…the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years.” 

-Isaiah 20:2-3a, NLT

To the pastor insisting that Hosea is a model for behavior, I would ask him (or her) when she is going to start their three year stint preaching naked like the Prophet Isaiah.

God told Isaiah to go around naked. Isaiah was still preaching. Seems like a very applicable situation. Isn’t it wonderful that we have a Hebrew Scripture example to tell us about truly dedicated preachers as we have here in Isaiah 20?

It certainly is as applicable to modern preachers as telling a faithful spouse that they have to take back their cheater as the prophet Hosea to cheating Gomer.

In other words, it is NOT applicable.

Neither example is. Only poor students of Scripture would dare use either Isaiah 20 as an example for preacher behavior or the book of Hosea as an example for faithful spouses dealing with their cheaters.

Both were special cases where God used an extreme prophetic act to gain the attention of His people.

They only work if they are extreme–or out of the ordinary. It continues to blow my mind that pastors persist on misusing the book of Hosea towards faithful spouses. They should know better!

So, next time a pastor or Christian leader insists you follow Hosea’s example, ask them when they are going to start their three year stint of naked preaching like the Prophet Isaiah!