Reddit mentions of Redeeming Love

My favorite is a bit odd. I love the story of Hosea.

You have to read between the lines quite a bit, but God calls Hosea, a holy prophet, to marry a prostitute. He's thinking, OK, God, but I'm gonna have to make sure it's you first...lol.

So he marries Gomer, and they have a couple of kids. The way the Hebrew reads, the first is probably his, but the second, there is no mention of his being involved.

Then they split up. She could not remain faithful to him. Time goes by. Eventually he's going to the market, and there he sees her: on the auction block being sold as a slave.

God tells him to "buy back" his wife, and command her to live with him and him only from that point on.

The whole scenario is an analogy of Israel's relationship with God, and deeper than that, our relationship with God. We are, and have been unfaithful to God, repeatedly, and sold into slavery to sin. But God, through Jesus, bought us back to be faithful to Him.

It's a wonderful love story, and a great Biblical lesson. I love it.

There is a fictional re-telling of it by Francine Rivers, called "Redeeming Love" available at Amazon. I have not been paid for this endorsement...:)

Yeah, it's too wacky for analogies.

I haven't read it, but I hear that https://www.amazon.com/Redeeming-Love-Francine-Rivers/dp/1590525132 is a pretty interesting "modern" retelling of the book of Hosea.

I recommend reading the book "Redeeming Love" by Francine Rivers.
Sex is beautiful gift from God to us to enjoy with the love of our spouse/future spouse. Like you say, it is also a wonderful gift from us to our spouse/future spouse. However, sex might be important for a healthy marriage but know that it isn't everything. There is a lot more to a marriage than intercourse, intimacy; sex. If you marry this man, then know that he will make mistakes because he is not perfect -- when that happens, will you be there to pick him up and encourage him or will you tare him down? Will you forgive him? A healthy, strong and loving marriage revolves around God and forgiving your spouse is one of the greatest 'actions' we can do for our brethren... just as God does daily for us. To me, and in my marriage, sacrificial love appears to be one of the biggest keys to our healthy marriage alongside communication and loving forgiveness. Like I said, sex is a beautiful gift from God that we share with our love, but it isn't everything in a marriage. I pray and encourage you to forgive this man because in God's eyes he is pure... Show the world that a God-loving, a God-fearing couple can overcome the desires of our hearts to condemn one another by the simple act of forgiveness and compassion. It isn't easy and neither is a life of marriage.