Hosea Love Again

One man waka enter di market with silver for im hand. E come to carry somebody go house. Somebody wey leave am. Somebody wey break im heart. And e ready to pay anything wey e cost to bring her back.

Hosea live for Israel, di northern kingdom, for di years before Assyria take am. Di farms full with grain, di vineyards heavy with grapes, di olive presses dey busy. But di people get one habit. When harvest come, many of dem dey thank Baal, di god of Canaan wey dem believe say dey send rain. Dem still dey call Di Lord name with dia mouth, but dia heart don wander. God get message for dem. And dis time, no be only talk di message go be. Na one man family go live am.

God tell Hosea, Go, marry woman wey dey do prostitution, and get children of unfaithfulness, because di land don turn from Di Lord like wife wey no faithful. So Hosea marry one woman wey dem call Gomer, di daughter of Diblaim. Hosea marriage go be mirror wey God hold up for Israel. Dem born children, and God give each one name wey be message. Di first son, dem call am Jezreel, after one valley where blood don pour, sign say judgment dey come. Then one daughter, Lo-ruhamah, wey mean, dem no show am mercy. Then another son, Lo-ammi, wey mean, no be my people. Imagine to dey call your children come chop with dose names. Every time Hosea call dem, di whole town hear wetin God dey talk.

Then di story turn from Hosea house go God own heart. God talk like husband wey im wife don go follow other people. She no know say na me give her di grain, di new wine and di oil. E warn say e go collect back di gifts wey she dey say na another person give her. But listen to wetin follow. I go win her back. I go lead her enter di wilderness, and talk to her heart with tender voice. Di valley of Achor, name wey mean trouble, go become door of hope. You go call me, my husband, na so Di Lord talk. I go engage you to myself forever, with righteousness and justice, with love wey no dey fail and with mercy.

And then di names change. God talk, I go show mercy to di one wey dem call, Dem No Show Am Mercy. And I go tell di people wey be, No Be My People, You be my people. And dem go answer, You be my God. Di names wey sound like door wey dem slam shut, God open dem again. Judgment dey real for Hosea message. But no be di last word. Love na di last word.

Then God talk to Hosea again. Go, love one woman wey another person dey love and wey dey commit adultery, as Di Lord dey love Israel, even though dem dey turn go other gods and dem love raisin cake. Most readers understand say dis woman na Gomer, but some people wey dey explain di Bible think say e fit be another woman. Any way wey e be, Hosea obey. E buy her back with fifteen pieces of silver and some barley. E tell her say dem go wait together for many days, dey faithful to each other. Na quiet love, love wey cost something. And Hosea talk say one day Israel too go come back home, seek Di Lord dia God, and come with trembling to im goodness.

Hosea words travel far pass wetin e fit ever know. Hundreds of years later, two of di first followers of Jesus quote dem. Paul, when e dey write to di church for Rome, use Hosea promise say people wey dem call, No Be My People, go be called children of di living God. And di first letter of Peter tell im readers: before, una no be people, but now una be God people; before, una never receive mercy, but now una don receive mercy. Di early Christians hear for inside Hosea di welcome of God.

Hosea love again. You go find am for Hosea chapter one reach three. One marriage wey break become picture of love wey no dey give up. God call im people unfaithfulness by im correct name, and then e still go find dem. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Any place dey wey you don wander go, and you fit hear God dey call you come back home?