Hosea: God's Case Against Israel

According to the first verse, Hosea’s prophetic career spanned at least forty years. It began sometime during the reign of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel, the Northern Kingdom

According to the first verse, Hosea’s prophetic career spanned at least forty years. It began sometime towards the end of the reign of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel, the Northern Kingdom. Hosea’s ministry ended sometime during the reign of Hezekiah, who ruled Judah. Jeroboam II is the only king of Israel mentioned in verse 1 although Hosea’s work continued through the final kings of Israel. This may go to show that Hosea believed Jeroboam was the final legitimate king of Israel. With the death of Jeroboam, chaos set in; kings rose and fell, and none was dominant enough to warrant a mention by Hosea.

with the death of Jeroboam, chaos set in; kings rose and fell, and none was dominant enough to warrant mention in the title

Although the Southern Kingdom of Judah is not neglected in Hosea’s prophecy (e.g., 1:7, 11; 6:11; 12:2), his messages are primarily directed to Israel, often referred to as “Ephraim” (see 5:2, 12–14; 6:4; 7:1), or represented by the royal city, Samaria (7:1; 8:5, 6; 10:5, 7; 13:16). Based on some of the things he does say about Judah in the book, it may be safe to assume that he went to Judah during the reign of Ahaz, the most wicked of the kings mentioned in the list of verse 1.

Although the Southern Kingdom of Judah is not neglected in Hosea’s prophecy (e.g., 1:7, 11; 6:11; 12:2), his messages are primarily directed to Israel, often referred to as “Ephraim” (see 5:2, 12–14; 6:4; 7:1), or represented by the royal city, Samaria (7:1; 8:5, 6; 10:5, 7; 13:16). Hosea apparently lived and worked in or around Samaria, probably moving to Jerusalem at least by the time Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

If one wanted to sum up the book of Hosea in a few words, a good way to look at the book is that it is God’s Indictment/Case Against Israel. Within this book God builds his case, showing the evidence that He has that Israel has been unfaithful to the covenant relationship that He has with them.

We see God begin to build his case in chapter 1. Let’s get into the text.

Hosea and Gomer

Hosea’s prophetic ministry began with perplexing instructions from God:

“When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And have children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.”

“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry

And children of harlotry,

Hosea’s prophetic ministry began with perplexing instructions from God to find a wife among the promiscuous girls of Israel (of which there were apparently many; see 4:14).

For the land has committed great harlotry

By departing from the Lord.”

This calling by God to be a prophet is very different than others. That’s for sure. Hosea is told to go and find a wife among the promiscuous girls of Israel (of which there were apparently many; see ). This would probably be a difficult thing for Hosea to do. This would not be the life that someone would choose on their own, but he does exactly what God asks. The Lord said, “go and marry,” and verse 3 says, “so he went and married.”

Now God’s command to Hosea is not just an arbitrary thing that God commands him to do. There is a great purpose for God’s instruction. Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was a parallel to God’s relationship with His people. God is going to use this relationship to illustrate to the people of Israel how they are being unfaithful to Him and how this makes Him feel. Israel is viewed as the bride of God in the Old Testament, so the illustration is fitting. When they are unfaithful to God, they are committing adultery against Him.

So Hosea marries Gomer and she conceived and bore three children. Their names are meant to teach us things about Israel:

Jezreel - This is the only child here that we are specifically told was bore to Hosea. Jezreel means “God will scatter” or “God will sow (seed).” Obviously God will end up scattering His people when he sends them into captivity, but there is another reason for giving this name within the text. He says to name this son Jezreel because God is going to avenge the blood that was shed in Jezreel and was going to punish the house of Jehu. The house of Jehu mentioned here is the dynasty of four kings that would come to an end because of the bloodshed of Jezreel. This is a reference back to Jehu’s destruction on the house of Ahab, something God had sanctioned in . While Jehu moved according to God’s will to destroy the ruling family of Ahab, it was not with God-glorifying motives and there was deception involved in his killing of Baal worshippers, so his dynasty would shortly come to an end with the son of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, being assassinated after reigning for six months.

The house of Jehu men oned in 1:4 is the dynasty of four kings that was men oned in ; . It would be destroyed because of the bloodshed of Jezreel. This is a reference back to Jehu’s destruc on on the house of Ahab, something God had sanc oned in . While Jehu moved according to God’s will to destroy the ruling family of Ahab, it was not with God-glorifying mo ves.

Lo-Ruhammah - Gomer bore this child, but unlike Jezreel, we are not told that this child was bore to Hosea. This may signify that Gomer’s unfaithfulness had begun. The name ‘Lo-Ruhammah’ means “no mercy.” The name signify’s the fact that God is no longer going to show mercy to the northern kingdom. He does say that he is still showing mercy to Judah, but this is not the case for Israel. His patience has run out for them.

Lo-Ammi - means “not my people.” God was no longer going to look at Israel as His people because of their sin. They were being unfaithful. They were not living like they were his chosen people, so they were not going to be labeled that way.

Holman Bible Handbook Hosea

Hosea’s ministry ended sometime during the reign of Hezekiah, who ruled Judah from 716 to 686 B.C.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

Let’s now look at chapter 2. This chapter highlights the unfaithfulness of Israel, and probably Gomer’s also. It seems that Hosea and Gomer’s relationship parallels Israel all the way into chapter 3.

Verse 2 of chapter 2 is just as shocking as how the book began.

“Rebuke your mother; rebuke her. For she is not my wife and I am not her husband."

For she is not my wife and I am not her husband.

Let her remove the promiscuous look from her face

and her adultery from between her breasts.

Do you get what is being said here. “She is not my wife and I am not her husband”? These are words that show a breaking of the relationship - divorce. Israel is unfaithful and commits adultery. They are unwilling to stop. So God divorces them.

Throughout this chapter God builds his case against them and shows why a severing of the relationship is needed.

Look at verses 4 & 5:

I will have no compassion on her children because they are the children of promiscuity. Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully. For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

“I will have no compassion on her children because they are the children of promiscuity. Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully. For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”” (, CSB)

she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

““I will not have mercy on her children, For they are the children of harlotry. For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’” (, NKJV)

the men who give me my food and water,

my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

There are a couple things to say about this passage. First, the children are called children of harlotry. In other words, they are not His! Second, the reason for her harlotry is given here. She is running after these men - these lovers - because they are giving her all of this nice stuff. They give her gifts. They are providing for her. What is so disturbing about this for the LORD and for Hosea, is that she is deceiving herself.

Look at :

“For she did not know That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold— Which they prepared for Baal.” (, NKJV)

It wasn’t her lovers whom she was committing adultery with who gave her all of these nice things. It was her husband!!! Her husband was being gracious to her and giving her nice things, and she gives all the credit to her boyfriends that are not doing anything good for her at all. This is outrageous! Israel was giving the credit for their safety and wealth and blessing to Baal and to the nations that they reached out to for help. How infuriating would all this be for the husband who has provided so much.

srael was giving the credit for their safety and wealth and blessing to Baal and to the nations that they reached out to for help.

God (and Hosea) have been betrayed.

So what is God going to do to them?

First, in , God is going to make her way unsuccessful. He is going to keep her away from all of her lovers - away from those she is chasing after. He is going to block her way. It is amazing here that God, in his outrage, blesses his people with failure so they will see their need to turn back to Him. He wants Israel to get to the point where she thinks, “I will go back to my former husband, for then it was better for me than now.” That is surprising. Even in His punishment, He is giving blessing.

“I will go back to my former husband,

for then it was better for me than now.”

Second, in , the LORD says that He is going to take back all of His stuff that she is claiming her lovers gave her and the things that they are giving to her lovers so they will like her more.

God says that he will bring Israel to shame, will bring her celebrations to an end. He will destroy the vines and fig trees He gave her, and verse 13, He will punish them for their worship of the Baals and forgetting Him.

Then in

Words of Hope

But then, we have the third thing God says He is going to do to her. He says in :

“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, And speak comfort to her.” (, NKJV)

Wait… what did He just say? Are you kidding me. She has done all of these things to you. She has cheated on you, given credit to all of her lovers for what you have given her, and has had children of harlotry, and your response after a time of separation is, “I am going to win her heart back?”

That isn’t what you would expect to see here, right? You would have expected complete destruction and devastation! Not a desire to be reconciled with His adulterous wife. But this shows just how amazing and loving the LORD is. He brings the punishment so that His wife would see how gracious and loving He is.

He will try to win her heart. In verse 20, He will take her as His wife again. He will bless her. And He will reverse the punishment He brought on them. What we see in verse 23 is a reversal of the names of Hosea’s children. There is a play on the name Jezreel first in v23. Instead of scattering them, He will sow them again into the land. Instead of Lo-Ruhammah (no mercy), there will be Ruhammah (there will be mercy). And instead of Lo-Ammi (not being His people), they will now be His people.

Restoration With Gomer

Then, in , we see all of these things applied to Hosea and Gomer’s relationship. God tells Hosea to do what He was willing to do with Israel.

“Then the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for the children of Israel... (, NKJV)

The first command to Hosea would have been difficult. This one would be difficult also. But Hosea does it. He finds Gomer, and buys her for 15 shekels of silver and 5 bushels of barley. This may show that she had sold herself either into slavery or become a prostitute. She was in a helpless state, and she is purchased back by Hosea and shown love.

And once again, God’s command to Hosea here has a purpose. The mercy Hosea is willing to show here is meant to point to the great mercy and compassion of the LORD towards His people in the future. In 3:5, God says,

The mercy that the LORD (and Hosea) are willing to show here are meant to point to the great mercy and compassion of the LORD for the future.

“Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” (, NKJV)

I believe this is a prophecy about the LORD Jesus. How would they be able to come into a covenant relationship with God again? Through the promised new covenant. They would submit to and seek the LORD Jesus and fear the LORD.

Applications

Let’s think for a moment about some applications and principles in this passage for us.

God commands His people to do difficult things.

Jeremiah was told not to marry. Ezekiel was told not to mourn his beloved wife’s death. Isaiah is told by the LORD to walk around without his clothes and sandals on for a time… These would have been difficult things to do for God’s prophets. Thankfully, the LORD does not ask us to do these kind of things, but this does not mean that the LORD does not give us things to do that are uncomfortable and difficult.

Evangelism, confronting someone committing sin, confessing sin… God asks us to do many difficult things that we find uncomfortable or awkward. Hosea and the other prophets give us a great example of doing what is commanded in spite of the consequences that could come when one obeys God.

How God views our idolatry & giving others the credit for our blessings

Who do we give credit for what we have: Our hard work, the stock market & the economy, luck, government programs, education, the company we work for. We say, look what all of these things have given me, all the while the LORD is looking down and saying, what about Me? You are using all that I have given you to serve yourself and to devote yourself to all of these things you trust in! Do we not think that we provoke the Lord to jealousy when we do this? Whenever we devote ourselves to the things of this world and commit idolatry, do we not think that we are committing harlotry against the LORD as the bride of Christ? We are. Our idolatry, although it may be different, is just as terrible as the idolatry of Israel.

God is willing to call the rebellious and unfaithful His people

NO matter how far you and I may fall - no matter how much we may reject the will of the LORD, as long as we are living, there is a chance for forgiveness. God is surely willing to show mercy to those who have rejected him, but the ball is in our court if we are not living for Him. We must return to him so that we can receive His promised blessings.

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