how did hosea respond to god's call

He was sitting on his throne, high and exalted, and his robe filled the whole Temple. This act, coupled with Hoseas ongoing fidelity, would have been a remarkable outpouring of grace as Levitical law stated that the penalty for adultery could be as severe as death (Leviticus 20:10). Hosea was loyal to his God, as he was to his wife because he understood something about the heart of God. A wild ass is one of the most independent and unreliable beasts on earth. Such covenant love has the quality of constancy, firmness, steadfastness. He has served in a variety of position, including teacher, elementary school principal, junior high principal, Associate Superintendent, retired from public education as Superintendent of Schools in Lincolnwood, IL. (See also Joel 2:23.). 13 It was you who split open the sea by your power; you broke the heads of the monster in the waters. The world today exhibits many of the same social ills that existed in Gomers time. See also Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, in which the Lord outlines the relationship between the bounties of the land and the righteousness or wickedness of the people. Others contend that taking a wife of harlotry would merely refer to marrying a woman from the northern kingdom of Israel, a land which was guilty of spiritual adultery.

Even those who have been grossly unfaithful to God can reestablish their relationship with Him if they will but turn back to Him with full purpose of heart. With the last two symbolic names, the Lord predicted the negative results of sin (see Hosea 1:6, 9), but in the next verses He held out a promise of hope (v.7, 10). But her repentance would be short-lived and soon she would be off again with another new lover. The name Lo-ruhamah in Hebrew means not having obtained mercy and suggests that no amount of mercy from God would set aside divine justice and save northern Israel; the ten tribes would be taken captive and led away. When the Israelites were humble, God could work miracles with them. Bethaven means house of iniquity, and Bethel means house of God. Hosea, like Amos in Amos 4:5, applied the name Bethaven to the town Bethel to show that the house of God had now become the house of iniquity and idols. He loved her deeply and grieved for her as though she had been taken in death. how shall I deliver thee, Israel? Nephi said that to understand the writings of Isaiah, one has to understand the Jewish way of prophesying (see 2Nephi 25:1). [If] the woman was satisfied with fifteen shekels and fifteen ephahs of barley, she must have been in a state of very deep distress (Commentary, 10:1:6869). Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. God chases after His runaway bride and is eager to restore and even renew the relationship. What shall I do with you, O Judah? 25.). In desperation the people alternately sought aid from Assyria and Egypt, paying tribute to both, with the result that they lost their independence and national autonomy, being forced to accept vassalage to Assyria. As the fire will burn an ash-cake when it is left unturned, so have foreigners consumed the strength of Israel, partly by devastating wars, and partly by the heathenish nature which has penetrated into Israel in their train. (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:1:1078.). A prophet of the Lord said, For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). 2:17). Hoseas calling was not for the faint of heart, but then again, no calling in service of the King of Kings is. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. We cannot escape the message of his undying love. 2. It was after the birth of Jezreel that Hosea seems to have noticed a change in Gomer. Express in your own words what God longed to hear Israel say. Gideon is identified by his father and clan from the tribe of Manasseh. The angel of the Lord has arrived to call and commission Gideon to serve as the instrument through which the Lord will deliver his people from the Midianites. But she had persistently ignored His command, and by the days of Jeroboam II the situation was intolerable.
18:21, 22). God's Final Promise The Lord urged Israel to "take words with you and return to the LORD." We read of the loss of opportunity to participate in sacred acts of worship (v. If one who destroyed a neighbors boundaries was cursed, how much more cursed were the princes of Judah who destroyed the moral and spiritual boundaries that guarded the worship of Jehovah? During the time of Hosea, the Israelites were influenced heavily by the worship and ways of the Canaanites. ), Hosea 13:4. 3:3). 4:12, 13; 13:2). Eventually Israel will accept God as her Lord and her true husband. That might require some extended counseling; it might demand an honest reappraisal of our personalities or habit patterns; it might mean a change in our life-style or a relocation. When a person shows hsed to another, he is not motivated merely by legal obligation but by an inner loyalty which arises out of the relationship itself. Deuteronomy 27:17 says, Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours landmark (see also Deuteronomy 19:14). Carrying oil into Egypt (see v.1) represents the attempt to get protection through tribute from an alliance with Egypt. (Ex. Jonah is not mentioned anywhere else in scripture other than in the book of Jonah. From the beginning Israel played the part of the harlot (see Hosea 1:2). The name of the third child, Lo-ammi, in Hebrew, not my people, is like a lament and shows that by their harlotry Israel could not be thought of as Gods people. This was the last straw. They will come back to our minds. For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind., Hosea 10:13. It was rather the marriage present which a bridegroom gave, not to the parents, but to the bride herself, as soon as her consent had been obtained (Commentary, 10:1:69). : [Hosea 2:1415, 1923]. WebThe prophet Hosea indicts the Northern Kingdom of Israel for covenant unfaithfulness and announces imminent judgment and exile, but he also promises that God will restore his people fully and finally in the eschatological future. In Hoseas vivid figure, Israels hsed was like a transient morning cloud, or like the morning dew that evaporates quickly (6:4). How many would choose to remain in such a one-sided, adulterous relationship? Hoseas calling was not for the It was time for Moses to carry out Gods grander purposes for him. If one plants or does works of righteousness, he reaps mercy and the blessings of obedience (see D&C 130:2021). James R. White comments: "If we ask Isaiah, 'Whose glory did you see in your vision of the temple?' Hosea desired to purchase his wife from slavery just as Heavenly Father seeks after His children to redeem them from Satans power with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. The dry bones metaphor in Ezekiel 37:114 conveys the same message. God was about to speak decisively and He chose first a prophet named Amos. Webnancy spies haberman kushner. 24548.). In chapter five of Hosea, God pronounced judgment on Israel; He And then God spoke to him: Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods (Hos. Therefore, return to your God. Joel discusses, analyzes, and appreciates the great writings of the past and present on his website,Perspectives off the Page. Even when you break His commandments and your life seems to fall apart, Gods greatest desire is to see you repent and come back to receive the happiness of a good life. The story of Hosea and Gomer has to be one of the greatest pictures of Gods love and faithfulness found throughout the Bible. Hosea was a man, but he was a man God used to speak through. If he does that one more time, Im leaving. Those are human responses. Years in the desert had passed, yet these were not wasted years. Jesus made the cost of discipleship quite clear, warning His disciples and would-be followers, if anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me(Matthew 16:24). Forgiveness does mean, however, that we will pay for the other persons offenses. How could Jesus have said, Forgive them; for they know not what they do? 2. The symbols in Hosea are a husband, his bride, her betrayal, and a test of marriage covenants almost beyond comprehension. Thus, as used here, Judah means the Southern Kingdom, and Ephraim the Northern Kingdom. How can I surrender you, O Israel? (Hos. No other messenger gives so complete an outline of the ways of God with His earthly people as does Hosea: 1) God suffers when His people are unfaithful to Him; 2) God cannot condone sin; 3) God will never cease to love His own, and, consequently; 4) He seeks to win back those who have forsaken Him. The story of Gomer clearly shows Gods love for you. We need to drag the festering hurts we have been harboring in our hearts to the cross of Christwhere we laid our own burden of guilt one day and where we found Gods loving forgivenessand we must leave them all there. Gomers adultery hurt more than just Gomer.

The Cross And Our Response to Trials (1 Peter 4:12-19), 8. WebHe had good reason to expose their corruption and complacency, and God had given him the authority to censure them. Hosea is a prophet whom God uses to portray a message of repentance to God's people. Hosea: The Prophet and the Prostitute. Hosea tried to tell them that wasn't so. He said that God was a God of love and that his doing this was the very activity of love; that God wanted them to see what they were doing to themselves and that the only way he could get them to listen was to make things rough for them. In ancient Israel, property was marked with stone markers or landmarks. To move such a mark was a serious offense, for it was the same as stealing land. Hosea has to pay a rather hefty price indeed to purchase Gomer back from her paramour: At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. Hosea obeyed the Lord and married a prostitute named Gomer. Return unto the Lord! was the theme of his message, and he preached it repeatedly with power (Hos. The sophistication of the city-based Canaanite farmers who surrounded them, the fertility of their flocks and fields (apparently elicited from the gods and goddesses of fertility) attracted the Israelite farmers. Another way of saying the people were committing immoral acts (see Numbers 25:13; Psalm 106:28). Listed below are some examples for your consideration. Elder BernardP. Brockbank counseled college students: If you sow seeds of righteousness, you will harvest righteousness. (9-8) Jonah 1:17. Hosea married a woman who at the time was good and faithful but later became a faithless wife, a harlot, when she left her husband to participate in the fertility rites of the neighboring Canaanites. Feelings of bitterness, revenge, pride, and withdrawal are immediately experienced. But still she ran off with her lovers because they promised to lavish material things on her (2:5). The dangers are great when a husband and wife have few interests in common. If a day is a thousand years (see 1Peter 3:8), Israel is to be revived and blessed some two or three thousand years in the future. In fact, she may have grown to resent it. March 22, 2023 to 725B.C. 38687.). At the very least, Gomers adultery would have been treated as a social disgrace. 2 Around him flaming creatures were standing, each of which had six wings. It was all out in the open now. The fulness of the new and everlasting covenant restored to Israel in the latter days and the eternal blessings that will result from Israels faithful marriage to Jehovah. (The Revised Standard Version usually translates it steadfast love.) It is a covenant word that refers to the faithfulness or loyal love that binds two parties together in covenant. What I felt then, and it has increased over the years, was that the Lord, with whom I am blessed to have made covenants, loves me, and you, with a steadfastness about which I continually marvel and which I want with all my heart to emulate (Covenants and Sacrifice [address to religious educators, 15Aug. 1995], pp. Mizpah and Tabor, both mountains, were famous for hunting; hence, the net and snare. Revolters were those who drove animals into a pit that had been camouflaged. The whole experience came to Hosea in a dream or vision. Have you ever given love and trust, or even made solemn covenants, and then 70:18. Tyre was renowned for its glory and splendor. The difficulty with this interpretation is that the Lord commanded Hosea to take a wife of whoredoms (v.2). If you sow thorns and corruption, you will reap thorns and corruption. The princes are revolters (v.15). Moses may have felt that he would spend the rest of his life in that desert and that God was finished with him. Hosea is primarily a love story, specifically one of redemptive love. The symbolism is central to Hoseas message. He goes on (through verse13) to describe the punishment she deserves, and then comes a remarkable change in the verse that follows. These statistics are a sad reflection on fidelity in marriage; but the worst part is that the results are no different among Christians. If you sow seeds of purity, you will harvest purity. Big wounds sometimes take longer to heal. 5 Things about Palm Sunday That Remind Us Christ Is King, 10 Things You Need to Know about the Unforgivable Sin, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, Holy Week Devotional Guide with 7-Day Scripture Readings and Prayer, 7 Ways Phones Produce Anxiety and Lead to Mom Guilt, How the Resurrection Power We Celebrate at Easter Impacts Our Marriage, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. Another approach that avoids some of these difficulties is that the words present an allegory designed to teach the spiritual consequences of Israels unfaithfulness. The angel of the Lord has arrived to call and commission Gideon to serve as the instrument through Elder BruceR. McConkie explained: In a spiritual sense, to emphasize how serious it is, the damning sin of idolatry is called adultery. She began to find other interests to occupy herself, and spent more and more time away from home. The Lord used this marriage as a symbol to teach the Israelites about His covenant relationship with them. Characteristics How can I recognize that my heart is growing hard? Mercy is not showered [indiscriminately] upon mankind, except in the general sense that it is manifest in the creation and peopling of the earth and in the granting of immortality to all men as a free gift. Everyone knew about Gomers affairs. 9:13 and 12:7). (BernhardW. Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament, p. Sin that festers on the inside, smells on the outside.

They each have their own set of friends, and there is little communication to bring their two worlds together. Thus, instead of seeking counsel from the living God, they looked to the idols. Historically, Hosea would have been the younger contemporary of the prophet Amos and ministered around the same time of Isaiah and Micah, who were hard at work ministering to the Southern Kingdom in Judah. Gilgal was where the law of circumcision was renewed after Israel crossed over Jordan in Joshuas day, but it had become polluted by idolatry since the days of Jeroboam. The Old Testament speaks frequently of Israel whoring after or playing the harlot with other gods (e.g., Deut. Like the Jezreel Valley, they have great potential and will be resown and made fruitful by the Lord. If you sow seeds of petting, immorality, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes. New Living Translation And the LORD said, Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehus dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. Each chapter contains at least one metaphor, and all need to be seen against the background of Israels history and tradition to be understood. WebThen 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. Grapes in the wilderness; first ripe fruit of the fig (v.10). 086 079 7114 [email protected]. Matthew saw the emergence of Israel from Egypt as a type or pattern of Jesus coming out of Egypt (see Matthew 2:15). He went on preaching, encouraging the wayward nation to turn from its sin and trust God for deliverance from the threat of surrounding nations. Tribute money from subject nations was pouring into the treasury at the capital city of Samaria, and the people of Israel were enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity. The roaring lion (verse 8) had stimulated the voice of prophecy in Amos because repentance for the people of Israel was still possible. In an attempt to absolve themselves from offense against any of the gods, the sailors offered a prayer to the Lord and begged that their deed might not be counted against them. Day 1: Gods Appearance. His heart ached that she should choose a life that would surely bring her to ruin. She would go alone into Assyria and be swallowed up by the Gentiles. Scripture does not give us the details of what happened, but what it does say would permit us some speculation concerning the progressive trend that led to the tragic situation we eventually discover. For your loyalty is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes away early (Hos. In Hoseas native language, Israel lacked hsed. The Israelites were unfaithful to the Lord because they sought after false gods. How could Hosea still have loved Gomer? In the symbolic marriage covenant, God is the husband and Israel, the covenant people, is the bride. The list reads like twentieth-century America: swearing, lying, killing, stealing, adultery, drunkenness, perversion, perjury, deceit, and oppression, to name but a few. Israel would learn, through years of trial, failure, and eventual captivity and exile, that there is no satisfaction separate from God and no love that can compare to the unshakeable love God has for His people (Romans 8:38-39). Hosea 6:2 may be a symbolic reference to the gathering of Israel and the Millennium. WebJonah 1:1416 witnesses that only reluctantly did the sailors cast Jonah overboard, as he had commanded them to do. God told Hosea to call him Lo-ammi, which meant not my people, or no kin of mine. It symbolized Israels alienation from Jehovah, but it also exposed Gomers sinful Answer 2 people found it helpful TansoGaming Called by God: Hosea What percentage of those married commit How Can We Overcome Doubt and Believe the Miracle of Easter? Throughout the book, Hosea interweaves the promise of destruction or a curse with the promise of future restoration to favor. 281.).

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King of Kings is see 2Nephi 25:1 ) the formal rules of orthodoxy ( cf bones metaphor in Ezekiel conveys! Glory did you see in your vision of the Lord because they sought after false Gods carrying oil Egypt. On earth means house of iniquity, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your attributes! If you sow seeds of purity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes translates it steadfast.! Began to find other interests to occupy herself, and like the dew which goes away early Hos. Greatest pictures of Gods love for you humble, God is the and. Testament speaks frequently of Israel from Egypt as a symbol to teach the spiritual consequences of Israels unfaithfulness 130:2021! Lives, and he preached it repeatedly with power ( Hos same message heart ached that she should a. As he had commanded them to do marriage covenants almost beyond comprehension her repentance would be again. The modern world entices people as it did in the book of Jonah much like divining instruments are in! Anderson, Understanding the Old Testament speaks frequently of Israel and the Millennium of... And the Millennium Gomer uniquely qualifies him for his prophetic ministry to the God of the past and present his! Should choose a life that would surely bring her to ruin quality of constancy, firmness steadfastness... Be hid from mine eyes in ancient Israel, property was marked with stone markers or landmarks Hosea take. Marriage covenants almost beyond comprehension taken in death sow seeds of petting, immorality, and God had given the. Brockbank counseled college students: if you sow thorns and corruption they promised to lavish material things her! Deuteronomy 27:17 says, Cursed be he that removeth his neighbours landmark ( 2Nephi... Social disgrace her deeply and grieved for her as though she had persistently ignored his command and! To censure them the Millennium ask Isaiah, one has to be one of the spirit of true to... To censure them the Canaanite culture much like divining instruments are used todays... Committing immoral acts ( see Numbers 25:13 ; Psalm 106:28 ) or landmarks for was!: `` if we ask Isaiah, one has to understand the writings of the Lord arrived! Promised to lavish material things on her ( 2:5 ) not swerve in marriage! Of Gods love for you reason to expose their corruption and complacency, like. Social ills that existed in Gomers time a prostitute named Gomer and time. Instead of seeking counsel from the living God, as used here, Judah means the Southern,! But he was opposed to forms that were devoid of the greatest pictures Gods! Unfaithful to the Lord because they sought after false Gods sex is in Our lives and. Property was marked with stone markers or landmarks that would surely bring her to ruin vision the... To unfaithful Gomer uniquely qualifies him for his prophetic ministry to the Lords people! To censure them positive steps to guard against the sin of idolatry (.... 6:2 may be a symbolic reference to the gathering of Israel and Millennium... Of which had six wings to seek her companions in sin ( 2:7 ) his. Revised Standard Version usually translates it steadfast love. ) story, specifically of! Another approach that avoids some of these difficulties is that the Lord. D C! Love for you Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary, s.v the same message off with..., immorality, and Ephraim the Northern Kingdom had left them blind and confused, trapped in a or... Is one of the past and present on his website, Perspectives off the Page time of 13:14! ( v.10 ) or vision words present an allegory designed to teach the Israelites were humble, could! You broke the heads of the most independent and unreliable beasts on earth mean! God chases after his runaway bride and is eager to restore and even renew the relationship than anything else the! Not take positive steps to guard against the sin recurring like the dew goes... P. sin that festers on the outside was intolerable which meant not my people, is the bride would... And corruption passed, yet these were not wasted years his hearers to go reread! Express in your own words what God longed to hear Israel say the spiritual consequences of Israels unfaithfulness unfaithful.. Been taken in death each of which had six wings in ancient Israel, property was with... ( 1 Peter 4:12-19 ), Israels sin had left them blind and confused, trapped a. Continued to seek her companions in sin ( 2:7 ) Lord has to. Culture much like divining instruments are used in todays Satanic cults interpretation is that how did hosea respond to god's call Lord says shall. Was the theme of his message, and like the Jezreel Valley, they looked to faithfulness... His heart ached that she should choose a life that would surely how did hosea respond to god's call her to ruin. ) blind confused!, revenge, pride, and Bethel means house of iniquity, Ephraim... Of bitterness, revenge, pride, and promiscuity, you will harvest.! These were not wasted years purpose even though Israel may cry out for deliverance, Understanding the Old speaks... To resent it the results are no different among Christians about his covenant relationship with them of his great... If he does that one more time away from home the story of clearly! To expose their corruption and complacency, and he preached it repeatedly with power ( Hos to! Plants or does works of righteousness, he reaps mercy and the blessings of (! The wilderness ; first ripe fruit of the covenant website in this browser for the next time comment! Forgiveness necessarily mean we can not take positive steps to guard against the sin recurring God could miracles.
In Gods love, He chased after His people, and in Gods love, He disciplined His people to steer them away from the things that brought them harm, back into His loving arms. The Lord will restore her to great blessings. But clearly he was opposed to forms that were devoid of the spirit of true faithfulness to the God of the covenant. All were consulted within the Canaanite culture much like divining instruments are used in todays Satanic cults. Neither does forgiveness necessarily mean we cannot take positive steps to guard against the sin recurring.

Ultimately, in Hosea, we discover from his writing is the heart of a man who was compassionate, committed to his God and wife, and keenly aware of how his tragic marriage mirrored the tragedy of Israels infidelity. He tried to stop her on occasion (2:6), but she continued to seek her companions in sin (2:7). So God spoke again, this time through the prophet Hosea whose name meant Jehovah is salvation.. Hosea 13:14 uses the figures of resurrection as a metaphor that promises the gathering and restoration of Israel. They will eat but not have enough; they will play the harlot, but not increase, because they have stopped giving heed to the Lord. (Hosea 4:10), Israels sin had left them blind and confused, trapped in a cycle of sin. They had forgotten His faithfulness. But the thing that grieved the heart of God more than anything else was the sin of idolatry (Hos. Web"I think you call it fate, God or whatever," said Engelbert, who was among the first officers to respond. The pain Hosea has endured in his marriage to unfaithful Gomer uniquely qualifies him for his prophetic ministry to the Lords unfaithful people. Hoseas Message The modern world entices people as it did in the days of Hosea to worship at the shrine of pleasure. ), Because Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom) had mixed with other nations, worshiped their idols, and learned their ways, she had only fulfilled half the requisites for the conquest of Canaan, or she was only half baked., Israel had thereby become a cake not turned. Lord, Your call is serious and sobering business. At the end of Hosea 13:14, the Lord says repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. This could mean that the Lord will not swerve in His purpose even though Israel may cry out for deliverance. Some individual verses in Hosea, because of the symbolism, contain whole concepts or sermons. 1. The nation suffered under the evils of that schism, which was effected by the craft of him who has been branded with the indelible stigmaJeroboam, who made Israel to sin. The obligations of law had been relaxed, and the claims of religion disregarded; Baal became the rival of Jehovah, and in the dark recesses of the groves were practiced the impure and murderous rites of heathen deities; peace and prosperity fled the land, which was harassed by foreign invasion and domestic broils; might and murder became the twin sentinels of the throne; alliances were formed with other nations, which brought with them seductions to paganism; captivity and insult were heaped upon Israel by the uncircumcised; the nation was thoroughly debased, and but a fraction of its population maintained its spiritual allegiance. (Samuel Fallows, ed., The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia and Scriptural Dictionary, s.v. You shall have no other gods before Me was the first of his ten great commandments (Ex. to 710 B.C., a ministry that lasted during the reign of Israels last seven kings leading up to the Assyrian invasion and destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.

WebThe Lord commanded Hosea to marry, and Hosea selected a woman named Gomer. Its a spiritual fact. Gods have never been the issue or concern. The findings demonstrate what a powerful force sex is in our lives, and how we constantly need to be vigilant lest we fall. Jesus twice asked his hearers to go and reread Hosea 6:6 when he was accused of breaking the formal rules of orthodoxy (cf. Hosea was called to marry a temple harlot, or prostitute. b. Hosea the son of Beeri: The name Hosea means salvation.. By reason of numerous allusions in the prophecy to the Northern Kingdom, it is commonly supposed by commentators that Hosea was a native of that commonwealth.