(The final section of the Old Testament was the minor prophets section. The Book of Hosea was the first of the twelve books that made up this section. The prophecies in the Book of Hosea concerned the Jews before the captivity around the same time as the first book of the major prophets section: the Book of Isaiah. The purpose of this book was to illustrate to Israel, through the Doctrine of Marriage, how Israel needed to choose to repent from their backsliding or suffer the consequences.)
Hosea 1
1 The word of Jehovah that came unto Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
(The name Hosea meant "salvation" the same as the names Joshua and Jesus. Hosea was called Osee in Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Jewish tradition identified Beeri with Beerah of Reuben (1 Chronicles 5:6). Christian tradition attributed Hosea being of Issachar. Notice, the time of these prophecies was from 2 Kings 14 to 2 Kings 20. Uzziah was listed as the seventh from David in Matthew's genealogy, with the following kings representing those through the tenth from David: Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. The events of 2 Kings 21 documented the cause for God eventually taking Judah into captivity: Manasseh.)
2 When Jehovah spake at the first by Hosea, Jehovah said unto Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for the land doth commit great whoredom, departing from Jehovah.
(God told Hosea to take a wife of "whoredom" (fornication) and to have "children of whoredom" because the land committed great whoredom in departing from God. Hosea represented God and his wife represented Israel and Judah. Notice, Leviticus 21:13-4 prevented a priest from marrying a woman who was a harlot. He could only marry a virgin. Also, Deuteronomy 23:17 showed that prostitutes were allowed but could not be women of Israel. They had to be women of foreign nations. Hosea marrying a fornicator was bringing an unbelieving woman into the community of believers. Hosea was a prophet that had the Holy Spirit in him and took direction from God, even though it appeared to contradict the Word of God.)
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bare him a son.
(Hosea took Gomer as wife. This marriage symbolized God (Hosea) and His fornicating wife Israel (Gomer). Hosea and Gomer's children would represent the children of Israel.)
4 And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.
(Hosea's first son's name was Jezreel which meant "God sows." Jezreel symbolized God's judgment on the ruling king, Jeroboam, who was of the Jehu dynasty.)
5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And Jehovah said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, that I should in any wise pardon them.
(Hosea's daughter's name was Lo-ruhamah which meant "no mercy." Lo-ruhamah symbolized God's withdrawal of mercy from Israel.)
7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
(But, God would still have mercy on Judah.)
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.
(1 Peter 2:10 referenced the next two verses...)
9 And Jehovah said, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
(Hosea's second son's name was Lo-ammi which meant "not my people." Lo-ammi symbolized God's rejection of Israel.)
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that, in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up from the land; for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
(The restoration of Judah and Israel was foreshown.)
Hosea 2
1 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.
(Ammi meant "you are my people." Ruhamah meant "you have obtained mercy.")
2 Contend with your mother, contend; for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband; and let her put away her whoredoms from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts;
(Hosea was told to plead with Gomer to "put away" her whoredoms (fornications). This represented God telling Israel to put away her fornications.)
3 lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.
(Again, words to Gomer that were also meant for Israel. Paul referenced this verse in Romans 9:25-26.)
4 Yea, upon her children will I have no mercy; for they are children of whoredom;
5 for their mother hath played the harlot; she that conceived them hath done shamefully; for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
(Gomer (and Israel) went after her lovers to receive physical and short term benefits.)
6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her, that she shall not find her paths.
7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
(When Gomer (and Israel) was forsaken by her lovers, she would return to her first husband. Israel would return to God.)
8 For she did not know that I gave her the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
(The physical blessings (corn, wine, etc.) that God gave to the Israelites were used for offerings to Baal, an idol.)
9 Therefore will I take back my grain in the time thereof, and my new wine in the season thereof, and will pluck away my wool and my flax which should have covered her nakedness.
10 And now will I uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of my hand.
11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn assemblies.
(The nations that Israel ran to instead of God would see her as she really was, a fornicator. God would also cause all forms of worship to cease. This was Just since the Israelites were not worshipping God but idols.)
12 And I will lay waste her vines and her fig-trees, whereof she hath said, These are my hire that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 And I will visit upon her the days of the Baalim, unto which she burned incense, when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith Jehovah.
(Verses 14-23: the alluring (wooing) of Gomer: which meant the regathering of Israel.)
14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall make answer there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
16 And it shall be at that day, saith Jehovah, that thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali.
(After the restoration, Israel shall call God Ishi (my Husband) instead of Baali (my Lord) because the term "Baali" had been perverted to express images of Baal.)
17 For I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned by their name.
18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the land, and will make them to lie down safely.
19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
(The everlasting Marriage Covenant.)
20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know Jehovah.
21 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer, saith Jehovah, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth;
22 and the earth shall answer the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they shall answer Jezreel.
23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
(The spiritual adoption of the Gentiles.)
Hosea 3
1 And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of her friend, and an adulteress, even as Jehovah loveth the children of Israel, though they turn unto other gods, and love cakes of raisins.
(God was telling Hosea to go to Gomer again, the woman who was beloved of another man and was an adulteress. This symbolized God's acceptance of Israel although Israel was idolatrous.)
2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley;
3 and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man's wife: so will I also be toward thee.
(Hosea told Gomer she would abide with him and he with her.)
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim:
(This represented the state of Israel during the captivity.)
5 afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.
(After this, Israel would return to God and David (here symbolized the Messiah). However, we know this would occur after our dispensation: the time of the Gentiles.)
(This post covered Hosea marrying a prostitute, having kids with her, and then pursuing her after she committed adultery.)
Day 262
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