Hosea and family

Intro

We have seen the divine imperative in motion with Hosea’s obedience to marry an immoral woman.

Now he will begin to have children. Obedience to the 2nd command.

Here, the metaphor is intensified by the naming of his children.

A reminder to us that he is a real person, living amongst a vile people.

God could have just spoke the message to the people, rather God does it through a sign, in the life of Hosea.

The naming of his children in this section will be names the people of Israel will understand and beg to question him about.

These names as will be seen are negative in a culture who valued the naming of children and they were often positive.

These negative names will be in the mouths of the people while Hosea is around.

They are names that point us to God’s anger and Judgment.

vs:4 Jezreel, name of first son.

And YHWY said to him, “Call his name Jezreel for in a little while I will visit the bloodshed of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu and I will bring to an end the rule of the house of Israel. (own translation)

Jezreel means “God sows”, though that will be significant later, here is only implies a location. 25 miles north of Samaria.

Emphasis on Location: what happened at Jezreel?

Naboth was stoned to death by evil plot of Jezabel,

King Ahab was a Baal worshiper; Naboth was loyal to YHWH

Jehu brings an end to Omride dynasty by killing

Kills King Joram of Israel,

Jehu’s massacre of Ahab’s followers, friends and priest,

The valley of Jezreel was synonymous with bloodshed

God has not forgotten what happened at Jezreel: naming your son this would be like naming your son in our context,

9/11,Columbine, Aushwitz, etc...

I will visit...פקד pāqad

pāqad

can mean “punish” but here with it’s direct object “the bloodshed of Jezreel” it means “visit”

the manner in which they will be visited will be like that of the bloodshed of Jezreel

...upon the house of Jehu…house of Israel

Jehu’s dynasty was the longest in Israel, almost 100 yrs.

They are the objects of the coming Judgment.

“I will soon...” ends with Zechariah (6 months into his reign he was slaughtered 2 Kings 15:8-12), Hosea begins ministry 760, Zechariah dies in 746. hence the phrase in the verse.

The murders at Jezreel are not the cause of Israel’s soon demise.

This visitation is caused by the house of Jehu (Israel) not learning their lesson.

He and the rest of his household became apostates too.

“the house of Israel...” this broadens the scope, not only Jehu’s dynasty but all of Israel monarchy

vs:5 and on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel

“Bow of Israel” combines monarchy and military power- King and nation will fall as one.

reference to Assyrian conquest- in later occurrences “on that day” will be eschatological (2:18,20,23)

“in the valley of Jezreel” can be referencing the death of Zechariah in:

2 Kings 15:10 ESV

Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place.

English Standard Version Chapter 15

10 Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down at Ibleam and put him to death and reigned in his place.

Ibleam is in the valley of Jezreel. The dynasty ended as it begun and where it begun.

vs: 6-7 second child

Call her, Lo-Ruhamah“Not Pitied” not loved

showing pity is one of God’s essential attributes.

to name a daughter that was very scandalous and offensive, it is a compound name with a negative prefix, Lo ruhamah.

It is a dreadful name to give to a little girl.

communicates rejection by her father, he has abandoned her to the troubles of the world.

many modern fathers do not name their little ones evil names but indeed show no love/mercy to them by abandoning them.

why? there is an estrangement between God and his people. When people saw Hosea and heard the of the little girl, they could have thought many things, “he doesn’t like her” “he doesn’t think that’s his real daughter”.... Hosea could then turn to them and say, “I tell you, you are Lo-Ruhamah…God has rejected you!”

Deuteronomy says:

Deuteronomy 31:17 ESV

Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’

English Standard Version Chapter 31

17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

God’s rejection now broadens to all of Israel, not only Jehu.

this rejection by God helps us understand why he will bring destruction to them.

Many bible translations translate the ending of verse 6 to say,

NRSV “for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them”

ESV “ for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all”

NIV “....that I should at all forgive them”.

we will use, “I will surely take them away”.

however, the literal text say’s,

The people of Israel have acted in rebellion towards God, they had broken their covenantal obligations to him.

vs:7 God does show mercy

God will show mercy to Judah, A big contrast.

how? not by military power (the bow, sword, battle, horses and horesmen) But by God! God will be their salvation.

why? God will spare Judah for a little while, because there will be a restoration of worship even after the destruction of the temple.

Remember King Hezekiah, restored worship and called Israel to join. Those that came from Israel were shown mercy by, God. A faithful remnant.

vs: 8-9 Another Son

after she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah … gives us a time frame of about 3 yrs (children nursed longer in the ancient world)

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Why is this time frame important? 3yrs is substantial time for the prophet to have been living in the eyes of the people. The people had observed his family, his wife, and children.

in those 3 years, things have not gotten any better.

vs 9 What is the name of the son? Lo-ammi = not my people

Another name the goes against who God is. Remember God’s promises?

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The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

English Standard Version Chapter 17

7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.”

Exodus 6:7 ESV

I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Leviticus 26:12 ESV

And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Now, the promise has been denied.

Has God divorced Israel? It would seem so. He has left all His obligations to her.

in those 3 years, things have not gotten any better.

the 4th name “for you are not my people and I am not your “I AM” לֹֽא־אֶהְיֶ֥ה Lo Ehyeh

לֹֽא־אֶהְיֶ֥ה

Ehyeh identification with “God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”” (, ESV)

this is how God identified himself first to his people. Now, they are not his, and he is not theirs.

Intensification because God is speaking directly to them here, “You” “Your”

Intention of Message

To show how Israel stands before God

Israel’s Guilt

Unfaithful apostasy.

YHWH has address them through Hosea

They no longer look to His mercy and covenant fidelity for her life, children, kingship and freedom.

They look now to Baal

Israel has offended YHWH

God’s judgment is a consequence of Israel’s attitude and conduct

Israel seeks love and help elsewhere

The covenant has been broken

YHWH does not dissolve the covenant, they have become people of another god bringing upon herself her own consequence.

devastating blow to dynasty vs 4, withdrawal of mercy vs 6, dissolution of covenant vs 9: This judgment then represents what the people themselves have done.

God first removes the king, then his love, then himself.