Hosea 3 - Love That Redeems
Hosea buys back his unfaithful wife, mirroring God's redeeming love for Israel.
After exposing Israel's unfaithfulness in Hosea 2, this short chapter has Hosea buy back his own wife for fifteen pieces of silver and a measure of barley.
Then said יהוה unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of יהוה toward the children of Israel, who look to other elohim, and love flagons of wine.
So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.
For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek יהוה their Elohim, and David their king; and shall fear יהוה and his goodness in the latter days.