The Prophet Hosea

I. Background

A. Nation

B. During the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in Judah and Jeroboam in Israel. During this time in Judah’s history some of the kings were serving God, others were idolatrous. The people were, for the most part, unfaithful. Yet the primary message addresses Israel as that nation was living in its last pages of history before Assyria took them into captivity.

C. Hosea

D. We do not know much about Hosea as a person except for his family life that will be discussed in a moment. He makes strong emotional appeals to Israel and makes many references to the history of Israel in his prophecies.

II. Wife of Hosea

A. Hosea was told to marry a harlot, 1:2

B. His wife, Gomer, represented idolatrous Israel.

C. In a spiritual sense, God and Israel were married at Mt. Sinai when they made the covenant (“I will be your God and you will be my people.”)

D. Ezekiel 16:1-19 – God took care of Israel and brought her to be His people but they took His blessings and offered them to idols. Later in that chapter he says that they spurned the love of God and were harlots who paid for lovers instead of receiving money. They received nothing for their unfaithfulness to God, in fact God brought famine, plague, oppressing nations, and other punishments, yet they would not return to God. He says that they were worse than the Philistines in their abominations.

E. How did she become a harlot

F. They had not true love for God (idolatry)

G. They had no knowledge of God, 6:4; 8:12

H. They knew who He was but did not really know Him. They considered the profound law as something strange.

I. They had no faithfulness, 6:4

J. There was no depth to their allegiance to God. Some may profess God but when conflict comes, be faithless.

K. They had no stability, 11:7

L. They are inclined to leave the Lord. The problem was a lack of commitment to serving God

M. They led corrupt lives

N. The priests led by their bad example They act corruptly They were not merciful to one another God did not mean everything to them, worldly things, the passing pleasures of sin, sensual idolatrous worship stole their hearts.

O. God was merciful even when she was unfaithful

P. When Gomer went back into harlotry, God commanded Hosea to go buy her back and take her again as his wife. Jeremiah 3:1 “But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the LORD.God was willing to forgive Israel for its idolatry provided they would cast the idols away and turn to him with a dedicated heart. This demonstrates the great mercy of God towards His people.

Q. The church is also pictured as the bride of Christ.

R. After the lengthy discussion of the husband-wife relationship in Ephesians 5:22-33; Paul makes it clear that he is talking about Christ and the church.

S. Romans 7:4 – This unity is on a personal level as well.

T. Here, since the Law of Moses is dead, nailed to the cross by Jesus, the Jews are freed from it, and free to be united with Christ. Those who try to bind matters of the Old Testament today would have us married to Christ and the Old Law which cannot be.

U. The Christ-Christian marriage-like covenant helps us understand the warning of unfaithfulness in James 4:4 where those who become friends with the world commit spiritual adultery.

V. James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”1 John 2:15 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Review chart of Israel’s harlotry—are we guilty?

W. Like Israel of old, if we become unfaithful to our commitment to God, He will try to bring us back, but if we refuse, He will divorce us.

X. Hebrews 10:26-31 Hebrews 2:1-3

III. God has cast off His people because they cast Him off

A. Hosea has three children whose names are significant.

B. Jezreel (son)

C. Name means “God sows.” He represents Israel coming to an end.

D. Lo-Ruhamah (daughter)

E. Name means “No Mercy” She represents God’s mercy removed from Israel. This is an important lesson for some people think that God will never stop showing mercy; He clearly will.

F. Lo-Ammi (son)

G. Name means “Not my people” He will no longer be their God, they will no longer be His people.

H. These names establish the theme for Hosea: Through spiritual adultery, God would cease to be merciful to Israel, cast them off as His people, and deliver them into captivity.

I. Here again, we must learn the lesson that God will cast off His people if they are stubborn and rebellious and refuse to turn back to Him.

IV. Hosea makes a play on words to look forward to the new Israel, the church.

A. 1:10-2:1 – The restoration pictured

B. “Not my people” shall become my people. The ones blessed would be called sons of the living God. They would unite under one head.

C. We do not have to speculate about the fulfillment.

D. 1 Peter 2:19-10

E. The characteristics of verse 9 were said of Israel of old in Exodus 19:5 (compare in a chart) Since Christ was rejected by the Jews (2:4), God has built His spiritual temple from the Jews and Gentiles who would obey Christ.

F. Romans 9:24

G. Context: The Jews rejected Jesus so God rejected them. But because of the blessings to come through Israel the Gentiles could become part of God’s new kingdom, the church. The Jews who would submit to Jesus could again be called His people and receive mercy.

H. The restoration is not just to make the people obedient, but we find true fulfillment in God

I. “Your fruit is found in me” - 14:8-9

J. So many people run confused in this life trying to “find themselves,” failing to realize that in God we find ourselves.

K. “Whoever seeks his life will lose it but whoever loses it for [Christ’s] sake will find it.” When Israel left God she only found misery, sorrow, pain, and desperation in exchange for the temporary pleasures of sin. We will find nothing of eternal worth or lasting satisfaction in the passing pleasures of sin; we will find true fulfillment in God.