Today I want us to take a quick look at Hosea 1-3. We start with a brief introduction to the prophet Hosea. He was the son of Beeri and prophesied during the days of the kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam son of Joash, king of Israel. After this little introduction we see the word of the Lord comes to Hosea, telling him to take a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry. Can you imagine this happening to you? God asking you to take for yourself a spouse that you knew was going to commit adultery. Well this is what is asked of Hosea. He does what he is told and takes a woman named Gomer to be his wife.
We see throughout the chapter 1 that Gomer is unfaithful, but that she bears three children with Hosea, and they are given the following names, “Jezreel, because God will break the bow of Israel on the valley of Jezreel,” “Lo-ruhamah, because God will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel,” and “Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God.” Through the naming of the children we are given a picture of God’s heart toward Israel (the Northern Kingdom) at this time.
Not only do we see God’s heart here, but we see how Israel has been acting. God has Hosea marry Gomer as a picture of the relationship between God and Israel. God has been faithful and loving and caring, but Israel has defiled the covenant or “marriage bed,” just as Hosea has been faithful to Gomer, but she unfaithful. I can only speculate, but I would imagine that Hosea’s message to the people would be that much more passionate, knowing the feelings and heart of God, because it is what he is going through with his wife.
In chapter 2 we are given a picture now of Israel’s relationship with God, or their lack of one. The first half of chapter two is about Israel’s “harlotry” and the consequence of their actions. But chapter 2 does not end in despair, but rather in hope that Israel will eventually be restored, and God will say to them once again, “‘You are My people,’ and they will say, ‘You are my God!’”
Chapter 3 is short, but it is a mirror of the second part of chapter 2, the restoration. We see in chapter three that Gomer has gone out from Hosea, but now Hosea is to take her back as his wife, and this time she will stay. Chapter 3 ends with by saying “Afterward the sons of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king; and they will come trembling to the LORD and to His goodness in the last days.”
The question for us today is this: Are we walking faithfully with Christ, or are we playing the harlot?
Remain diligent in God’s word, in prayer, in communion with the saints, keep yourself accountable and find people to help keep you accountable, so that we remain faithful to the One that is Faithful.
Thank you for reading,
Pastor Josh