Hosea's Love Song

by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson

February 13, 2000

Hosea the Prophet had the very difficult instruction to marry a prostitute. God used this story told in Hosea chapter 1-3 as a parable of his own love for Israel and their adulterous ways. If you were to make this story into a love song or ballad, here's what you might come up with:

Hosea, prophet young and bold,
Asked for a girl to marry,
Lord, if you grant this prayer of mine,
I'll love her, love her, love her.

Go find a whore to wed, my son,
A prostitute, a harlot,
She'll be unfaithful, leave you lone,
But love her, still love her, still love her.

So I went and found my bride,
And we conceived three children.
From her eyes came love, from her lips sweet words.
I love her, still love her, still love her.

One day when I came to our home,
The house was cold and empty,
Nor was she home by eventide
Oh, I love her, still love her, still love her.

Both high and low I searched for her
Until one day I found her
In the arms of her low-life love,
But I still love her, love her, love her.

I drew out money for my bride,
Her cold stare fixed upon me.
I paid for her and brought her home,
I love her, still love her, still love her.

I hope my love will last so long,
To break down walls of 'strangement,
For though she may well leave again,
I love her, still love her, still love her.

The song I sing transcends the man,
And the wife who betrayed him,
It is a song of God and me,
For he loves me, still loves me, loves me.

Though he knows our wand'ring ways,
Though he knows our weakness,
Still he seeks to draw us close,
He still loves us, loves us, loves us.

And Christ his son, hung on that tree,
Shed is blood to save us.
Pay off our sins, and bring us home,
Will we still love him? love him? love him?

This could be sung to the tune of the old English ballad "Barbara Allan".