Hosea and Marriage

This post is written by Luke Thomson who works with me at Norwest

Implications for Marriage from Hosea 1-3
Hosea chapters 1-3 form a pivotal point in the Bible for our understanding of marriage. The story of Hosea & Gomer help us to bridge the gap in our understanding between the institution of marriage in Genesis, and the New Testament understanding of marriage. Here, I will very briefly explain some of these important links. (There is much more to say on this topic to do it justice. I highly recommend Christopher Ash’s book “Married for God”)

Genesis
The account in Genesis 2 of Adam and Eve establishes a foundation for how we understand marriage in the Bible. After all, it’s the very first marriage. In creating Eve, God says in verse 18 “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Eve is to help Adam in his task in caring for and ruling over God’s creation (1:28, 2:15). We are told at the end of Genesis 2 in verse 24 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”. We see in this chapter, some of the basic elements of marriage – it is an exclusive relationship, with the intended aim of serving God in fulfilling his purposes.

Ephesians
Skip over to the New Testament. Ephesians 5:22-33 has a lot to say about marriage, but one significant theme runs through it: the marriage between a husband and wife is to be based on the love Christ has for the church. The whole passage intertwines these two images – marriage and church – in such a way that it’s easy to lose focus on which Paul is talking about in any one particular sentence. In his mind, so linked are the ideas of marriage and of God’s relationship with his people that he can jump back and forth between the two images.
In verse 31, Paul quotes Genesis 2:24 – which we know to be about marriage between a husband and wife. But then in the very next verse Paul says “This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.” In other words, Paul sees the very creation and institution of marriage as talking about God and his people. Marriage is to be a display of God’s covenant of grace with his people. Paul calls it a ‘profound mystery’ because this has always been the purpose of marriage, but only in Jesus do we see the full purpose of marriage displayed clearly.

Hosea
Hosea fits in between these two significant passages we have looked at on marriage. Chapters 1-3 have shown us that God called Hosea in a marriage relationship that would reflect God’s relationship with his people. The idea is best captured in 3:1, where God tells Hosea to love his wife once more, even though she has been unfaithful. God says “Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods”. The purpose of Hosea’s marriage is to help Israel (and us!) understand God’s covenant relationship with his people. Hosea’s marriage points us towards, and helps us understand what Jesus has done.

Marriage
The ultimate goal of any marriage is to display what God’s relationship to his people is like. Marriage is fundamentally more about God than it is about us. Marriage was created in the pattern of God’s relationship with his people, and its purpose is to display the pattern from which it came. Our marriages best serve God by pointing towards Jesus and his relationship with God’s people. Hosea is an amazing picture of this reality.

How might this look in practice?
• We should strive to make our marriages an example of God’s love for his people, knowing that we will be imperfect reflections because of our own sin.

• Husbands must see themselves as the spiritual leaders of their homes. They are to diligently lead their wife and children in knowing God and helping them to live out their faith. It will mean sacrificing other desires and opportunities for the sake of their family’s godliness. This is the most important task that husbands are called to.

• Wives should gently encourage their husbands in their role, and help them to lead the family.

• Marriage is for making disciples of Christ… whether that be your own children, the children of others, or even other adults.

• Marriage provides many opportunities to show forgiveness and grace. As we experience the challenges of marriage, we ought to remind one another of how great it is to be forgiven and graciously rescued by God.

• Our language of marriage should be positive. Marriage is a wonderful gift that helps us understand God’s love, not a burdening restriction of our freedom. Whilst being honest in its challenges, we must uphold the positive value of this gift that God has provided.

• We must be careful not to make marriage the goal of life. Marriage does not ‘complete’ a person as their ‘other half’ (thereby rending the unmarried ‘incomplete’). A life of singleness is equally as valid and complete.

Grappling with marriage

The debate over whether to legally recognise gay relationships with a marriage continues in todays Sydney Morning Herald. Read the article here http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/gay-unions-accepted-but-not-symbolism/2008/05/07/1210131061925.html

There are a number of interesting points
1. He continues this stream of thought that there should be a wall between church and state and that the two should never cross paths but remain like train tracks. He needs to read Andrew Cameron's lecture on this topic. Read it here http://www.newcollege.unsw.edu.au/fileadmin/user_upload/pdfs/NCLs05Cameron1.pdf

2. He struggles to see that marriage is a institution that is for all people but was given to us from God for the proper expression of a man and woman's relationship. This objective reality of marriage continues to hamper those who want to make it something it isn't. They have not grasped the purpose of marriage. Those who want to change it want it to be something that it is not - how could a chair be used as a microphone? A chair's purpose is for sitting! The purpose of marriage is for a man and a woman.

Marriage and the Christian life

Marriage is about leaving and cleaving. As Gen 2:24 says...
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

We leave behind our previous family unit and be united in one flesh to our spouse. Paul reveals in Eph 5 that this passage was ultimately talking about Christ and the church.
For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

As Christians we are part of the church, we are betrothed to Christ and await his return as the groom awaits his loving bride to come down the altar. But, I wonder whether this idea of being 'married' to Christ, that is cleaving to him, can also translate to the leaving part of the marriage idea. What is that we leave behind? Jesus' reassuring words to Peter when he wonders who then can be saved in Mk 10 say,
I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters of mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in the present age and in the age to come, eternal life.

For some, the calling of the gospel will mean leaving behind some family and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind the pursuit of wealth (as the previous bit in Mk 10 says to the rich young ruler) and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind promising careers and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind destructive lifestyles and cleaving to Christ.

For others it is leaving behind unfulfilled sporting dreams and cleaving to Christ.

This profound mystery of being 'one flesh' with Christ incorporates both leaving and cleaving. It is a verse for all Christians not just the married ones. And just like marriage relationships have an exclusive nature so it is with Christ, we are to remain faithful to him and not commit adultery.

I'm sure there is more that could be said about this typological relationship between Christ and the Church and marriage and singleness. Over to you......