Hosea 1
Hosea’s Wife and Children (1:1–11)
1 Hosea prophesied in the northern kingdom (Israel) during the reign of its last seven kings, beginning with the reign of Jeroboam II (see 2 Kings 14:23–29). Here in verse 1, however, Hosea’s ministry is dated according to the reign of four kings of Judah: Uzziah (Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah (2 Kings Chapters 15–16,1820). It is likely that Hosea went to Judah after the fall of Israel in 722 B.C. and wrote his book there; this may account for his reference to the kings of Judah. In any event, Hosea’s prophetic ministry spanned a period of about forty years.
2–3 At the beginning of his ministry, Hosea received an unusual command from the Lord: “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness” (verse 2). God wanted to show Hosea what it was really like to be married to an adulteress and to keep on loving her, just as God had kept on loving adulterous Israel. Israel was guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD. By marrying an adulterous wife, Hosea would be able to demonstrate through his own life God’s amazing love for Israel. So Hosea obeyed God and married Gomer, who then bore him a son1 (verse 3).
4–5 The Lord commanded Hosea to call his first son Jezreel, which means God scatters.” This name signified that God was about to scatter Israel as punishment for a massacre carried out by Israel’s king, Jehu, that occurred in an actual place called Jezreel.2 God was planning to put an end to the kingdom of Israel (the northern kingdom) and to break [its] bow—break its power—in the Valley of Jezreel (verse 5).
6–7 Gomer’s second child was a daughter, to whom the Lord gave the name Lo–Ruhamah, which means “not loved.” This name signified that the Lord had withdrawn His covenant love from Israel because of Israel’s unfaithfulness. But the withdrawal of love would only be temporary; later God would renew His love for His people (Hosea 2:1,23). In the meantime, He would continue to show love to the house of Judah (the southern kingdom) by saving them from the hands of the Assyrians (verse 7). He would save them by His own power, not by the power of weapons and horses.3
8–9 Gomer’s third child, a son, was named Lo–Ammi, which means “not my people.” This name signified that the Lord was going to break His covenant relationship with His people because they had broken faith with Him. However, this break too would be temporary, and after a time of punishment Israel would become God’s people again (Hosea 2:1,23). The Israelites would become like sand on the seashore (verse 10), just as God had promised ABRAHAM many centuries before (Genesis 22:17; Hebrews 11:11–12).
10 When God gives words of warning and judgment, He generally follows them with words of comfort and hope. Yet—even though God would disown Israel for a time—He would again take her back and prosper her. Where once He had told the Israelites, “You are not my people,” soon He would be calling them “sons of the living God.”4
11 Then God promised that Judah and Israel (the southern and northern kingdoms) would be reunited. This partly occurred when the Jewish exiles returned from Babylon, for there were many Israelites of the northern kingdom among them. But Judah and Israel will be fully reunited only when they are united in Christ, under one leader, the Messiah. In a limited sense, this union is already taking place; it will be completed when Jesus comes again and establishes His kingdom.
God concludes by saying that the Israelites will come up out of the land—as if they had been sown like seed—for great will be the day of Jezreel. The word “Jezreel” not only means “God scatters,” but it can also mean “God sows.” It will be a great day when God “sows”—revives—His people and prospers them in their own land.
In this way, the judgments signified by the names of Gomer’s three children will be reversed. This message of judgment, followed by God’s covenant love, is the central theme of Hosea’s book (see Hosea 2:1,23).
