Hosea 1

Nov 20, 2024    Pastor Daryl Zachman

“When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, ‘Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD.’” (Hosea 1:2, NIV84)


There are some commandments that are easier than others. “Be fruitful and multiply,” is one that mankind has been relatively faithful to keep. But how difficult would it have been for Hosea to keep the LORD’s commandment to take an unfaithful wife who would bear another man’s children? And yet this is what God commanded Hosea to do when He called him to be a prophet. The LORD would use Hosea’s life as an object lesson of how unfaithful Israel had been to Him. The first two of the Ten Commandments were to not have any other gods before Yahweh and to not make any carved image as an object of worship. But the people had violated these commandments repeatedly for hundreds of years. God had warned them in the Law and sent prophets to turn them aside from their wanton whoredom, but they paid no attention. Now God would send them Hosea, a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel.


Hosea’s wife Gomer bore three children. But which were Hosea’s and which were conceived in adultery? We don’t know. But God had Hosea name his children according to what He would do with Israel.


-A son named “Jezreel” which means “scattered”, for God would soon scatter the northern kingdom of Israel to other nations when they would fall to the Assyrians.


-A daughter named “Lo-Ruhamah” which means “not loved”, for God would no longer love His wife Israel but would send her away.


-A son named “Lo-Ammi” which means “not my people”, for God would disown His people for some time.


Yet there was still hope.


“And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’” (Hosea 1:10, NKJV)


The time would come when God would restore Israel to Himself. This will not be completely fulfilled until the millennial reign of Christ.


Gomer had a hunger that drew her away from her husband. We each hunger for something. It could be recognition, security, comfort, possessions, or sexual fulfillment. God has good ways to satisfy our hunger, but like Gomer, we can let our hunger draw us away into inordinate affections. Let us instead find our satisfaction in Christ alone, who is our faithful and true Husband.