It is a simple story. Hosea, a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, marries Gomer.
Though he is faithful to her, she is unfaithful to him. She betrays their vows and looks for ways
to provide for herself through other men. But Hosea does not give up on her. He remains
faithful and pursues her even as she runs from him. This of course is the story of Israel and God,
but it is also the story of God and us. Through the cross, God absorbed the punishment we
deserved and enabled repentance in God’s people, not be waiting for us to return, but instead by
turning to find the lost.