Promiscuous Nation

Paula Shockley
Jul 24
3 min read

Foreground:

A modern Black man, weathered and weary but tender, reaching out his hand toward a modern Black woman who stands slightly turned away.

Her posture shows tension — part shame, part uncertainty — but her hand hovers near his, showing a sliver of openness.

Setting:

An urban alley or modest home interior, dimly lit but with a soft, golden light streaming from above or behind the man — symbolizing divine compassion breaking into brokenness.

Symbolic Detail:

In the background or shadows, faint outlines of three children, each subtly etched with emotional weight — one looking angry, another distant, another watching with longing — visual metaphors for the fruit of brokenness. — Created using ChatGPT

2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’"

(Hosea 1:2, 10)

The book of Hosea is troubling. Everything about it - that God would direct someone to marry for the purpose of drawing a negative parallel with the behavior of a nation, that the children produced from that marriage would be given names that amount to abuse, that the voices of the wife and children are never heard. Even if it's solely metaphorical, was there no better way to communicate the unfaithfulness of a people and the mercy of God? Perhaps the fact that we're still discussing it, and still troubled by it, suggests that this book is exactly

as jarring as it's meant to be.

The prophet Hosea was called to marry a woman who was known to be promiscuous and have children with her. So, he married a woman named Gomer and they had three children - first a son whose name communicated God's eventual punishment of those who would shed his blood, next was a daughter whose name meant "not loved", then a son named "not my people". God vowed, however, to eventually redeem and reclaim them all. During this tortured union Gomer was repeatedly unfaithful to Hosea, yet Hosea always took her back. We understand that Hosea represents God, Gomer represents God's people, and their children represent the fruit of God's relationship with God's people as a result of their unfaithfulness.

We are the promiscuous people, turning to other gods - created things that can never sustain us - while the One who sacrificed all stands ready and willing to receive us over and over. The results of our unfaithfulness - the fruit of our futile labor - are indeed wrath, loss of love, and loss of belonging. The book of Hosea ends with reconciliation for the couple when Hosea buys Gomer back and asks her to be faithful. She does not respond. Yet God still promised blessing for God's people, affirming their eventual return to God's protection and provision. How will we respond to God's compassion and mercy?

1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land;

you restored the fortunes of Jacob.

2 You forgave the iniquity of your people

and covered all their sins.[b]

3 You set aside all your wrath

and turned from your fierce anger.

4 Restore us again, God our Savior,

and put away your displeasure toward us.

5 Will you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger through all generations?

6 Will you not revive us again,

that your people may rejoice in you?