Hosea –
God’s Love
for Israel
Review:
David’s Kingdom of 12 states divided into:
Northern 10 states = Israel
Southern 2 states = Judah
Jonah: name means “Dove”, symbolic of
God’s love
Amos: name means “The Lord Comes”,
symbolic of God’s judgement
Hosea – name means
“Salvation”
The only prophet from Israel
(northern kingdom)
Wrote right after Assyria defeated
Israel (722 bc)
Ministered 38 years in Israel
Chapter 1
V2 God tells Hosea to marry a ‘promiscuous’ woman – Hosea is
the picture of God – God Who pursues His love. The
promiscuous woman is Israel… unfaithful!
V3 - 4 He marries Gomer and they have a son named Jezreel.
Jezreel has two meanings: scattered or planted by God. In
verse 4, Jezreel meant scattered or punished by God. Punished
specifically because when Jehu was king of Israel, his family
line massacred the reigning king to become king in the Valley
of Jezreel (841 bc).
V5 I will break Israel’s bow (military power)
Gomer conceived again, a daughter named Lo Ruhamah.
Lo Ruhamah = “not loved”. V7 states, “I will no longer love
Israel – but I will love Judah”
The third child (son) was named Lo Ammi which means “not
My people” – I am not your God
V11 God’s expressed desire: “Yet they will be called ‘children
of the Living God’. Judah and Israel will be united as one, “for
great will be the day of Jezreel”
Chapter 2
Note the name changes:
Jezreel changed from ‘scattered’ to ‘planted by God’
Lo Ammi changed from ‘not My people’ to ‘My people’
Lo Ruhamah changed from ‘not loved’ to ‘My loved one’
V2 Rebuke Gomer! Let her lewdness be exposed! Remove the
adulterous look from her face…her roaming eyes. She is
determined to run after her ‘lovers’!
Gomer will be caught in adultery and taken out of their home
You, Israel, have forgotten Me…
God offers Israel redemption
V14-23 “I will allure her…make the Valley of Achor (Trouble)
become a door of hope!”
V16 “You (Israel) will call Me “my Husband” and no longer “my
Master”
V19 “I will betroth (marriage promise) you to Me forever. I will
betroth you in righteousness, justice, love and compassion
The meanings of the 3 children are
emphasized again (v22-23):
Jezreel – I will respond to Jezreel and plant her for Myself
Lo Ruhamah – I will show My love to the one called “not My
loved one”
Lo Ammi – I will say to those called “not My people” – “I am
your God” and you will say “You are my God”
Chapter 3 (v2)
“so, I bought her…Israel will
come trembling to the Lord and to His
blessings in the last days.”
Chapters 4 “My people are destroyed
because of lack of knowledge”
Chapter 5 “I will return to My lair
(place of rest) until they have borne
their guilt and seek My face – in their
misery they will earnestly seek Me”.
Chapter 7 “I long to redeem them but
they speak falsely about Me…”
Chapter 8 “How long will they
be incapable of purity?...they
have forgotten their Maker…”
Chapter 9 “God will reject
them because they have not
obeyed Him; they will be
wanderers”
Chapter 10 “It is time to seek
the Lord until He comes and
showers His righteousness on
you”
“How long?” is answered here…
Chapter 11 God declares His love for Israel
Chapter 12 Israel is reminded of God’s love for Jacob…
Chapter 13 “I care for you”, “I am your helper”, “I will deliver
them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from
death, Where O death are your plagues? Where O grave is
your destruction?” (I Cor 15)
Chapter 14 Conclusion: “The ways of the Lord are right; the
righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”
What do we see?
*God still pursues Israel and He
still pursues us
*God intimately loves us
*Our sins deeply grieves Him
*He bought us back thru
Christ’s sacrifice
*Will you pursue Him – chase
after Him?