Hosea 1 – 7

Hosea is one of those odd stories where he is instructed to marry as an illustration of Israel. Verse 1:2 is God’s instruction to do just that:

This is the word the Eternal spoke through Hosea first.

Eternal One (to Hosea): Go and marry a woman who is a prostitute and have children who come from this unfaithfulness. This will represent how the land of Israel has abandoned Me and become a prostitute to other masters!

Hosea married Gomer and had three children who represent Israel and their unfaithfulness to God. The story is one of those odd ones that actually illustrates God’s love for his people. Gomer represents the people of Israel and how they abandon God’s directives and love while Hosea represents God. In the story Gomer leaves Hosea and goes back to a life of prostitution.

While this may be a great illustration to the people of Israel, it was difficult on Hosea all the same. But God shows through his children that things may change by changing his son’s name from Not My People to My People and his daughter’s name from Shown No Mercy to Shown Mercy. Just as things can change for Israel if they decide to follow God, things can change for all of us in obedience to God.

Verse 4:12 talks about what the people are doing:

They expect to hear oracles from a wooden idol,
        to get guidance from a diviner’s wand!
    For a spirit of prostitution is leading them astray—
        that’s why they’re so unfaithful to their God and are becoming prostitutes.

Spirit’s that try to lead us from God are real and we need to be aware of them. Satan has learned if he cannot get man to worship him, he will get their worship away from God. So as people get sucked away from God, wooden idols and mystics become the source of guidance and not God’s word. This is very dangerous and can be seen today in New Age thinking like saying God is everything and is all of us. Be vigilant and alert to stuff like this.

Verse 6:2 sounds like another story elsewhere in the Bible:

He’ll bring us back to life after two days;
    He’ll raise us up on the third day, and we’ll live with Him.

This actually sounds more like the story of Jesus in the Bible that what we are told. Think about it, Jesus died on a Friday, was buried, then less than 48 hours the stone is rolled away and he is alive. Last time I checked, 48 hours is 2 days. I know this is a technicality, but it’s always bugged me. Now many historians say the events on Easter Sunday actually took place on a Monday, but this verse implies the standard narrative is correct. It’s just cool to be able to read this 2800 or so years later and put the puzzle together.