Hosea

Welcom to larom.org. This section of Bible studies continues our look at Bible pictures of God's character. It is amazing how this study helps you see what a loving God we have. He was willing to take risks to win our love and admiration. He is honored by our love and faithfulness even during poverty and sickness. He treasures His children and hears every cry for help.

God's Patience and Forgiveness are Exhibited in Hosea

God's Messenger is asked to love and marry a lady of poor reputation

Hosea is commanded to live out a parable in his personal family life

Actors: Hosea dramatizes God's love

Gomer plays the part of God's chosen people

Hosea was a prophet of God in the Old Testament times. He lived during the time of King Hezekiah who had been sick and prayed for a sign that he would get well. The sun dial turned backwards 10 degrees in answer to his prayer. (2 Kings 20) The prophet Isaiah also lived during the time of Hezekiah and Hosea.

God's people were worshipping other gods and ignoring heaven. They were offering their own children up as sacrifices. There was terrible wickedness going on among God's people. In desperation to win back their love, God asked Hosea to live out a parable. God sent His dear prophet out to get a wife from among the women who have many lovers.

The concerns in God's heart had to be great to set the stage for misery. He had tried warnings, disasters, and other things to get the attention of His people. He wanted their love and fellowship.

Now His plan was to make a family that acted like the whole nation. The father was to represent God, the mother would be acting like the people of Israel. The children would copy their mother. This is not what God normally asks His people to do. In other places of the Bible, we are cautioned to be so careful who we choose to live and work with. The Bible says we need to be careful our partner believes like we do:

1 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:

The wife, if she is worldly, will train all the children to do the same. The whole family can be ruined if the wife does not have a deep love for Jesus. So much depends on her. She molds the minds of the children with her influence up to age 12 . The character trends of the child are formed by age two and three. If she is against God, the children will all copy this. They will join each other and bring their friends in a tug of war pulling down anyone who pulls for Jesus.

Jesus can cause a miracle to happen. He is greater and stronger on His side of the rope. Yet it is so much more difficult if the child has absolutely no desire for God. They will never be quiet during family worship. They will always act out causing trouble during church meetings. Their hearts are hardened to the work of the Holy Spirit. They keep pulling away from God.

Hosea went out as God directed, found and and married Gomer. She bore him a son. God named the boy Jezreel. Names had meaning. This child was named in such a way it was a prophecy that the house of Israel would be scattered. Other people in the Bible had names that prophesied an event. Methuselah meant that when he died the flood would come.

To attract the attention of other men, Gomer painted up her face and wore jewels. Where did she get the money to buy all these jewels? Did the prophet Hosea give her an allowance? I wonder where the money came from.

She did get a lot of attention and loved it. She thought she was having a great life. She did not know it was all empty and would not bring her inner peace and happiness.

Gomer was dressed for success in attracting men.

She wore ear rings and jewelry and totally forgot about God. (Hosea 2:13) In Jeremiah 4:30, God said that when His people were spoiled, they would wear their ornaments and paint their faces trying to make themselves beautiful on the outside.

Some pay thousands of dollars for a rock or a string of pearls It becomes a source of pride while it hangs on the outside.

Many wear rings on their fingers and like all to notice it. Real beauty is not outward decorations of gold or pretty clothes or painting of the face. Real joy and beauty comes from helping others. It comes from a meek and quiet unselfish spirit. This beauty gives the face a glow. There is a bubbly joy and love that is ready to help and share. Such ornaments of character are priceless. (1 Peter 3:3 and 1 Timothy 2:9-12)

I have seen many wearing wedding rings that are unfaithful to their marriage promise. They have many lovers. The ring is not to declare their faithfulness. It is very important what we wear if we are Christians. Others know what is in your heart by what you wear.

While she was doing these things, Hosea's wife Gomer had another baby. This baby girl was named by God also. The name God chose was Lo-ruhamah which meant He would no longer have forgiveness and compassion for all the people of Israel. Can you imagine dealing with a label on yourself, a name that meant there was no longer forgiveness or compassion? Would you want a name like that?

When the third child was born, God named that one too. He was to be called "not my people" Lo-ammi.

Imagine Hosea telling people the names of his wife's children:

This boy is called, "Israel will be destroyed";

and this one is "no longer any forgiveness";

and this boy is "not my people".

Kind loving Hosea was heart broken. He had given his wife all she needed. She spent her money he gave her on things to attract other men. She gave her love to others and not him. He had loved her dearly but she kept looking for other lovers.

Hosea asked the children to plead with their mother to be faithful. He told the children he was not really their father. He said their mother had many other lovers. Again and again the prophet Hosea tried to get his wife to love only him. However in spite of all his love, she kept going out to other men. There was such sadness in the home. The poor prophet Hosea was showing the whole nation a parable of how God felt about the nation praying to idols. They were doing the same thing to God that Gomer did to her husband. They were breaking God's loving heart. Today people are selfishly going after idols of toys, computer games, fancy cars, houses, wealth, fame, pictures of naked people, gang activities, drugs, and they need God's love.

God is pleading. God uses His prophets, His missionaries, His preachers, His friends to plead with the sinners.

Kind loving Hosea tried taking his wife to a special setting. He spoke sweet kind and loving words to her. He did everything to woo her heart to loving only him. She again left for other men.

That forgiving love of Hosea is the way God is. He does everything He can think of to win your heart.

She left the comforts of her home and stayed with other men. Finally one day she hit the end of her resources. She had no man who thought she was pretty. The only value she had was to be sold as a slave. Perhaps the beauty of her youth was gone and she could not attract any more lovers. Maybe she was sick. The Bible does not say. She was up for sale. She was not worth 30 shekels that a male slave would bring.

The price on her was 15 shekels. In her mind, maybe she worried. What if no one bought her? How could she have money to eat? The Bible does not say who was selling her.

She must have felt worthless standing there for sale.

The Bible says she wished to go back to her first husband because things were so much better there. (Hosea 1:7) She had tasted the bitterness and ugliness and emptiness of sin. Now that she was at the bottom, she started to wish for her husband because things were better at his home.

In her desperate need, God sent her husband, the Godly prophet Hosea, to the market to buy his wife back. There she was standing alone in her shame, for sale like a slave. She did not look elegant or dignified. She was being sold as though there really was no value to her. He felt sorry that she was so ashamed. He loved her and did not want her to be thrown away as worthless. Now, I can assure you, most men would have hated her by now. Hosea had God's forgiving love. That kind of love only comes out of heaven. You won't find that kind very easy on this earth. It is only in the hearts of those who want to be like Jesus. Hosea was acting out what God does for every sinner. This whole story was a real life drama for what happens every day as God forgives and tries to win people to love Him. It breaks His gentle heart of love when we turn from Him and stubbornly keep on loving sin.

Hosea paid 15 shekels and some barley for her.

Jesus paid with His life by dying on the cross. Hosea could have offered less for her and probably no one else would have bought her but that would have told her she was worth nothing now to him. Because he bought her, he showed he still saw value in her. Like God he was not willing to see her discarded as garbage.

Because God does not force Himself on others, He waits till sinners see that they need Him.

With the miracle of perfect love from God this dear Godly man Hosea again showered this undeserving lady Gomer with his tender love. This was not ever done in his culture. He was going against all customs. A woman doing as Gomer had done would have been stoned. Today she would have been divorced and denounced in the society of the prophet as a wicked woman and banished from the church. You can imagine his actions shocked the whole nation.

Gomer had cost him a lot and showed no gratitude. She had harmed the prophet's reputation. She had hurt him over and over and still he loved her. Only Godly people can love like that. It is not easy to forgive the sin of adultery.

It is hard to keep hoping. I do not know how many years this story drug on for the poor prophet Hosea. It had to be more than 10-15 years because he tried to get the children to plead with their mother to return. After many years of repeated injuries, the scars increase the difficulty of a normal sweet trusting relationship.

Sin though forgiven, has consequences. The children may be totally lost. Their anger and frustration can build and affect all their own relationships. In addition, there is always that fear that the partner is pretending and will soon cause pain again.

It is not natural in this old world of sin to pour out love on one so undeserving and unthankful for so many years. WE cannot in our own hearts forgive and love like the Godly prophet Hosea. Forgiving seventy times seven is not easy. It is God's miracle to those who want to live like Jesus. Some of the scars will last forever until the healing happens at the tree of life in heaven. God loves even when He's been hurt. THAT IS THE WAY GOD IS. THAT IS MERCY AND GRACE.

From God, the love flows freely as if the sin had never happened. God never forgets anything. But He says He chooses to remember our sins no more. He puts them in the bottom of the sea when we ask for forgiveness and for help to change. That is amazing. He surrounds us with good things. He makes gorgeous flowers, trees, bird songs, children smiling and laughing, good flavors in foods. Oh, what a special loving heart He has!

His promises in Scripture are leaves from the tree of life that can now begin the healing process.

All sinners are like Hosea's wife. We tell God we love Him, then fall into temptation. When we are troubled, and wish for God, He is ready to forgive and shower with love. What a great God we have! I want to be just like Him, don't you? I want my Father's eyes. How I wish I had His kind of love.

I would be thrilled if some day someone looked into my eyes and said, "your eyes look like your Father's eyes". When I have my Father's eyes, I will see value in the bullies, value in the adulterers, value in abusers, in the cruel harsh people, and in the poor cast out ones around me. I will shower them with heavens love, respect and honor as though they were the most precious, educated and wealthy in the world.

It is easier just to love those who are loving and improve our status in life. But that is not the way of heaven.

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