Hosea 3: a whore to be redeemed

Hosea has a wife that is a whore living outside home, loved by someone else. He receives a message from the Lord:

1 Then God ordered me, “Start all over: Love your wife again,
    your wife who’s in bed with her latest boyfriend, your cheating wife.
Love her the way I, God, love the Israelite people,
    even as they flirt and party with every god that takes their fancy.”

Hosea as a man of the Lord deserved a better wife, but now he has to go after his cheating wife.

2-3 I did it. I paid good money to get her back.
    It cost me the price of a slave.
Then I told her, “From now on you’re living with me.
    No more whoring, no more sleeping around.
    You’re living with me and I’m living with you.”

Is it fair to Hosea? It is not fair, however, Hosea had to pay a price to get his wife back. The Lord had to pay a price for me. Did I deserve it? Did Hosea's wife deseve to be redeemed? Of course not, but the Lord is good. The purpose to be redeemed is to come back home:

4-5 The people of Israel are going to live a long time
    stripped of security and protection,
without religion and comfort,
    godless and prayerless.
But in time they’ll come back, these Israelites,
    come back looking for their God and their David-King.
They’ll come back chastened to reverence
    before God and his good gifts, ready for the End of the story of his love.