together and then we're going to look at God's Word.
Our Father God, we thank you for the amazing privilege that it is that you, the creator
of the universe, would speak to us personally through your Word, the Bible.
Thank you that we are not left grasping, trying to figure out who you are, but that you have
clearly told us what you are like and who you are and what you have done.
And so we pray that as we study this book of Hosea together, we would read it and understand
it not as some ancient document, but as the living Word of God, which changes and transforms
lives, helping us to see who you are and who we are and how we can be in relationship with
you.
So Father, bless this study together.
May we be encouraged, enriched and built up.
And we pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, everyone knew him as Mr. O'Shea.
He was a gentleman, kind, generous, considerate, and above all, loving.
He was the ultimate catch.
But despite many a mother pushing their daughter his way, he rejected all offers and advances.
It seemed he would never marry until one day he was sitting in his favourite restaurant, eating
with, well, a young lady.
Everyone knew her as Morag.
If she wasn't in the gossip pages of the local paper, she was in bed with her new lover.
She was the talk of the town.
Everything she owned was either a gift from sexual favours or earned by her work on the streets.
It was not uncommon for her to leave at different premises every morning.
She was, as Mrs. Jones called her, a common whore.
Well, if people were surprised at Morag sitting with Mr. O'Shea, they were in absolute shock when the wedding was announced.
Of course, it didn't take long.
Despite his constant devotion, his loyal and faithful love, Morag had an affair.
It broke Mr. O'Shea's heart.
He was devastated.
And even though he took her back into his home and loved her as his wife,
she continued to chase after other lovers.
Sometimes, she would be away all weekend.
On one occasion, he didn't hear from her for over two weeks.
But through it all, Mr. O'Shea continued to love his adorable Morag.
With every affair, he welcomed her back home,
wiping her tears, providing and caring.
How do you feel about Mr. O'Shea?
Do you feel sorry for him?
Do you think he's stupid?
What do you think Mr. O'Shea should do?
Or how do you feel about Morag?
Do you like her?
Does she deserve her husband's love?
What do you think should happen to Morag?
Well, this story is a true story,
and it's more closer to home than we think.
Have a look at verse 2 of chapter 1.
When the Lord began to speak through Hosea,
the Lord said to him,
Go take to yourself an adulterous wife
and children of unfaithfulness.
Now, the translation is being terribly polite.
Because literally it says,
Go and take a whore as your wife,
and take into your home the children of a whore.
Hosea, God's prophet,
was to marry a woman
who would have eyes for other men
and engage in multiple affairs.
It's not just shocking,
it is absolutely scandalous.
Look at verse 3.
So he married Gomer,
daughter of Divlim.
We're not told if Gomer was promiscuous
before they got married,
or if that's what she became.
Either way, Hosea knew
he was entering into a marriage
with an unfaithful,
adulterous wife.
Why would God command Hosea to do this?
Well, he gives us the reason.
Look at verse 2 again.
Go take to yourself an adulterous wife,
and children of unfaithfulness,
because the land, that is the people,
are guilty of the vilest adultery
in departing from the Lord.
You see, Hosea's marriage to Gomer
is to be a visible picture,
a living illustration
of God's marriage to his people.
Like Gomer,
God's people have had
one adulterous affair after another.
They are, as verse 2 says,
guilty of the most vilest adultery.
Go back with me to verse 1,
to the very beginning,
the introduction.
The word of the Lord
that came to Hosea,
son of Berai.
So, this is about 760 BC,
before Christ,
Hosea was called.
During the reigns of Uzziah,
Jotham, Ahaz,
and Hezekiah,
who were kings in Judah,
and during the reign of Jeroboam,
son of Joash,
king of Israel.
Now, this isn't just history.
This is to be a reminder
of their adultery.
Remember how God's marriage
with his people all started.
God, in his love,
had rescued his people
from slavery in Egypt.
He had chosen them
out of all the peoples
on the face of the earth
to be his people,
his treasured possession.
He gave them a new land
to live in.
He provided for all
of their needs.
He was their true,
loving,
loyal,
and faithful husband.
But despite God's affections,
they committed adultery.
They chased after other things
and other people.
And as a result,
this once great nation
divided.
That happened in about
931 BC.
Israel to the north
and Judah to the south.
And this is at the time
that Hosea begins to minister.
Over the course of 200 years,
their kings continued in adultery
and led the people
further and further
away from God.
Jeroboam,
who we're introduced to
at the very end of verse 1,
was one of the last kings
of Israel.
And he was remembered
like this.
The Bible records
that he did evil
in the eyes of the Lord
and did not turn away
from any of the sins
of the past kings.
Their history
was one of adultery.
Now,
God says to Hosea
in verse 2,
Go take yourself
an adulterous wife
because the land,
the people,
are guilty
of the vilest adultery.
So you could imagine
as Hosea walked
through the marketplace
with his brand new wife
hand in hand,
conscious
of her constant flirting
with all the other men,
so Hosea's marriage
would be a daily reminder
to the people
of Israel,
you
are Gomer.
You
are the adulteress.
You have been
unfaithful to God
all these years,
chasing after
other things
and other people.
But the story
is even closer
than that.
You see,
you and I
are just like
Gomer.
The sad reality
is
we all behave
just like
Israel did.
You see,
God is our
loving creator.
He made us
in his image
so that we could
know him,
relate to him,
enjoy him.
God has poured out
his kindness
and generosity
in abundance.
He's pursued us
and loved us.
He is chased
after us
but we have
continued to run
from his love.
Like Gomer,
we are the
adulterous people
running after
other lovers,
unfaithful people,
giving ourselves
to other gods.
For that is what
sin is.
We've rejected
the love of our
creator.
We've ignored
his kind rule.
We've walked
away
prostituting
ourselves in search
of joy and
happiness.
we have taken
all of his
love gifts
but we have
turned away
from the lover,
the giver
of those gifts.
We are the
adulterous.
We are
Gomer.
We are that
common
whore.
well how do
you think
Hosea should
respond
to his
unfaithful
wife?
How should
God
respond
to us?
Well God
has made
us for
himself
and he
will not
let us
share our
love with
another.
God is
jealous for
us
and he
will not
put up
with our
promiscuity.
The marriage
of Hosea
and Gomer
starts well
enough.
Together they
have a
child.
Look at
verse 3.
So he
married
Gomer
daughter of
Divlam
and she
conceived
and bore
him
a son.
But all
is not
as it
seems.
Look at
verse 4.
Then the
Lord said
to Hosea
call him
Jezreel
because I
will soon
punish the
house of
Jehu
for the
massacre at
Jezreel
and I
will put
an end
to the
kingdom
of Israel.
Now if
I say
to you
Aleppo
then you
will have
an idea
of what
Jezreel
would mean
to the
people.
Jezreel
like Aleppo
today
is a
place of
violent
bloodshed.
Let me
explain.
You can
read all
about this
in 2nd
Kings.
Ahab
was the
king of
Israel
about 200
years before
this
incident
here in
Hosea.
He was
married to
if you
remember
Jezebel.
He was
a terrible
king.
He ruled
the people
badly,
murdered
God's
prophets
and was
responsible
for setting
up the
Baals.
These
were places
where they
conducted
human
sacrifices
to appease
the gods.
And in
response
God
raised up
as we're
told in
verse 4
this man
called
Jehu
and he
was to
remove
Ahab
and Jehu
slaughtered
all of
Ahab's
family
at a
place
called
Jezreel.
He had
his wife
pushed off
from the
top of
the
palace
and he
beheaded
70 of
his
sons
and
grandsons.
Violent
bloodshed.
But if
God had
raised up
this
Jehu
to punish
Ahab,
why does
God say
as it
does in
verse 4,
I will
soon punish
the house
of Jehu
for the
massacre
at
Jezreel?
God's
people.
Well,
it could
be because
he went
beyond
what he
was meant
to do
in killing
all of
those
people.
We're not
told that,
but it
could be.
But history
does record
for us
that Jehu,
once he
had knocked
Ahab out
the way,
only replaced
Ahab's
gods with
his own
gods.
He
continued the
spiritual
adultery
and continued
to lead
the people
further away
from God.
Now,
says God,
what happened
to Ahab
is now
going to
happen to
all of
Israel
because they
have been
unfaithful
to me.
Verse 5,
in that
day,
I will
break
Israel's
bow
in the
valley of
Jezreel.
Israel will
not be able
to save
themselves.
Assyria,
that great
nation,
is going
to come
and they
will defeat
you and
they will
destroy
you.
Israel
will become
Jezreel.
They will
be punished
for abusing
my love.
But Jezreel
was not
the only
child.
Have a
look at
verse 6.
Gomar
conceived
again
and gave
birth to
a daughter.
no mention
of the
father's
name
here.
Gomar
conceives,
but as
the text
explains,
Hosea
is not
the father.
Can you
imagine the
pain and
heartache
of Hosea?
The wife
you love
and adore
comes home
with a
child that
is not
yours?
And no
matter how
much Hosea
would love
that baby
girl,
she would
be a
constant
reminder to
him of
his
unfaithful
wife.
Verse 6,
Then the
Lord said
to Hosea,
call her
low
Ruama,
for I
will no
longer
show love
to the
house of
Israel,
that I
should at
all forgive
them.
The one,
the treasured
one that
God loved,
the one
that God
had chosen
and rescued,
will no
longer be
loved.
Verse 7,
Yet,
I will
show my
love to
the house
of Judah.
But Judah,
don't think
that I
will love
you because
you are
so faithful.
The rest
of the story
will tell
us that
Judah is
actually no
different.
God will
keep on
loving Judah
simply because
he loves
them.
verse 7,
And I
will save
them,
not by
bow,
sword,
or battle,
or by
horses and
horsemen.
You will
not survive
by your
own strength,
but by
the Lord
their God.
Yes,
I will
continue to
love you.
Yes,
you will
still be a
people,
but only
because I
choose to
love unfaithful
people like
you.
But Israel,
they are
not my
loved one.
they are
not my
loved one.
Gomorh
had another
child,
verse 8.
After she
had weaned
Lo-Ruamah,
Gomorh
had another
son.
Again,
the father's
name is not
mentioned,
another lover's
child.
Verse 9,
then the
Lord said,
Call him
Lo-Ami,
for you
are not
my people,
and I
am not
your God.
Through each
child that is
born, God
makes clear he
is ready to
divorce his
people.
This marriage
is well and
truly broken.
It is
finished.
We could
imagine
Hosea
walking his
young son
along the
road,
and a
group of
ladies stop
and look
into the
buggy.
What a
cute little
boy.
What's
his name?
Judgment
is coming.
Or if you
prefer his
nickname,
violent
bloodshed.
Or listen
to Hosea
calling his
bastard
children in
for dinner.
Not my
loved one,
not my
people,
dinner is
ready.
Or watch
Hosea
collect his
kids from
school.
I'm here
to collect
not loved.
And that
kid in the
corner,
he's coming
with me as
well,
but he
doesn't
belong to
me.
You see,
it would
become crystal
clear to
everyone through
his adulterous
wife and
illegitimate
children.
that God
has signed
the papers
of divorce.
This
marriage
is over.
God
had declared
throughout
their history
and promise
so often,
I will be
your God
and you
will be
my people.
Now the
echoes are
heard throughout
the nation,
you are not
my people
and I am
not your
God.
But
God
will be
to
God
will be
well,
it's hardly
surprising.
And we
shouldn't be
surprised if
God treated
us like
this.
It's what
we deserve.
We are
illegitimate
children.
We have
no right
to God's
love,
for we
have pushed
him away
and held
him at
arm's
length.
love.
But if
God's
love
of an
unfaithfulness
surprises
you,
then his
promise to
go on
loving and
unfaithful
people is
an even
greater
surprise,
for God
does not
forget his
promise.
Have a
look at
verse 9.
Then the
Lord said,
Call him
low,
Ami,
for you
are not
my people,
and I
am not
your God.
But
yet
the
Israelites
will be
like the
sand on
the seashore,
which cannot
be measured
or counted.
Just a
moment ago
we are told
that God
would bring
an end
to his
people.
Now he
makes a
promise to
restore them
into a
nation that
is without
number.
You see,
while we
are the
adulterous
wife,
God is
the promise
keeping
husband.
Remember
God's
promise to
Abraham
at the
very beginning
of the
Bible story?
God
said,
I will
make you
into a
great
nation
and I
will
bless
you.
And
later on
God
repeated
that
promise
to
Abraham,
I
will
surely
bless
you
and
make
your
descendants
as
numerous
as
the
sand
on the
seashore.
God
is saying
I
will
make a
people
for
myself.
I
will
raise
up a
nation
that
no one
can
count,
that
will
love
me,
that
will
follow
me.
So
despite
all
our
adultery,
God
is not
going to
give up
on his
promise.
Look at
the rest
of verse
10.
In the
place where
it was
said to
them,
you are
not my
people,
they
will be
called
sons
of the
living
God.
The
people
of Judah
and the
people
of Israel
which
are at
this
stage
broken
and
divided
will
be
reunited
and
they
will
appoint
one
leader,
they
will
become
a
great
people
again
and
they
will
come
up
out
of
the
land
for
great
will
be
the
day
of
Jezreel.
Just
when
we
think
God
has
signed
the
divorce
papers,
just
when
we
think
the
marriage
is
over,
God
our
loving
husband
reminds
us
of his
eternal
promise.
Chapter
2
verse
1.
Say
of
your
brothers
my
people
and
of
your
sisters
my
loved
one.
How
can
God
do
this?
How
can
he
at
one
moment
say
I'm
going
to
wipe
you
out
and
then
make
them
great?
How
can
he
disown
them
but
then
take
them
all
back?
Well
look at
the
very
end
of
verse
11.
We're
told
that they
will
come up
out
of
the
land
for
great
will
be
the
day
of
Jezreel.
Jezreel
as we
have seen
is a
symbol
of
judgment
of
violent
bloodshed
God
punishing
his
people
for
their
adultery
but
now
God
is
promising
that
another
Jezreel
is going
to
take
place
another
great
day
of
judgment
is
going
to
come
that
will
not
end
the
marriage
but
that's
going
to
restore
the
marriage
that
day
that
great
day
would
take
place
as the
only
faithful
son
Jesus
Christ
would
die
on
the
cross
the
death
of
Jesus
is
our
Jezreel
Jesus
would
become
the
unfaithful
adulterous
wife
for us
Jesus
would
become
Gomar
for you
and for
me
the
judgment
the
violent
bloodshed
would fall
not on
us
but upon
his
son
the
apostle
Paul
experienced
this
as he
reflected
on the
death
of
Jesus
have a
look at
Romans
chapter
9
Romans
chapter
9
verse
22
it's
on
page
1136
if you're
using
the
church
bible
Romans
9
starting
at
verse
22
it's
talking
about
the
death
of
Jesus
let's
read
verse
22
what
if
God
choosing
to show
his
wrath
and make
his power
known
instead
bore
with great
patience
the
objects
of his
wrath
prepared
for
destruction
so he's
asking the
question
what
what if
God
did not
bring
his
judgment
upon
us
verse
23
what if
he did
this
what if
he was
patient
instead
what if
he did
this
to make
the riches
of his
glory
known
to the
objects
of his
mercy
whom
he
prepared
in advance
for glory
what if
God
did not
bring
his
judgment
as he
promised
but instead
had great
patience
and showed
mercy
what if
he did
that
verse 24
even
for us
whom he
also
called
not only
from the
Jews
but also
from the
Gentiles
for that
is what
has
happened
Jesus
has
come
and he
has
absorbed
and taken
the judgment
that you
and I
deserve
so that
we might
receive
mercy
not just
people like
you and
me
not just
from the
Jews
but from
the Gentiles
from all the
nations
all those
who come
to Christ
all those
who run
away from
his love
and deserve
to be
put away
can now
come to
him
verse 25
as he
says in
Hosea
I will
call them
my people
who are
not
my people
and I
will call
her my
loved one
who is
not
my loved
one
and it
will happen
in the
very place
where it
was said
to them
you are
not my
people
they will
be called
sons
of the
living
gods
you see
it is
at the
cross
that we
become
God's
people
as
Jesus
dies
we are
shown
mercy
as
Jesus
suffers
we
receive
his
love
you see
this story
of Hosea
is more
personal
than we
think
we are
Gomer
we are
guilty
of
spiritual
adultery
we have
been
unfaithful
to God
but
through
the death
of Jesus
we are
now
so much
more
hear
the words
today
of our
promise
keeping
husband
you
are
my
loved
one
you
are
my
people
you
are
my
sons
and
daughters
of the
living
God
we
may
fail
we
may
be
unfaithful
but
God
does
not
fail
and
God
will
be
faithful
to
his
children
you
are
my
loved
one
let's
pray
may
Roberts
be
you
may