Hosea 1

 

Hosea is the first book in The Scroll of the Twelve (the last twelve books of the Old Testament, Hosea to Malachi). He ministered at the same time as Isaiah, Amos, and Micah. He prophesied mainly to Israel, the ten northern tribes. Hosea is a great book! It begins with grace. It ends with grace. Ah, but in-between there is some stuff that might make folks today a tad uncomfortable - God’s anger and judgment; but even that is mixed with God’s grace and love.

I will not be doing a detailed verse-by-verse commentary – this is a blog, not a book!! My aim is to give the gist of the chapter, while focusing on key passages in each chapter.

Let’s jump in the deep end of the pool!

Hosea 1

1  The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Hosea, the son of Beeri – Hosea (Heb. ho-shay'-ah) means salvation.

Hosea gives us some pretty exact dates for his ministry, and it appears to have been a long ministry. This Jeroboam is known as Jeroboam II. Jeroboam I was the first king of the northern tribes (Israel). They were not related.

2  The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

Second verse and we got questions! I get it, Hosea’s family is a living illustration of God and Israel. The question is: Allegory or actual? There are those who think he actually did this; on the other hand “Almost all the Hebrews [rabbis] agree in this opinion, that the prophet did not actually marry a wife, but that he was bidden to do this in a vision” (John Calvin). Still others understand it to be a parable. I don’t confess I don’t know. I will let you decide, meanwhile I will simply look at what he says. 

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

He marries Gomer and they have a son. Jezreel is Yizre`el {yiz-reh-ale}, means to scatter, to sow; seems to be a play on the word Israel {yis-raw-ale}.

Avenge the blood of Jezreel - Jehu slaughtered many people in Jezreel.

Jehu was promised his seed would remain on the throne to the 4th generation. Jereboam was the 3rd generation, he reigned 41 years. When he died his son Zechariah reigned for 6 only months and was assassinated.

and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel – this is much of the message of Hosea. So, where’s the grace the book begins with? It’s coming.

6  And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

Call her name Lo-Ruhamah – that means, no mercy; “for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.”

7  But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

I will have mercy upon the house of Judah – He literally did. Assyria captured Israel, but Judah was spared by God’s intervention (2 Kings 19).

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.
9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

Lo-Ammi – not my people, for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. This is serious, very bad. Israel is to be scattered, shown no mercy, and rejected by God. The Septuagint has a very crisp and clean translation, “And he said, Call his name Not My People, because you are not my people and I am not your.” It is interesting that neither the Hebrew nor the Greek has “God.”

This is a major part of Hosea’s message to Israel. “So, where is the grace? This is why I don’t read the Old Testament, it’s nothing but judgment and wrath.”

10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

Here’s the grace! Israel will be increased in number and best of all, “it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”

Yes, God judged them. Severely. But severe as the judgment was, so much greater will be the grace!

11  Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

They were scattered and they will be gathered. Israel will be regathered, restored, and the Lord will reign over them. They will appoint themselves one head - that is Christ will be king!  Praise God!

But it gets better! The apostles Paul and Peter both used v 10 to refer to the salvation of the Gentiles and their inclusion in the people of God, the Church.

Paul: As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the sons of the living God. (Rom 9:25-26)

Peter:  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1Pet 2:10)

Oh the marvelous grace of God! He is promising restoration to Israel (all Israel shall be saved), and His grace is broad enough, deep enough, to include gathering us Gentiles into the fold, the family, the Church of Christ! And we are not traveling Economy. Oh no no no, it is First Class, baby! We are Fellow-heirs, Fellow-members of the body, and Fellow-partakers of the promises (Eph 3:6)! Wonderful Grace of Jesus!