Hosea the first of the 12 books of the minor prophets. Minor because they are short not less important. He prophesied in the middle of the 8th century BC during the last years of King Jeroboam II of Israel and continued to about 722. Israel is divided in the North and South kingdoms. Hosea is in the Northern, later we’ll look at what else is happening during his time. Cover ch 1-3 today. It's the most known of his writing and most troubling .  

Ch 1:2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” 8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God

Hosea is called to his wedding - marriage to a woman who will be unfaithful to him, she will break her promise, vows and his heart! He will endure Suffering, humiliation, shame, hurt. Some of you have gone through this pain yourselves, some can only imagine how painful this would be. Hosea maybe wrestles with the call, maybe doubts, might consider not showing up to the wedding, but He does. He marries Gomer. He is single purposed - driven not by the to fulfill his own desire but what God wills.

Not Easy! He is uniquely called to marry someone who will commit adultery (not the pattern we’re to follow)

Why did God call him to do this? - Is God cruel, unfair, unjust. Controversial! God tells him his purpose - they have an intimate friendship - Gomer, your adulterous bride, is like the adulterous people of God. God has a message he trusts to Hosea. 1st he must speak to a him then through him to ALL. His message seems bleak. The woman is like the people, unfaithful. Her children are what the result of unfaithfulness produces - punishment,

Jezreel: puts an end to the kingdom of Israel, scatters

Lo-Ruhamah: not loved, He will not pity them

Lo-Ammi: not my people, disowning them.

Hosea experiences the pain that God experiences because he doesn't just deliver a message, He embodies It. His personal experience means He lives the message and is shaped by it. God requires prophets to do extreme things, & make unusual sacrifices in order to etch deeply his message upon the Hearts of the People. Drastic & Dramatic ways of getting the message across.

Whats the message? Looks like- Judgement.

Left thinking this is it. v10 “Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.

The message is also "you will be Like the sand" (remembering promise made to Abraham), not destroyed, brought together, unified, becoming not only My people, but My children!

How?

Ch2. In chapter 2 its like we enter a courtroom. Here the case is made against the cheating party. The one who broke the promise, the marriage vows. Crimes detailed and the metaphor shifts between the imagery of an adulterous spouse and Israel v8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold- which they used for Baal. (Baal is an idol) Whats been going on? These have been turbulent times

Outside- Assyria is Rising, getting stronger. Israel doesn't know what do to about their influence.

Inside- they lack unity, who should they resist who to embrace. Foreign policy vacillates between Egypt and Assyria. Northern and Southern division, war with Judah, coups, worship of idols, corruption and luxury throughout Jeroboam's reign has brought Israel to a state of Spiritual disaster. So in v9 a verdict is reached and sentence laid out “Therefore I will take away my grain/take back my wool/expose her lewdness/ stop all her celebrations/ ruin her vines and her fig trees/v13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the Lord. It looks like the end. No one wins it's all bad. All are in pain. But court isn't over yet - another "therefore" is said. We expect another avalanche of punishment, judgment but are shocked as the judge and prosecution say "therefore I will allure her, I will lead her, I will speak tenderly, I will give her back her vineyards, I will make a door of hope in trouble, I will remove baal, I will make a covenant, I will abolish violence and give peace "… INCREDIBLE - I will go after my loved one and bring you back! God takes the initiative Pledges himself to the unfaithful 

19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness ...

These are wedding vows - the court has become a wedding courtroom and God is reciting wedding vows. I will love you no matter what!

v23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called ‘Not my loved one.’(Lo-Rhuhamah) I will say to those called ‘Not my people,(Lo-Ammi)’ ‘You are my people’; and they will say, ‘You are my God.’

WOW. this is the amazing love of God.

Then God says to Hosea Ch 3 “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.”

Hosea goes out and has to buy her back, he does. God takes the lead in restoring, forgiving, and extending grace and calls Hosea to follow his example. Hosea learns from God how to forgive. He- suffered, the innocent person suffering, doesn't make sense - unless we understand suffering isn't always about punishment. Through his suffering Hosea he understands and demonstrated, through his own personal experience, the suffering heart of God and the redeeming love of God - Today we too have a prophet who helps us understand the love of God and the incredible power of forgiveness. Jesus. He shows us what love is so that we can follow his example and love as the lord loves.