According to Hosea 1:1, he served when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah were kings of Judah. He also mentions serving during Jeroboam II's reign over Israel. Altogether, Hosea probably prophesied about 75 or 80 years! His prophesy is thought to have ended about 723 B.C. before Israel was overrun by Assyria.

The book of Hosea is relatively short, but it relates to us tremendous messages about God. The main theme is God's steadfast love for His people.

God's love is depicted through Hosea's personal life, and his marriage to Gomer (Hosea 1-3).

Three other themes are found: the sinfulness of God's people, the absoluteness of judgment to be rendered, and assurance of God's restoration for the faithful.

CHAPTER 1

1:1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Jeroboam came to power following Jehoash in about 794 B.C. and reigned 41 years (2Kings 14:23). Uzziah became king of Judah in about 783 B.C. and reigned 52 years. Jotham and Ahaz both reigned 16 years.

If the prophet Hosea was still working during the reign of Hezekiah, then he must have prophesied over 85 years!

What FAITHFULNESS!! Are we faithful to live ALL our lives for our Lord?

2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

Here is a man called to be a prophet of God. His reputation is to be spotless. Yet, he is commanded of the Lord to marry a woman who has lived a scandalous life, and to have children that will obviously live scandalous lives.

Hosea must trust God for his reputation! He must commit all that he is to the Lord of his calling, and remain faithful in himself. Thus he will depict the faithfulness of God to an unfaithful people.

God's statement to Hosea tells us what God thinks about worshipping idols. It is "whoredom!" It is as despicable as adultery!

There is One and ONLY One true God! He is the eternal Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is the One Who called Israel from Abraham. He is the One Who preserved Jacob and His family. He is the One Who provided the "Promised Land." He is the One Who sustained Israel and made them prosperous.

Why would they want to worship a "stone," or a "tree?" But they did. Yet God was faithful to His promises for them!

So must Hosea be faithful to his promises and live above the scandalous reputations of his family.

The whole nation of Israel is depicted as having committed spiritual adultery. They had become prosperous, and prosperity had brought laxness in worship and laxness in adherance to the things of God. They had become worldly and ceased to be godly.

After Hoseah did as God commanded, his wife "bare a son."

4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

The son was to be named "Jezreel." That name means "God will scatter." Jezreel was actually the name of a town on the border of Issachar (Joshua 19:18). Earlier in Israel's history, it had become the center from which Jezebel began the worship of "Baal."

God had sent Jehu to destroy Ahab and Jezebel because of this tremendous insult to Him. Jehu had killed Ahab and all his sons according to the commandment of God. But Jehu had acted in a self-serving manner, and God would "scatter" what remained.

God would soon cut off the power of Israel (verse 5), and cause the entire kingdom to cease.

6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

Next, Gomer delivered a daughter. Hosea was to name her "Lo-ruhamah," which means "not pitied."

God would no longer show compassion and mercy to Israel! They had removed themselves from Him by idol worship, and He would no longer extend His hand of mercy which protected them from the onslaughts of other nations. In fact, it would be God Who orchestrated the Assyrians to come and "take them away" into captivity.

In verse 7, God says He will save Judah because the majority of them still worshipped Him. Note: God's salvation is based upon divine election. And God bases His divine election upon our personal choice!

God's prophecy of saving Judah here in Hosea was a prophecy of a miracle. God would not save them through the power of war. Many times in the past, God had saved His people from destruction by granting them miraculous power in their armies. But this time, it would be different.

The Assyrians descended upon Israel with a huge army. They destroyed cities and took thousands as captives. Then they proceeded to Judah and Jerusalem. But in one night, by the power of one angel, their forces were destroyed and scattered! (See 2Kings 19:35, 2Chronicles 32:21-22)

As the prophet Zechariah said in Zechariah 4:6, "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Were it not for God's mercy and grace none would be saved. But when people genuinely repent and turn to God, nothing on earth can keep Him from saving them!

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. 9 Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. 11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

A second son was born and was named "Lo-ammi" which means "not my people." Was God disowning His people?

When children are adopted in the State of Louisiana (and some other States), they can never be disowned. Parents can disown their natural children, but not an adopted child! The reason for that is that God never disowns His children.

You see, what had happened was that Israel had disowned God! As generation followed generation, they got farther and farther away from worshipping the One and Only True God. They became "idol-worshippers." If any were left that truly worshipped God, He would certainly save them. But most of them had chosen of their own free will to NOT be "His people."

God is compassionate. His promise in verse 10 is twofold. First, the people of Israel will multiply just as God had promised Abraham (See Genesis 22:17).

Secondly, in the land of Israel, where the nation had been told "you are NOT my people," they would once again be allowed to be called "My people."

God has continued to stand by those promises. The nation of Israel as a people have multiplied greatly. They have been despised, hated, rejected, scorned, mocked, beaten, gassed and even burned by the millions. And yet, there are untold millions of them still. God is faithful to His promises!

And in the same land, where once it was said, "..you are not my people," even today they can be called "My people" by the Lord. Jesus, the One and Only True Son of God, came to die on the cross for the salvation of ALL men! If Jewish people, or ANY people, surrender to Jesus as Lord of their lives in genuine repentance, they can be given the power to become "sons of God" (John 1:12).

Under the Divine Authority of Christ ALL men are brought TOGETHER! The two nations, once divided, can become one again under the Lordship of Jesus.

As was noted earlier, "Jezreel" was the capitol of Israel (see above, comments on verses 4-5). The very name "Jezreel" means scattered. The Assyrian forces scattered the captives they took of Israel.

And, in verse 11, God refers to this scattered people as having a "..great... day."

Because of their rebelliousness from the One God and His truths, the nation of Israel as a whole was scattered. But when they come in repentance to the One Lord, Jesus, they will be gathered!

Oh! What a GREAT day that will be!!

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.