God tells Hosea to go and love his wife again, Hosea 3:1. Gomer had left Hosea and given herself over to adultery and prostitution, Hosea 1:2. However, God commands Hosea to bring her back as his wife, Hosea 3:1. God would bring Israel back into a relationship with Him in the same way, Hosea 3:1. Surely we see the love of God in all of this, 1 John 4:8 / 1 John 4:16.
Keil, in his commentary, says the following concerning the sacred raisin cakes.
‘These were delicacies made of flour and pressed raisins, figuratively representing the idolatrous worship.’
We read of Hosea’s obedience, fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley is the price he paid to have her back, Hosea 3:2, although we’re not told from whom he bought her back.
The suggested value of the silver and barley was the price of a slave, Exodus 21:32, and so, he had to buy her back from slavery. Her faithfulness is a condition of her coming back.
Butler, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is indeed interesting that the price paid for Jesus’ betrayal was 30 pieces of silver, Zechariah 11:12, and that Gomer was redeemed for thirty shekels (a shekel being about the equivalent of a 50-cent silver coin).’
Harper, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The prophet was compelled by his love for Gomer, faithless as she was, to purchase her out of the depths of infamy into which she had fallen, at the price of a slave. This is true because (1) she is described as an adulteress (one who has broken her marriage vows), (2) the use of ‘her’, Hosea 3:2, refers to a particular woman. If this is a different woman from the one in Hosea 1, why is not some reference made to the fact? (3) She plays the part in the parallelism with Israel, represented by Gomer.’
It is obvious that Gomer would have been unclean when Hosea took her home, Hosea 3:3, and so, she would have had to go through a period of purification. Israel will be without leaders and their religious symbols, without a king or prince in captivity, Hosea 3:4. God ruled as King in the post-captivity until the coming of David their king, Hosea 3:5, who was King Jesus, Daniel 2:44 / Daniel 7:13-14.
The last days, Hosea 3:5, are the days of the Messiah when Jesus would reign and establish His kingdom, Acts 2:16-17. In these first three chapters, Hosea has learnt about the sins of Israel through his marriage and how God responded through love.
Butler, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Every school of the ancient Jews (Talmudic, mystical, Biblical, or grammatical) explained this prophecy of Christ, the Messiah. They even paraphrased it thus: Afterward, the children of Israel shall repent, and turn by repentance, and shall seek the service of the Lord their God, and shall obey the Messiah, the Son of David, their King. Such an interpretation is found in some of the Targums and the Midrash and by such scholars as Ibn Ezra and Kimchi.’