3:1 The Lord said to me, “Go, show love to your wife again, even though she loves another man and continually commits adultery. Likewise, the Lord loves the Israelites although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”
After Hosea and Gomer gave birth to their third child, Gomer returned to prostitution. She was now a prostitute and an adulteress. Jehovah commanded Hosea to rescue her from prostitution, take her back as a wife, and love her. Jehovah would do the same for Israel.
3:2 So I paid fifteen shekels of silver and about seven bushels of barley to purchase her.
Hoses purchased Gomer out of the slave market for approximately 30 pieces of silver. Thirty pieces of silver was the price of a dead slave. Gomer was old and had lost her beauty. She was of little value, not even worth the price of a dead slave.
It is interesting to note that 30 pieces of silver was the amount in which Judas betrayed Jesus. Jesus purchased the church out of the slave market with His own blood.
3:3 Then I told her, “You must live with me many days; you must not commit adultery or have sexual intercourse with another man, and I also will wait for you.”
Gomer was not allowed to remain a prostitute. She was not allowed to have marital relations with her husband until their relationship was restored.
3:4 For the Israelites must live many days without a king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred fertility pillar, without ephod or idols.
Just as Gomer was deprived of prostitution and marital rights, Israel was to suffer deprivation as well.
First, Israel will be without king or prince. After the Babylonian Captivity, Israel was deprived of a king. After the destruction of Rome, Israel was denied a prince.
Second, Israel will be deprived of sacrifice and ephod. The loss of sacrifice means that Israel will lose her temple. The loss of ephod means that she will lose her priesthood. Israel lost both of these privileges after the Babylonian Captivity.
Third, Israel will be deprived of pillar or teraphim, meaning the loss of false worship. The term “without pillar” means that Israel will no longer worship false temple gods. The term “without teraphim” means Israel will no longer worship household gods. Israel lost these two sources of false worship after the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem.
3:5 Afterward, the Israelites will turn and seek the Lord their God and their Davidic king. Then they will submit to the Lord in fear and receive his blessings in the future.
The Hebrew word for "Davidic king" is דָּוִ֣ד מַלְכָּ֔ם (David melikim), meaning David their king. After many centuries without a king, prince, temple priesthood, teraphim, or pillar, Israel will return to her land and seek Jehovah. When she returns to her land and seeks God, then there will be a national conversion of Israel. She will find Jesus as her Messianic King. She will find David as the co-regent ruler of Israel. Jehovah will raise Jesus from the dead so that He can serve in this capacity. All of Israel will submit to Jehovah. Israel will be blessed during the Millennial Kingdom.