by keith4him

Sam,

Absolutely horrible and worthless piece of work.
Don't you know those Three-God believing idolaters who has no truth, I get no benefit from someone who isn't saved. Take heed my friend you are walking a fine line. Praying for you that you aren't taken in by this deception.

Epley or OP stole Keiths password!!