God’s Unfailing Love from the Book of Hosea

The book of Hosea is a call for repentance and a reminder for us to return to our first love. It teaches us to remain faithful to our God even in the midst of many gods around us. Hosea’s action of keeping Gomer in the marriage, despite her always running away, is a picture of God, loving us, even though we always turning from our left to our right. God’s compassion and love outweighs the punishment that the Israelites deserved due to their unfaithfulness. This also shows us how patient God is in our sins and His earnest desire for us is to repent and leave our lifestyle of sin. It is a reminder that we must not take God’s mercy for granted. This echoes the words of other prophets in the Old Testament to turn from a life of sin and turn back to their covenant God.

The book of Hosea was written by Hosea, the son of Beeri (1:1). The setting of the book is in the northern kingdom, and it was assumed that Hosea was a native of the northern kingdom.[1] He prophesied during the times of four Judeans kings: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.[2] He also ministered during the time of Jeroboam II.[3]Scholars dated his ministry around latter half of the eight century and this was also the most difficult and challenging period in the history of Israel before their captivity.[4] Not only that the spiritual and social state of the northern kingdom is declining, their spiritual state was in a state that they allowed themselves to worship the gods of the Canaanites.[5]

Israel’s spiritual adultery is evident that Hosea God commanded him to marry Gomer, a prostitute. By marrying Gomer, Hosea is showing how God is being cheated on by the Israelites during this period. Israel turned to Baal, which is a god of agriculture and fertility. Since Israel relied their livelihood in agriculture, they are easily swayed by the worship of it instead of trusting in God for their needs. Another theme is their adulterous attitude towards God that they relied on the god of fertility of Canaanites. Hosea’s main concern was their intimate relationship with this idol, and they have given their love and devotion to a god that cannot save. They forgot that the people of Israel have been joined to the Lord through His covenant to their fathers.[6] They have offended the Lord and continued in their unfaithfulness to during this time. Hosea preached judgment towards them and called them to repent of their spiritual adultery. Although the Lord wants to punish them for their sins, His love for them compelled Him to call them out of this fornication and return to the One who loves them unconditionally and faithfully.

The structure of Hosea 11:1-9 has a similarity of that legal complaint made by parents against a rebellious child (Deut. 21:18-21).[7] The main theme of chapter 11 describes how profound God’s love is for His covenant people, which compels Him to withhold His judgment despite of their unfaithfulness to Him. Following the outline of NIV Application Commentary, this passage can be divided into three parts. God’s Love for His Rebellious Son (11:1-4), No Repentance Leads to Punishment (11:5-7), and God’s Lamenting Compassion for Israel (11:8-9).[8] Eric J Tully divided these passage in this way: accusation (11:1-4), judgment (11:5-7), and restoration (11:8-11).[9]Any of these outline can be used as a summary for the passage. I want to suggest a new outline that is applicable to students in both primary and secondary school. God’s character towards His us (11:1-4), Our stubbornness and disobedience (11:5-7), and The richness of His mercy (11:8-9). With these sub-ideas in mind, we can exegete the passage to a deeper level.

Verse 1 tells us two things, God’s covenant and His salvation towards Israel. God’s love was shown when He remembered His promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob during the time when Israel was in bondage in Egypt (Exodus 3:15). Through Moses, God saved Israel. We can look back in the book of Exodus on how the Lord, by His mighty hands, saved the Israelites from the chariots of Pharaoh. He divided the sea for them and the whole Israel walked on a dry land. God took them out of Egypt to give them the land that He promised to their forefathers. Going to the promise land was in itself a big challenge for the Israelites. They have complained and grumbled a lot enroute to Canaan. Along the way, they have been enticed to serve the gods of Canaanites and turn away from the God who saved them out of their bondage. They forgot the God who provided manna and meat when they have nothing to eat. They failed to remember the One who gave them water when they are dying in a land where everything is a desert. Instead of focusing to the God who loved them from the beginning, they turn away from His commandments and did whatever they think is good in their own eyes. It is God who taught them how to walk (v.2). God supported them throughout their journey in the wilderness and gave them everything that they need. It is God who healed them when they were bitten by poisonous snake (Numbers 21:6-9). Throughout the whole situation, God remained faithful to them even when they were unfaithful. Not a single second was changed in God’s character despite their rampant disobedient and stubbornness. God’s love for them was unconditional, not because of who Israel is, but rather on who God is. He is not a man that He should change His mind. He is an everlasting God, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Israel’s unfaithfulness is not without punishment. Since they are under a covenant, their disobedience has repercussions. The Lord promised to take care of them if they are obedient, but He also emphasized what will happen to them if they continue in their sinful ways. This is why the Lord has allowed other nations to conquer Israel to discipline them, hoping that it will lead to their repentance. Their refusal to turn to Him was the reason why Assyria was able to defeat and subdue them. They became slaves in their own land and their cities were destroyed by other nations. They were not able to win the war against their enemies because they abandoned the One who can win their battles. Israel tried to call upon God for help, but they received no answer, for their sins was separating them from Him. God hides His face from Israel for a moment, because He want their repentance. God wants them to turn from their wicked ways, to forsake their idols, and once again serve the living God who brought them out of Egypt. This is why even in the midst of His judgment towards Israel, God’s compassion is still overflowing in them.

God does not want Israel to perish, He does not want them to be totally eradicated from the face of the earth. Verse 8 shows us the compassion of a loving father to His rebellious son, who despite of many warnings, still continue to run away from Him. God cannot totally give up Israel to other nations, for Israel is His beloved son. Israel is His prized possession that He redeemed by His mighty hands. The more Israel runs away and serve other gods, the more God’s compassion and mercy grows upon them. God did not deal with them according to their sins, He did not count their iniquities against them. He deals with them with great compassion and abundant mercy. He did not come into wrath but rather in love and long-suffering. God showed them how He loves them despite of their spiritual adultery and unfaithfulness.

The main theme that we can see in this passage is God’s love for His people.[10] In the midst of their crookedness and stubbornness, we have seen how patient God is to the Israelites. This does not mean however that they do not need to repent of their sins. God’s love was shown here as a way of remembering who they are in Him. God wants them to return to their first love, God, who loved them ever since they cried out to Him for help. God showed His love to Israel by allowing them to be attacked by other nations and eventually lead to their temporary destruction. Even in the midst of these circumstance, God is wonderfully working in the midst of His people and not allowed them to be totally subdued by their enemies. A remnant still remained and with this, God was able to fulfill His promised to them that they will not be totally forsaken. The fact that Israel is God’s covenant people gave them the opportunity to enjoy the fellowship with God. This privilege cannot be seen in any other nation during this time. God remained steadfast in His promise to Israel despite of their continuous rebellion.

As a people of God, who was redeemed by Christ and was adopted as sons and daughters, we also have this kind of access to God’s love (John 1:12). We are in a covenant, through the blood of Christ, who gave us the ability to call upon Him for help. In the midst of our sinfulness, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). The wrath that we deserve was put upon Christ when He was nailed to the cross. All the judgment that should have fallen upon us was bored at the cross. The love of God, which was shown through Christ, must be treasured not to be taken lightly. It costs God his only begotten Son to redeem us from our sins. We are slaves of our sinfulness, but through Christ, we have been snatched out from that bondage and was given the gift of eternal life. We have been made alive in our spiritual death, and through Christ, we will enjoy the fruits of His sacrifice that no believer can taste. God fed us because we are His people, and He is providing all our needs in this life. His love for us is so great that He does not allow us to continue in our sins. God’s promises are sure, and they will be fulfilled in our lives as long as we remain obedient to Him. We must then avoid the stubbornness that Israel shown to God, but rather, let us come to Him with a contrite and broken heart, forsaking our sinful ways and running to Him for restoration.

Bibliography

Crossway. ESV Study Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

Smith, Gary V. NIV Application Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Micah. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2001.

Sproul, R. C. The Reformation Study Bible: English standard version. Orlando, Fla: Reformation Trust, 2015.

Stuart, Douglas. Hosea-Jonah, Volume 31. Zondervan, 2014.

Tully, Eric J. “Hosea: Commentary: Eric J. Tully: TGCBC.” The Gospel Coalition, February 28, 2024. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/hosea/.

[1] R. C. Sproul, The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, Fla: Reformation Trust, 2015). [2] Ibid. [3] Ibid. [4] Crossway, ESV Study Bible(Wheaton: Crossway, 2008). [5] R. C. Sproul, The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (Orlando, Fla: Reformation Trust, 2015). [6] Crossway, ESV Study Bible(Wheaton: Crossway, 2008). [7] Douglas Stuart, Hosea-Jonah, Volume 31 (Zondervan, 2014). [8] Gary V. Smith, NIV Application Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2001). [9] Eric J. Tully, “Hosea: Commentary: Eric J. Tully: TGCBC,” The Gospel Coalition, February 28, 2024, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/commentary/hosea/. [10] Gary V. Smith, NIV Application Commentary: Hosea, Amos, Micah (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic, 2001).