Hosea
was a prophet
in Israel
during the reign of the second Jeroboam. Hosea
was an unusual prophet. He spoke the words God gave him, but
that was just the start. His life, particularly his marriage,
became a model and symbol of the relationship
between God and Israel at the time.
Hosea married a woman named Gomer. She
committed adultery. The prophet was heartbroken. I’m convinced that Hosea
genuinely and deeply loved Gomer, and that her unfaithfulness hurt him badly.
This is the poignancy of the book. We can see how Hosea loves his wife,
even when she is cheating on him. This is compared with God and the people of
Israel. They worshipped idols and made alliances with foreign nations. They
engaged in all manner of immoral behavior. Even the priests who were called to
live set apart and serve God and the people committed all the same immoral acts
as the rest of the populace.
Hosea had children with Gomer. He gave them names forecasting God’s
judgment on the nation. Jezreel was named for a battlefield, and his name
indicated God’s impending retribution. Lo-ruhamah means “no mercy” and Lo-ammi
means “no longer my people.” Israel experienced the fulfillment of this
judgement when it fell to the Babylonian
empire.
After a time, Hosea reconciled Gomer to himself. This foreshadowed the
time when God would restore Israel. The Babylonian occupation would create an
Israelite diaspora that would last 70 years, after which the people were
permitted to return to their homeland.
