REDEMPTION IN A SLAVE MARKET

HOSEA 3:1-5

INTRODUTION:

The structure of Chapter 3 is simple: God issues a command to Hosea; Hosea carries it out; God explains the message behind the actions. (The book follows this same pattern.)

So, Hosea has a second word that comes from God. (The placement of “again” can be debated but I believe the implication here that “Again the word of the Lord came to Hosea” and not “Love a woman…again.” )

Hosea is to love a woman (Gomer) who by her actions have forfeited the right to his love but he is to give that love to her anyway.

If a song could be sung for chapter 3, it would be a song of redemption. This is a chapter of redemption. Hosea 3 portrays the story of redemption.

The love of God is most clearly seen at the cross.

1 John 4:9-10 9  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, lnot that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son mto be the propitiation for our sins.

REDEMPTION IN SCRIPTURE

The word “redeem” means “bo buy back” or “to buy out of”. It carries the idea that a ransom has been paid.

Concept of redemption in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Old Testament: There are the words “redeem” and “Kinsmen redeemer.”

Kinsmen Redeemer

A principle of Jewish Law is that property remain should remain within a family if possible. Provision was made by the law whereby a man, if he lost his property, could receive it back again throught the obligation placed on the next of kin.

If a man fell into debt and had to sell his property, the duty fell to the nearest kinsment to buy the land back at some point and thus restore it to the family. That relative was known as the kinsmen redeemer and involved himself in the redemption of the property. This is what took place in the bbok of Ruth with Boaz who was the kinsment redeemer.

Kofer: a ransom price

Suppose a farmer had an ox that wandered off and killed a neighbor. Under Hebrew law, the animal could be killed because of the crime committed.

If the farmer could settle on a price with the relatives of the dead man, he could redeem himself and his animal. That money was known as the “ransom” or the price for redemption.

New Testament concept of redemption

One of the words in the New Testament is the word meaning “to loose.” As time moved on, the word group and its derivatives came to man “deliverance by payment of a price. Hence, we have the word redemption.

The same concept is seen in a secular document of the day: Deissman states that there was a standard form for the purchase and sell of slaved.

____ PAYS TO THE PITHIAN APOLLO THE SUM OF _____ FOR THE SLAVE _____ ON THE CONDITION THAT HE/SHE SHALL BE SET FREE.

New Testament Scripture:

Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, xbut to serve, and to give His life a ransom zor many.”

Titus 2:14 “who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous of good works.

1 Peter 18-19 “Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible thihgs like silver or gold from your aimless conduict received by the tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

Here is what Christ did for us. We were lost and could not save ourselves. Because of indebtedness, we owned nothing and had no provision for which to buy back the land if you will. We were captive in the slave market of sin and God through the work of Christ on the cross boiught us back.

BOUGHT OUT OF SLAVERY

Now we find Gomer at her lowest point: she is on the selling block in the slave market.

You could become a slave:

By conquest

By birth: if your were parents were slaves then you would be born a slave

Indebtedness: You could become a slave because you owe a debt. Gomer probably fits this category.

Selling of slaves:

Slaves would be stripped of their clothing and the bidding would begin. Gomer is placed on the selling block: 12 pieces of silver; Hosea would say 13; 14 pieces of silver and Hosea would 15 and a bushel of barley. SOLD

Now Hosea owns Gomer; she is his.

He could have had her killed. If that had been his perogative for he owns her.

Yet, Hosea does not do that. He goes over, takes off his royal garment; he then takes her home and treats her as if nothing has ever been wrong between them.

That is the way God, in redemption, treats us.

GOD SEEK US

Note that it is Hosea that seeks Gomer out. And it was God that sought us out.

The bible teaches that there is none that seeks after God. Jesus came to seek and to save those that are lost. We love God becuase He first loved us.

Lucy Bennet

I am the Lord’s O Joy beyond expression

O sweet response to voice of love divine

Faith’s joyous yes to the assuring wishper

Fear not I have redeemed thee, thou are mine.

I am the Lor’d It is the glad confession

Wherewith the bride recalls the happy day

When love’s I will accepted him forever

The Lord’s to love, to honor, and obey

I am the Lord’s Yet teach me all it meaneth

All it involves of love and loyalty

of holy service absolute surrender

and unreserved obedience unto thee

I am the Lord’s yes body, soul and spirit

O seal them irrecoverably thine

as thou beloved in they grace and fullness

Forever and forever are mine.