Image by wirestock on Freepik
Hosea’s story is a powerful testimony about God’s unconditional love. But besides how He loves despite humanity’s flaws and failures, there’s another lesson to be learned from Hosea’s unconventional life.
A story of marriage, faithfulness, and repentance, the book of Hosea ultimately reflects God’s unquestioning mercy and answers the question: What is true freedom?
God uses Hosea’s marriage and love for his wife to represent His love for people.
While he was married to an unfaithful woman, Hosea continued welcoming her back and forgiving her for the pain she had caused him. Although others would refer to this as martyrdom, a display of unnecessary mercy, Hosea’s marriage perfectly captures God’s unconditional love.
This is what Hosea’s story serves.
The story captures what could happen to people’s relationship with Him should they live in pursuit of shallow happiness and not what they can gain with Him. In Hosea’s story, his wife remained unfaithful, chasing after her definition of freedom. But what would happen if she were to change?
A Modern Interpretation of Hosea’s Story
Author Joseph Descans reimagined the Book of Hosea in his own material, Hosea: The Prophet Who Married a Prostitute. While the book significantly borrows from the Bible regarding how its narrative unfolds, much of it has been adjusted to suit modern preferences.
Like what’s shown in the Bible, Hosea’s story is predominantly a tale of reconciliation between husband and wife as Hosea continuously accepts and forgives his unfaithful wife, Gomer. Joseph Descans writes his book closely following this plot.
Not much is shared about Gomer’s willful change in her behavior, but Joseph recreates this character in Candace, only this time, he makes her feel remorseful.
“I want my freedom.” These are the words Candace uttered to her then-husband Hosea. But what is true freedom, which she had constantly sought after?
The Unfaithfulness of Candace
If this were within the Bible’s reference, like what Gomer desired, this freedom would entail Hosea’s willingness to let her wander. Joseph Descans’ story doesn’t veer far from this detail.
Hosea contacted her, offering her a marriage contract with particular conditions. While she had initially accepted and complied, there had been instances of conflict.
Prematurely, before the conditions were met, Candace suddenly wanted freedom. Although Hosea gave her everything a woman could ask for: money, sufficient chances to see the world, and fun, she still wanted freedom. Candace enjoyed her own life. To her, this is the definition of the question, “What is true freedom?”
She had constantly asked Hosea to end their contract, asking him for her monetary reward. But time and time again, she had also come back to him. There had been an internal turmoil brewing as she complied with her part of the deal. She had the willingness to obey him. But, at the same time, she craved a sense of freedom. Whenever she returns feeling ready to settle, Candace is met with temptations and opportunities, showing her a glimpse of what true freedom she could have if she were free.
This became a cycle of Candace attempting to be free and Hosea giving in to her wishes. However, the more she tried to leave, the more she felt her desire growing.
If Not This, What Is True Freedom?
Underneath Candace’s story of unfaithfulness and unwillingness to settle, there is a bigger lesson to learn. Joseph Descans deliberately writes her character as someone who couldn’t come to terms with her responsibility. She had a calling, but she wasn’t ready to fulfill it.
This is why she felt like a prisoner in her life.
Whether Hosea gave her everything, even her freedom, Candace still felt tied down. She only found the answer to the question she chased after: what is the true essence of freedom when she wholeheartedly realized the value of family and Hosea in her life? This time, she returned to Hosea’s arms and fully settled, willingly complying with her responsibilities.
Such is also how people find the answer to life’s question of what is true freedom.
This isn’t found in liberty or autonomy, which everyone already has. Instead, it’s in accepting and living in God’s calling to pursue a purpose meant for one.
This freedom through Christ is a sense of liberation from worldly demands and into His calling. When people observe what they’re meant to do, they experience freedom like no other—a freedom bestowed to them by God.
If you’re interested in reading about Hosea and Candace’s story, grab a copy of Hosea: The Prophet Who Married a Prostitute by Joseph Descans.
