Articles
Hosea The Prophet
“The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife inclined to infidelity, and children of infidelity; for the land commits flagrant infidelity, abandoning the Lord” (Hosea 1:1-2 NASV).
Few personal details are given about Hosea; nothing is known about his father, Beeri. Sometimes prophets were called from their homeland and then traveled great distances to deliver God’s message (Jonah). Amos lived south of Jerusalem but prophesied to Israel in the north. Five kings are identified in verse one: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah; Jeroboam II was king in Israel. Ephraim (the northern kingdom) was warned about the soon-to-be arriving Assyrians. “They will not return to the land of Egypt; but Assyria—he will be their king because they refused to return to Me (11:5). Tiglath Pileser III came to power in 745BC. Kings were murdered, thousands were captured, and the Promise Land struggled under the thumb of the Assyrians (read 2 Kings 15-17). By the time God’s judgment was over, Israel, the northern kingdom was no more. The land became a haven for foreigners. “Then the king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and settled them in the cities of Samaria in place of the sons of Israel. So, they took possession of Samaria and lived in its cities” (2 Kings 17:24). If anyone ever needed a good strong warning from the Lord, Israel did. And what a lesson God’s people heard from Hosea!
The sad story of Hosea and his family is familiar to students of the Bible. Hosea obeyed the Lord’s startling command and married Gomer, a wife of harlotry; soon children were born. Hosea, Gomer, and their children are teaching points for God’s rebellious children. The first son, Jezreel, was Hosea’s son; “she bore him a son” (v. 3). Jezreel, the name of a valley located near Samaria and Galilee, was the site of many bloody battles. An earlier king, Jehu, fought battles in this area; he wiped out the house of Ahab; he also went beyond the Lord’s authority and refused to rid the land of idol worship (2 Kings 9-10). Hosea’s marriage would teach this lesson: Wherever sin is committed and not repented of, those involved will suffer the consequences.
Hosea’s second child, a girl, was named, Lo-ruhamah. Her name is associated with the “womb.” Think of the natural care and love a mother has for her child. The Lord loved and cared for His people; yet Israel refused to repent, and that warm relationship changed. “One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, but one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion” (Proverbs 28:13).
Hosea's third child, another son, was named Lo-ammi; "for you are not My people and I am not your God." Think of how God had blessed His people. He brought them out of Egypt, provided a live-in-ready land for Israel, and was always willing to go the extra mile in forgiving His stubborn, rebellious people. Now, He says: You are no longer my people! What a tragedy. What a loss. What loss and tragedy Hosea experienced when he married Gomer.
