Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

According to the first verse, Hosea’s prophetic career spanned at least forty years.

It began sometime during the reign of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel, the Northern Kingdom

According to the first verse, Hosea’s prophetic career spanned at least forty years.

It began sometime towards the end of the reign of Jeroboam II, who ruled Israel, the Northern Kingdom.

Hosea’s ministry ended sometime during the reign of Hezekiah, who ruled Judah.

Jeroboam II is the only king of Israel mentioned in verse 1 although Hosea’s work continued through the final kings of Israel.

This may go to show that Hosea believed Jeroboam was the final legitimate king of Israel.

With the death of Jeroboam, chaos set in; kings rose and fell, and none was dominant enough to warrant a mention by Hosea.

with the death of Jeroboam, chaos set in; kings rose and fell, and none was dominant enough to warrant mention in the title

Although the Southern Kingdom of Judah is not neglected in Hosea’s prophecy (e.g., 1:7, 11; 6:11; 12:2), his messages are primarily directed to Israel, often referred to as “Ephraim” (see 5:2, 12–14; 6:4; 7:1), or represented by the royal city, Samaria (7:1; 8:5, 6; 10:5, 7; 13:16).

Based on some of the things he does say about Judah in the book, it may be safe to assume that he went to Judah during the reign of Ahaz, the most wicked of the kings mentioned in the list of verse 1.

Although the Southern Kingdom of Judah is not neglected in Hosea’s prophecy (e.g., 1:7, 11; 6:11; 12:2), his messages are primarily directed to Israel, often referred to as “Ephraim” (see 5:2, 12–14; 6:4; 7:1), or represented by the royal city, Samaria (7:1; 8:5, 6; 10:5, 7; 13:16).

Hosea apparently lived and worked in or around Samaria, probably moving to Jerusalem at least by the time Samaria fell to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.

If one wanted to sum up the book of Hosea in a few words, a good way to look at the book is that it is God’s Indictment/Case Against Israel.

Within this book God builds his case, showing the evidence that He has that Israel has been unfaithful to the covenant relationship that He has with them.

We see God begin to build his case in chapter 1. Let’s get into the text.

Hosea and Gomer

Hosea’s prophetic ministry began with perplexing instructions from God:

“When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And have children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.”

“Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry

And children of harlotry,

Hosea’s prophetic ministry began with perplexing instructions from God to find a wife among the promiscuous girls of Israel (of which there were apparently many; see 4:14).

For the land has committed great harlotry

By departing from the Lord.”

This calling by God to be a prophet is very different than others.

That’s for sure.

Hosea is told to go and find a wife among the promiscuous girls of Israel (of which there were apparently many; see ).

This would probably be a difficult thing for Hosea to do.

This would not be the life that someone would choose on their own, but he does exactly what God asks.

The Lord said, “go and marry,” and verse 3 says, “so he went and married.”

Now God’s command to Hosea is not just an arbitrary thing that God commands him to do.

There is a great purpose for God’s instruction.

Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was a parallel to God’s relationship with His people.

God is going to use this relationship to illustrate to the people of Israel how they are being unfaithful to Him and how this makes Him feel.

Israel is viewed as the bride of God in the Old Testament, so the illustration is fitting.

When they are unfaithful to God, they are committing adultery against Him.

So Hosea marries Gomer and she conceived and bore three children.

Their names are meant to teach us things about Israel:

Jezreel - This is the only child here that we are specifically told was bore to Hosea.

Jezreel means “God will scatter” or “God will sow (seed).”

Obviously God will end up scattering His people when he sends them into captivity, but there is another reason for giving this name within the text.

He says to name this son Jezreel because God is going to avenge the blood that was shed in Jezreel and was going to punish the house of Jehu.

The house of Jehu mentioned here is the dynasty of four kings that would come to an end because of the bloodshed of Jezreel.

This is a reference back to Jehu’s destruction on the house of Ahab, something God had sanctioned in .

While Jehu moved according to God’s will to destroy the ruling family of Ahab, it was not with God-glorifying motives and there was deception involved in his killing of Baal worshippers, so his dynasty would shortly come to an end with the son of Jeroboam II, Zechariah, being assassinated after reigning for six months.

The house of Jehu men oned in 1:4 is the dynasty of four kings that was men oned in ; .

It would be destroyed because of the bloodshed of Jezreel.

This is a reference back to Jehu’s destruc on on the house of Ahab, something God had sanc oned in .

While Jehu moved according to God’s will to destroy the ruling family of Ahab, it was not with God-glorifying mo ves.

Lo-Ruhammah - Gomer bore this child, but unlike Jezreel, we are not told that this child was bore to Hosea.

This may signify that Gomer’s unfaithfulness had begun.

The name ‘Lo-Ruhammah’ means “no mercy.”

The name signify’s the fact that God is no longer going to show mercy to the northern kingdom.

He does say that he is still showing mercy to Judah, but this is not the case for Israel.

His patience has run out for them.

Lo-Ammi - means “not my people.”

God was no longer going to look at Israel as His people because of their sin.

They were being unfaithful.

They were not living like they were his chosen people, so they were not going to be labeled that way.

Hosea’s ministry ended sometime during the reign of Hezekiah, who ruled Judah from 716 to 686 B.C.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness

Let’s now look at chapter 2. This chapter highlights the unfaithfulness of Israel, and probably Gomer’s also.

It seems that Hosea and Gomer’s relationship parallels Israel all the way into chapter 3.

Verse 2 of chapter 2 is just as shocking as how the book began.

“Rebuke your mother; rebuke her.

For she is not my wife and I am not her husband."

For she is not my wife and I am not her husband.

Let her remove the promiscuous look from her face

and her adultery from between her breasts.

Do you get what is being said here.

“She is not my wife and I am not her husband”?

These are words that show a breaking of the relationship - divorce.

Israel is unfaithful and commits adultery.

They are unwilling to stop.

So God divorces them.

Throughout this chapter God builds his case against them and shows why a severing of the relationship is needed.

Look at verses 4 & 5:

I will have no compassion on her children because they are the children of promiscuity.

Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

“I will have no compassion on her children because they are the children of promiscuity.

Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.””

(, CSB)

she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

““I will not have mercy on her children, For they are the children of harlotry.

For their mother has played the harlot; She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.

For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink.’”

(, NKJV)

I will have no compassion on her children because they are the children of promiscuity.

Yes, their mother is promiscuous; she conceived them and acted shamefully.

For she thought, “I will follow my lovers, the men who give me my food and water, my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

the men who give me my food and water,

my wool and flax, my oil and drink.”

There are a couple things to say about this passage.

First, the children are called children of harlotry.

In other words, they are not His!

Second, the reason for her harlotry is given here.