Under The Covers

When YHWH first spoke through Hosea, YHWH said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry;  . . .” Hosea 1:2

Wife of Harlotry – Did God really tell Hosea to go find a prostitute to marry?  That’s what the translation suggests and that is what most of us believe.  But neither the text nor Hosea’s emotions toward Gomer suggest such a reading.  Something else is happening here that changes the story.

First, we must take account of the fact that Hosea truly loves Gomer.  In fact, he expresses not only the deep and intimate concern for her, he also indicates a strong sexual desire toward her.  Nothing new here.  A man in love always finds the object of his affections enticing.  But under the covers there was another side to Gomer and that is the real story in this relationship.

The Hebrew terms used to describe “a wife of harlotry” are ‘esheth zenunim.  This does not describe a prostitute.  That would be ‘ishah zonah.  In fact, searching for ‘esheth in combination with a descriptive adjective takes us to Proverbs 31:10, Ruth 3:11, Judges 5 and 2 Samuel 18.  These women are valiant and vibrant examples of faith.  So what happened to Gomer?  The word zenunim is connected with adultery and idolatry.  It is most often used to describe Israel’s unfaithfulness.  It suggests that Gomer had a hidden propensity when she married Hosea.  She desired other men.  She wanted to participate in fertility cult practices.  Under the covers, she wanted more and more is usually easy to find.  The story of Hosea is not the story of a man who loves a prostitute.  It is the story of a man who marries a woman only to later discover that she changes.  She becomes an unfaithful wife.  She becomes a prostitute.  The desire was there from the beginning but Gomer did not reign in her desire.  She explored that inner craving and it took over her life.  Hosea is a man who discovers too late that there was something hidden behind her attractiveness.  She was a woman without moral control.

Now the story of Hosea becomes a much more powerful analogy of God’s relationship to Israel.  God didn’t choose an idolatrous people.  He didn’t enter into a covenant with those who already were intimate with other gods.  But Israel had a craving.  Israel was surrounded by temptation, by permissiveness, by seduction.  Fertility cults littered the landscape.  God knew their weakness.  That’s why He commanded that all the artifacts of such a lifestyle be destroyed.  Israel didn’t listen.  Israel did what Gomer did.  She followed her desires.  God and Hosea both knew the humiliation and the agony of betrayal.  But it didn’t begin that way.  It began with hope and care.  God and Hosea continued to hope and to care, and eventually Israel and Gomer came back.  God tells Hosea about Gomer’s secret.  He doesn’t enter the relationship blinded by love.  Hosea is obedient, but it still hurts.  Sometimes desires are hidden that could lead to destruction. Are we willing to look?  Are we willing to rein them in?

Topical Index: ‘esheth zenunim, wife of harlotry, Hosea 1:2

TRAVEL NEWS: In a few days Rosanne and I will be leaving for Australia.  While I will not have internet access for the first part of this journey (16 days), that does not mean you will stop getting Today’s Word.  Today’s Word should go out every day as usual.  Patrick will watch over it until his wedding, and then we will have to leave the technology in God’s hands.  The blog posts are up to you (you really don’t need me for that anyway).  I will be back on line when I am able.  Bless each other with great insights and I will catch up in mid October.