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Scripture Reading: Hosea 1:1-11; 2:1
In this message we will first give an introductory word and then begin to consider the symbol of a wife of harlotries.
In Hebrew Hosea, the original name of Joshua, means “salvation (of Jehovah),” denoting that Jehovah is the salvation (Num. 13:8, 16).
The time of Hosea’s ministry was 785-725 B.C., a period of sixty years.
The object of Hosea’s ministry was the adulterous and apostate kingdom of Israel. Adulterous refers to Israel’s condition, and apostate refers to Israel’s position. As to their condition they were adulterous; as to their position they were apostate. That was the situation of Israel as God’s wife.
The place of Hosea’s ministry was the northern kingdom of Israel. By the time of Hosea’s ministry, Israel had been divided into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
The subject of the book of Hosea is Jehovah as the salvation to the adulterous and apostate Israel in receiving her back and restoring her. This book reveals that in spite of Israel’s adulterous condition and apostate position, Jehovah is willing to be salvation to her. Eventually, He will receive her back and restore her.
The central thought of this book is that regardless of how adulterous Israel is as the wife to Jehovah and how apostate Israel is as the people to Him, He still desires that she would return to Him. If she would return to Him, He would still receive her, bring her back, and restore her.
Israel was given up by God at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and also later when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The children of Israel became desolate and homeless, wanderers among the nations. Although they have been somewhat established in the land of Palestine, God still has not received them back or restored them.
The book of Hosea reveals Christ in His first coming and in His second coming.
In His first coming Christ would be in union with Israel as the Son of God fleeing to Egypt and being called out of Egypt (11:1; cf. Matt. 2:13-15). This indicates that although Israel became exceedingly evil, Christ still became organically one with them through incarnation to be a real Israelite. Christ is the Son of God, and the Israelites were sons of God. Christ joined Himself to them in this matter of being sons of God. In His humanity He was a genuine Israelite.
In His second coming Christ will go forth as the dawn and come to Israel as the rain, as the latter rain which waters the earth (Hosea 6:3b; 10:12). At that time the people of Israel will be the earth watered by Christ as the rain.
The book of Hosea has three sections: a wife of harlotries (chs. 1—3); a people of apostasy (chs. 4—13); and the restoration of Israel (ch. 14).
The prophet Hosea took Gomer, a wife of harlotries (1:2-9). This symbolized that God took Israel as His wife — one who gave herself to harlotries and who departed from Jehovah. God told Hosea to do what He Himself had done, and Hosea did as God had commanded him.
Gomer bore Hosea a son named by God Jezreel (vv. 3b-5), symbolizing that God will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel (2 Kings 10:1-11) upon the house of Jehu and will bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel (2 Kings 15:10-12).
Gomer also bore Hosea a daughter named by God Lo-ruhamah (Hosea 1:6-7). This name, which means “she has not obtained compassion,” symbolizes that God will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that He should forgive them at all. However, on the house of Judah Jehovah will have compassion and will save them by Jehovah their God, not by bow, by sword, by battle, by horses, or by horsemen.
After weaning Lo-ruhamah, Gomer bore a son named by God Lo-ammi (vv. 8-9). This name, which means “not My people,” symbolizes that Israel is not God’s people and God will not belong to her.
Hosea 1:10—2:1 is God’s promise of restoration to the children of Israel. This promise is a matter of grace. Grace follows sin. Where sin abounds grace abounds even more (Rom. 5:20).
In the restoration the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered (Hosea 1:10a).
“In the place where it will be said to them, You are not My people, / It will be said to them, You are the sons of the living God” (v. 10b). Sons of God indicates regeneration. When God makes a new covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:31-34), they will have God written into their hearts. This means that they will be regenerated. God will put Himself into them as their life to make them the sons of God. Thus, Israel will be not merely the people of God but also the sons of God.
In the restoration the children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one head, and they will go up from the land of their captivity, for great will be the day of Jezreel (meaning “God sows” or “God will sow”), the day for the people of Israel to be sown in the holy land by God (Hosea 1:11; 2:22-23). Today God has sown the children of Israel back in their fathers’ land, and no one can pluck them out again.
Eventually, the Lord will charge the children of Israel to say to their brothers, “Ammi” (meaning “My people”), and to their sisters, “Ruhamah” (meaning “she has obtained compassion”). Thus, Israel will be perfected. Under the victory of God’s love, Israel will become His people and obtain His compassion.
We all need to learn a twofold lesson from Hosea 1. First, God loves Israel with an everlasting love. There will be no change in His love. Second, although God is loving, He is also a God of purity and righteousness. He cannot tolerate any kind of uncleanness or unrighteousness. Wherever these things are found among God’s people, God’s chastisement comes in. For this reason, even though Israel has been re-formed as a nation, they are still under God’s chastisement. Nevertheless, as they are being chastised by God, they are still loved by Him. It is the Lord’s lovingkindness that they have not been consumed (Lam. 3:22). Because of His compassion, Israel remains.
We too have been chosen by God and loved by Him with an everlasting love. However, we should not indulge ourselves just because God is loving. We must be in fear and trembling as we enjoy His love. If we are even a little mistaken, God will come in to chastise us. Yet His everlasting love is always victorious. On the one hand, His dealing with us is a matter of His chastisement; on the other hand, it is a matter of His love. His love will gain the victory.
