I must admit, when the preacher posed the question, “Who is Gomer?” I had to think for a bit before turning to the minor prophets. It can be far too easy to take God’s salvation through his Son too lightly. Looking at the story of Hosea, helps one regain a proper perspective on what God has done. For Hosea was a prophet, a man of God, but was told to marry an adulterous woman, Gomer. Just the thought of a godly man contemplating such a thing, yet alone being asked by God to do it. Even after the marriage, Gomer continues in her adulterous ways, bearing children who Hosea cannot be certain are his.
Despite all this, God asks Hosea to remain faithful to her, to even go and redeem her with his own money when she is in trouble, but not to treat her as his property, but as his wife.

This great display of faithfulness, patience and love is a picture of how God treated his people, the nation of Israel, and today is a picture of how he treats us. If we are his people, through faith in his Son, we are Gomer. Even though we have sinned against him, worshipped other things besides him, yet he offers us reconciliation. He has paid the price, through the sacrifice of his Son on the cross, that we might be redeemed, not to be treated as his slaves, but as his children.

How long will we test his faithfulness, his patience, his love?

If we doubt the love of God towards us, Paul points out a few truths of the gospel. Just as in Hosea, God is not content merely to justify us, but through his Son, he will save us from his wrath.

For in the sight of God, we are not winsome. There is nothing about us which is appealing to God. Out sinful state causes a holy God to righteously burn in anger against us. Yet, God loves us so much, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. For this is not some form of cosmic child abuse, but God the Son gave up his life of his own will. The breaking of the eternal relationship between God the Father and God the Son for sinners is nothing short of amazing grace.

Not only did his Son die, but he was raised to life. How much more will our salvation grant us life in all its fulness!

His Spirit works in us slowly renewing us that we might glorify God. For we were designed to, and in so doing, we will enjoy him!

With all that God has done for us, we really have no excuse for failing to glorify him. For God deserves our nothing short of whole being for all that he has done for us.