Hosea 2
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August 10, 2025
August 10, 2025
FBC Baxley
1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”
1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”
2 “Plead with your mother, plead—
for she is not my wife,
and I am not her husband—
that she put away her whoring from her face,
and her adultery from between her breasts;
2 “Plead with your mother, plead—
for she is not my wife,
and I am not her husband—
that she put away her whoring from her face,
and her adultery from between her breasts;
3 lest I strip her naked
and make her as in the day she was born,
and make her like a wilderness,
and make her like a parched land,
and kill her with thirst.
3 lest I strip her naked
and make her as in the day she was born,
and make her like a wilderness,
and make her like a parched land,
and kill her with thirst.
4 Upon her children also I will have no mercy,
because they are children of whoredom.
4 Upon her children also I will have no mercy,
because they are children of whoredom.
5 For their mother has played the whore;
she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
who give me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
5 For their mother has played the whore;
she who conceived them has acted shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
who give me my bread and my water,
my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns,
and I will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths.
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns,
and I will build a wall against her,
so that she cannot find her paths.
7 She shall pursue her lovers
but not overtake them,
and she shall seek them
but shall not find them.
Then she shall say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
for it was better for me then than now.’
7 She shall pursue her lovers
but not overtake them,
and she shall seek them
but shall not find them.
Then she shall say,
‘I will go and return to my first husband,
for it was better for me then than now.’
8 And she did not know
that it was I who gave her
the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished on her silver and gold,
which they used for Baal.
8 And she did not know
that it was I who gave her
the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and who lavished on her silver and gold,
which they used for Baal.
9 Therefore I will take back
my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season,
and I will take away my wool and my flax,
which were to cover her nakedness.
9 Therefore I will take back
my grain in its time,
and my wine in its season,
and I will take away my wool and my flax,
which were to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness
in the sight of her lovers,
and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness
in the sight of her lovers,
and no one shall rescue her out of my hand.
11 And I will put an end to all her mirth,
her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
and all her appointed feasts.
11 And I will put an end to all her mirth,
her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths,
and all her appointed feasts.
12 And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
of which she said,
‘These are my wages,
which my lovers have given me.’
I will make them a forest,
and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
12 And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees,
of which she said,
‘These are my wages,
which my lovers have given me.’
I will make them a forest,
and the beasts of the field shall devour them.
13 And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals
when she burned offerings to them
and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,
and went after her lovers
and forgot me, declares the Lord.
13 And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals
when she burned offerings to them
and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry,
and went after her lovers
and forgot me, declares the Lord.
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
and bring her into the wilderness,
and speak tenderly to her.
15 And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
15 And there I will give her her vineyards
and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
And there she shall answer as in the days of her youth,
as at the time when she came out of the land of Egypt.
16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’
16 “And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.
17 For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more.
18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.
18 And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety.
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy.
20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
21 “And in that day I will answer, declares the Lord,
I will answer the heavens,
and they shall answer the earth,
22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel,
22 and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and they shall answer Jezreel,
23 and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
23 and I will sow her for myself in the land.
And I will have mercy on No Mercy,
and I will say to Not My People, ‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”
-Pray
-Pray
Sermon: “The Redeeming Love of God”
Sermon: “The Redeeming Love of God”
Text: Hosea 2
Main Idea: God’s love is both jealous and redemptive—He confronts unfaithfulness, disciplines His people, and ultimately restores them by grace.
Introduction: The Pursuit of the Unfaithful
Introduction: The Pursuit of the Unfaithful
In 2005, Wesley Autrey stood on a subway platform in New York City when a man next to him suddenly suffered a seizure and fell onto the tracks.
Without hesitation, Autrey leapt down, pushed the man between the rails, and laid on top of him as a train passed over their bodies—narrowly missing them.
Subway space 21 point something inches…Wesley and the man 20 point something– Whew!
When asked why he did it, Autrey said, “I just saw someone in trouble and did what I had to do.”
It’s one thing to risk your life for a stranger.
It’s another thing entirely to do that for someone who has repeatedly rejected you, hurt you, and betrayed your love.
Yet this is what God does for His people.
Hosea chapter 2 is one of the clearest portraits in all of Scripture of God’s redeeming love—a love that does not ignore unfaithfulness, but also does not give up on the unfaithful.
Let’s walk through this remarkable chapter verse by verse.
Context: A Love Story Unlike Any Other
Context: A Love Story Unlike Any Other
The prophet Hosea was commanded by God to marry Gomer, a woman known for her unfaithfulness.
Their marriage became a living metaphor for Israel’s relationship with the Lord.
Israel, like Gomer, had prostituted herself by turning to idols—especially the false god Baal—yet God, like Hosea, would not give up on His beloved.
In chapter 1, we saw the judgment pronounced through the names of Hosea’s children: Jezreel (God scatters), Lo-Ruhamah (No Mercy), and Lo-Ammi (Not My People).
But in chapter 2, we begin to see how God’s discipline makes way for mercy and restoration.
I. God Lovingly Confronts Unfaithfulness (vv. 1–5)
I. God Lovingly Confronts Unfaithfulness (vv. 1–5)
Main Point: God exposes sin not to shame us, but to call us back to Himself.
Read verses 1–2:
Read verses 1–2:
“Say to your brothers, ‘You are my people,’ and to your sisters, ‘You have received mercy.’ Plead with your mother, plead—for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband…”
Original Language Insight:
The Hebrew word “plead” (רִיב – riv) is a legal term, used to describe bringing a lawsuit or charges in court.
God is acting like a wounded husband making a public case for divorce—but not because He wants it, but because He hopes to stop it.
God is not indifferent. His love demands loyalty. His heart is broken.
Illustration:
This is like a husband standing before a judge, pleading not to punish his wife, but to stop her from continuing her affair—to save the marriage, not to end it.
Read verses 3–5:
Read verses 3–5:
“Lest I strip her naked… I will not have mercy on her children… she said, ‘I will go after my lovers…’”
Israel thought her provision—grain, oil, drink—came from Baal, a fertility god. In reality, it was the Lord who had given everything.
Application:
How often do we credit our jobs, relationships, or talents for what God has provided?
Like Israel, we easily worship the gift instead of the Giver.
II. God Graciously Corrects His People (vv. 6–13)
II. God Graciously Corrects His People (vv. 6–13)
Main Point: God's discipline is not revenge—it is redirection.
Read verses 6–7:
Read verses 6–7:
“I will hedge up her way with thorns… she shall pursue her lovers but not overtake them…”
Original Language Insight:
The word “hedge” (שׂוּךְ – sukh) refers to a thorny wall—a boundary that blocks.
God is going to frustrate Israel’s sin until she sees it leads nowhere.
Illustration:
This is like a parent locking the liquor cabinet to keep their child from destruction—not to be cruel, but to save them from themselves.
Read verses 8–9:
Read verses 8–9:
“She did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil…”
Israel had mistaken God’s blessings for Baal’s generosity. So, God says, “If you won’t see that it’s from Me, I’ll take it away so you’ll know.”
Application:
When life starts to unravel, we often cry out, “Why is God doing this?” Sometimes, He removes His gifts to remind us of the Giver.
Read verses 10–13:
Read verses 10–13:
“I will uncover her lewdness… punish her for the days of the Baals…”
God exposes sin so it can be healed. Public sin had crept into worship—feasts, festivals, and sacrifices were being offered to false gods.
Illustration:
It’s like a church choir singing hymns to Satan. That’s how perverse Israel’s idolatry had become.
But discipline isn’t the final word.
What comes next is stunning.
III. God Ultimately Restores in Love (vv. 14–23)
III. God Ultimately Restores in Love (vv. 14–23)
Main Point: God woos the wayward heart, redeems the broken life, and rewrites the story.
Read verse 14:
Read verse 14:
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness…”
Original Language Insight:
“Allure” (פָּתָה – pathah) means to speak tenderly, to seduce romantically.
God becomes the suitor, not the accuser.
He takes her into the wilderness—not to punish, but to rekindle the relationship.
Illustration:
Imagine a husband taking his estranged wife back to where they first fell in love. That’s what God is doing here.
Read verse 15:
Read verse 15:
“And there I will give her vineyards… and the Valley of Achor a door of hope.”
Historical Insight:
The Valley of Achor was where Achan sinned and brought judgment on Israel (Joshua 7). Now, that place of shame becomes a place of hope.
Illustration:
It’s like God turning your worst failure into your greatest testimony.
Read verses 16–20:
Read verses 16–20:
“You shall call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer ‘My Baal’… I will betroth you to Me forever…”
No more confusion between false gods and the true God.
God speaks tenderly to His people, promising an unbreakable covenant.
“Betroth” (אֵרַשְׂ – ’aras) is the language of wedding vows.
He promises righteousness, justice, steadfast love (chesed), and mercy.
Illustration:
This is like a groom saying to a once unfaithful bride, “I still want you. Forever.”
Read verses 21–23:
Read verses 21–23:
“I will answer… I will sow her for Myself in the land… I will say to Not My People, ‘You are My people’…”
The names of Hosea’s children—once symbols of judgment—are reversed:
Jezreel (God scatters) becomes “God plants.”
Lo-Ruhamah (No Mercy) becomes Ruhamah (Mercy).
Lo-Ammi (Not My People) becomes Ammi (My People).
Application:
God is the only One who can rewrite your name, your past, your identity.
Conclusion: The God Who Doesn’t Give Up
Conclusion: The God Who Doesn’t Give Up
Hosea 2 is the gospel in poetry.
God’s love is not a passive emotion—it’s a relentless pursuit.
He confronts us when we stray.
He corrects us when we rebel.
But He always restores when we return.
Three Life Applications
Three Life Applications
Repent from Your Idols and Return to the Lord.
What are your “Baals”? What are you crediting for your success and joy instead of God?
Don’t let the blessings of God become the basis for betrayal.
Recognize God's Discipline as a Form of Love.
If God is hedging your path, don’t fight it—see it as grace.
His “thorns” are often mercy in disguise.
Rest in God’s Unfailing Love and Let Him Restore You.
No one is too far gone. If He pursued Gomer, He will pursue you.
Let God rewrite your identity: from “Not My People” to “My People.”
Closing Scripture: Romans 5:8 (ESV)
Closing Scripture: Romans 5:8 (ESV)
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God didn’t wait for you to be faithful to love you.
He loved you while you were Gomer.
Today, He’s not just calling you out—He’s calling you home.
