I am an avid reader. When I was growing up, books were my solitude, and I devoured every book my tiny hands could get. One of the most memorable books I read as an undergraduate was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. It tells the story of a young lady named Sarah and the man who would become her husband, Michael Hosea. The book is based on the story of Hosea in the Bible, which captures the kind of pure love God has for us, regardless of our sins. Sarah was unwanted by her father, and her mother died when she was eight. With no way out of surviving through life and good parental coverage, Sarah fell into the hands of a pedophile and was coerced into unclean acts for ten years. After escaping, she turned to prostitution to survive since that was all she knew. In the brothel where she worked, she was the highest-priced, and men would queue to spend thirty minutes with her.
Michael entered the equation of Sarah’s life as a man who loved and feared God. While in town to sell his produce, he saw Sarah, who was popularly known as Angel, and God told him Angel was his wife. Michael was surprised when he found out what she did for a living. To escape the brutality in the brothel, Angel agreed to marry Michael, and he took her home. During their life together, Angel ran away from Michael four times. Twice, she went back to prostitution, and even though Michael accepted her back with love, he battled bitterly with God on how to deal with his anger and disappointment. Then, he got another news that Angel could not give birth. To a man who wanted children, it was devastating news. The last time Angel left Michael, he resolved not to look for her. Instead, he continually prayed for her. Thankfully, Angel found Christ and returned to Michael of her own accord.
This captivating story took me back to reading the book of Hosea, and I was blown away. I had many questions about why God chose such a woman for his child, Hosea. I did not understand the reasoning behind the decision and battled the different scenarios in my head many times. Irrespective of the angle through which I looked at it then, picking Gomer for Hosea felt like a punishment. However, with the approaching Easter ceremony, I understood why this book stayed on my mind and why it’s such a powerful story about human salvation despite being lost in sin. I kept returning to the book and the Bible story and gradually began to read between the lines. I saw the sacrificial love of God towards the children of Israel despite their frequent backsliding away from the covenant of the God of Israel. When I fully understood what God did there, I became thankful for my freedom, redemption in Christ, and the gift of salvation I received through Christ Jesus.
As a believer, I missed my way so many times, but I learned to treasure the grace of being a child of God when I returned to Him, sober, weary, humble, and almost giving up on myself. In Christ, I found hope and started dreaming again.
This book will be a good read for everyone, irrespective of their faith, background, or theological conviction. It is a book about forgiveness, healing, and hope for a life that could still be possible despite one’s ugly past lifestyle. I will recommend the book to everyone seeking forgiveness and salvation from God.
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