The Unfaithful Bride • Hosea 1:2-9; 3:1-5
By Don Hicks
The introduction of the Prophet Hosea gives us little detailed information about him. Hosea 1:1 tells us that Hosea is the son of Beeri. Now, all you need to find out is who is Beeri. (Good luck with that challenge.)
We get a little more information on where he lived and prophesied, in the Northern Kingdom of Israel beginning during the reign of Jeroboam II. H.I. Hester in his book, The Heart of Hebrew History, tells us Hosea “may be considered a contemporary of Amos, though he probably did his work some ten years later.”
Jeroboam II had led Israel during a time of great affluence and optimism. Greg Pouncey, senior pastor of First Church, Clinton, and the writer of our pupil’s study guide for this quarter, tells us this time of optimism did not last after King Jeroboam’s death.
“With six kings over the course of thirty years, the nation could never achieve the same stability it had under Jeroboam. Four of those six kings were assassinated,” writes Pouncey, who also tells us, “The religious climate of Israel was worse than the political climate.”
The worship of Baal was widespread in Israel and led to God’s surprising command to Hosea: “When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, he said to him: Go and marry a woman of promiscuity, and have children of promiscuity” (Hosea 1:2a CSB).
The background for this command is that the worship of Baal included temple prostitution. Men worshiping Baal in this way tried to entice Baal’s blessing on their fields, their herds, and even making their wives more fruitful thus enlarging their families.
They turned to the false god, Baal, for help they had once received from Yahweh God. Most of the commentaries I consulted felt that this account recorded in verse two was written after the fact and referred to Hosea’s bride-elect as promiscuous because by the time this account was written, they knew what she had done.
All conservative Biblical scholar hold to the historicity of the account recorded in our Bible. Hosea and Gomer married because God told Him to marry her. The Bible explains why when we complete reading the verse: “for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the LORD” (Hosea 1:2c CSB).
Hosea is in a unique place to understand the hurt that the LORD is experiencing when we abandon Him. Hosea is also very qualified to explain to Israel in word and thoughts that they can understand if they will just try.
Did you notice the command included, “and have children of promiscuity?” That raises questions of paternity for Hosea’s three children. The Biblical passage answers the question for his first son Jezreel. “So he went and married Gomer, daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son (Hosea 1:3 CSB).
“The LORD said to Hosea, ‘Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end to the Kingdom of the house of Israel’” (Hosea 1:4 CSB).
Gomer’s daughter was named Lo-ruhamah which means, “not loved.” The prophetic meaning of her name is explained by God: “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel” (Hosea 1:6 CSB).
Sin does have terrible consequences, but before Hosea finishes his book he will also explain God’s redemptive love. This major theme of Hosea’s prophecy begins showing in the very next verse: “But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, I will deliver them by the LORD their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry” (Hosea 1:7 CSB).
This is the part of God’s loving plan that had been missed when the Jewish people expected the Messiah to be a conquering war hero riding in on a white horse.
Hosea’s life and marriage to a wife of promiscuity allows us to see God’s forgiving love in chapter three. After Gomer ran off, abandoning her three children and loving husband, Hosea modeled God’s saving love by again following God’s command. “Go again; show love to a woman who loved another man and is an adulteress, just as the LORD loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods” (Hosea 3:1 CSB).
Hosea obeyed and purchased Gomer out of the sex trade of that day and lovingly brought her home to again be his wife.
Hicks is missions director for Jasper Association in Bay Springs. He may be contacted at donaldwhicks@gmail.com.
