2025.09.21 Hosea: The Saga Begins
Notes
Transcript
2 When the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.
4 And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence.
5 I will break its military power in the Jezreel Valley.”
6 Soon Gomer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter. And the Lord said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-ruhamah—‘Not loved’—for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.
7 But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies—not with weapons and armies or horses and charioteers, but by my power as the Lord their God.”
8 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son.
9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi—‘Not my people’—for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God.
10 “Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’
11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel—when God will again plant his people in his land.
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Hosea: The Saga Begins
Hosea: The Saga Begins
Today’s reading is from Hosea 1 … but today’s sermon will cover the first three chapters of Hosea.
As I give you some background info for this book, it may be helpful to have your Bibles open to Hosea 1.
This message is the first in a 6-part series about this little book in the Old Testament. It’s actually one of my favorites of the prophets. Hosea’s book is only 11 chapters … it’s relatively short, so we call it a “minor prophet”. The term “minor” only refers to the length of the book, however. What we can learn from the shorter prophetic writings is not minor in any sense other than length.
So, a bit of background:
At this time, the Jewish world is divided into two kingdoms:
Northern Kingdom (Israel)
Southern Kingdom (Judah)
Hosea’s time was characterized by relative peace and prosperity (much like we live in today - keep in mind that’s RELATIVE peace and prosperity)
Assyria (neighbor) made repeated “incursions” - attack, leave
They didn’t seem interested in conquering Israel. If they’d wanted to, they could’ve. The Assyrians were the closest thing to a Super Power in their day.
They seemed content being a nuisance to Israel.
A series of rapid leadership transitions in Israel (revolutions and assassinations) led to multiple panicked attempts to insure Israel’s survival.
Israel was particularly drawn toward alliances with foreign nations.
It may also be helpful to know this bit of background as we jump in:
During this period, Israel struggled with religious pluralism – particularly the neighbor’s god, Baal
So, why should this matter to us in 21st Century North America?
We still worship “other gods” today … we just don’t name them or call them gods
But we worship ...
Wealth
Status
Advancement
Fame/Celebrity
Success
Politics
…at the same time, we don’t usually throw our God away
… we worship these others alongside Jesus – THAT is religious pluralism
So we begin with God speaking to Hosea. And what is God’s first instruction to his brand new prophet?
Go and marry a prostitute!
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2 When Yahweh first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods.”
3 So Hosea married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant and gave Hosea a son.
4 And the Lord said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel’s independence.
God wants Hosea to not know whether his children are his or some other man’s! WOW!
He and Gomer have 3 kids - What were their names?
son - JEZREEL- location where King Jehu shed a LOT of blood!
After King Ahab died, his son Joram became king.
At the end of 2 Kings 8, King Joram is wounded in battle. He went to Jezreel to recover.
While he was recovering, Elisha anointed Jehu king, and Jehu killed King Joram (Ahab’s son). As Jehu approached Jezreel, Joram came out on a chariot to see if he came in peace. When it was clear he was not there in peace, Joram turn around, and Jehu shot him in the back with an arrow.
On his orders, his troops also shot the visiting King of the southern kingdom.
He ordered servants to throw Jezebel out of the palace window to her death.
He then ordered the city leaders to slaughter of all 70 of Ahab’s sons and deliver their heads to him at Jezreel
The next morning, as everyone gathered to see the heads, Jehu killed all of Ahab’s remaining relatives, all of his important officials, his personal friends, and his priests.
He then killed 42 relatives of the southern kingdom’s king he had killed.
So, yeah … that’s Jezreel
daughter - Lo-ruhamah - means “not loved”
I will no longer show love to Israel (northern kingdom)!
I’ll love Judah (southern kingdom) instead!
I’ll free Judah from their enemies.
Remember in the background information, Israel’s instability was caused by a rapid succession of leadership, and the nation was insecure because of it!
God, here is promising the security Israel wants so desperately … but he’s promising it to the SOUTHERN KINGDOM!
son - Lo-ammi - “Not my people”
Israel is NOT MY PEOPLE and I AM NOT THEIR GOD!
This is stark … and presented back-to-back … but notice he doesn’t leave them there.
Look at verse 10
10 “Yet the time will come when Israel’s people will be like the sands of the seashore—too many to count! Then, at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are children of the living God.’
11 Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together. They will choose one leader for themselves, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be—the day of Jezreel—when God will again plant his people in his land.
1 “In that day you will call your brothers Ammi—‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah—‘The ones I love.’
In chapter 2, God directly parallels Gomer’s prostitution with Israel’s unfaithfulness to him.
2 “But now bring charges against Israel—your mother— for she is no longer my wife, and I am no longer her husband. Tell her to remove the prostitute’s makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts.
4 And I will not love her children, for they were conceived in prostitution.
5 Their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant in a shameful way. She said, ‘I’ll run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks.’
Who are these other lovers Israel is seeking?
Other gods. Remember what I said earlier about our “other gods”, and look at verse 8:
8 She doesn’t realize it was I who gave her everything she has— the grain, the new wine, the olive oil; I even gave her silver and gold. But she gave all my gifts to Baal.
Then, he turns to their religious celebrations.
11 I will put an end to her annual festivals, her new moon celebrations, and her Sabbath days— all her appointed festivals.
12 I will destroy her grapevines and fig trees, things she claims her lovers gave her. I will let them grow into tangled thickets, where only wild animals will eat the fruit.
13 I will punish her for all those times when she burned incense to her images of Baal, when she put on her earrings and jewels and went out to look for her lovers but forgot all about me,” says the Lord.
But, again … God does not leave his people in complete despair. Verse 14 brings romantic language back into the mix:
14 “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her there.
In terms from America’s social history: I’ll woo her again. I’ll wrap my arm around her, sitting on the swing … and I’ll whisper sweet nothings in her ear.
He then promises a full restoration: restored relationship; new covenant; reversal of children’s condemning names
Chapter 3 is very short, but it’s poignant — God shifts back to Hosea and Gomer:
1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover. This will illustrate that the Lord still loves Israel, even though the people have turned to other gods and love to worship them.”
2 So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine.
Gomer had returned to her pimp.
How many times have I given up my other gods only to return to them?
Wealth
Status
Advancement
Fame/Celebrity
Success
Politics
Pleasure
Fun
The rush of enthusiasms
While Gomer is still whoring herself out … God instructs Hosea to go purchase her back!
She is a slave to her owner. And Hosea buys her freedom with silver, barley and wine.
Do you what English we use for this type of purchasing someone’s freedom?
Redemption. Hosea redeems his wife, and brings her home with him.
5 But afterward the people will return and devote themselves to the Lord their God and to David’s descendant, their king. In the last days, they will tremble in awe of the Lord and of his goodness.
Yahweh will redeem his people and the route for our return is through David’s descendant … Jesus.
What else are you worshiping alongside your worship of Yahweh?
Now that you know how deeply that hurts your God … are you ready to repent of your religious pluralism?
We want a healthy family. We want a healthy community. We want a healthy nation. We want a healthy world.
It all begins with a healthy you … and a healthy me.
