1:1-11 –Yet…

LESSON FOCUS: of their relationship with God. On the other side of judgment there is the possibility of God’s judgment on Israel does not mean renewed life with God. that God has completely abandoned her. God won’t abandon us either. Hosea will set the stage for many of the prophets that follow him. Hosea’s main LESSON OUTCOMES: concern is Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenant God had made with them. As we Through this lesson students should: discovered in our lessons on Amos, God’s 1. Develop a brief background to the judgment on Israel is not random, but set in the context of the blessings and curses that 2. Understand that God’s judgment is a are laid out in Deuteronomy. Israel’s result of covenant unfaithfulness on unfaithfulness has looked like a struggle our part with idolatry and corruptions within its 3. Understand that in our sin we may political institutions, which have led to the feel abandoned by God but God is vast mistreatment of people. While Israel’s always working to bring us back to covenantal unfaithfulness will bring about him. judgment, God’s continued covenant faithfulness will result in healing and hope CATCHING UP ON THE STORY: for his people. These themes will be born Hosea was one of the first recorded out as we move through this wonderful prophets, preceded only by Amos. Like book.

Amos, Hosea spoke to the northern nation THE TEXT: of Israel. Unlike Amos, Hosea’s tenure spanned a long time and saw many We begin this prophetic book the same way changes in kings. Hosea’s ministry began that most prophetic books begin, with a during the peaceful years of King Jeroboam superscription. The book of Hosea took its II (786-746 BCE) and concluded sometime final shape at the hands of an editor who before Israel’s ultimate fall to in 722 had collected and compiled Hosea’s BCE. While Hosea’s ministry began in writings and orations. The superscription is relative peace and calm, the country the community of faith’s way of quickly descended into chaos and war as designating this book as a definitive word Israel’s kings sought salvation apart from from God. It is likely that Hosea was edited God. and finally compiled after the destruction of Israel by his followers in Judah in the Hosea also differs from Amos in that his south. For that reason we receive the names message, while confronting the realities of of the Kings of Judah first, even though Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenant she Hosea’s book mentions northern cities and had entered into with God, is mixed with is written in a distinctly northern style. messages of hope and life. Even though God’s judgment seems all-consuming, for We will notice, as we begin to examine the Israel it would not mean the ultimate end first verse, that we are told that what will

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follow is “The word of the Lord which into is not some kind of punishment on came to Hosea…” The word of the Lord is Hosea, but a way of depicting God’s something that “came” to Hosea, meaning relationship with Israel. that it was something more than what Hosea heard. Hosea experienced it as an Later on in verse two we are told that event, not just a verbal communication Hosea is to take a wife of whoredom (Birch, 18).1 Hosea will write down this because “the land commits great word of the Lord in his own style and form, whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” Israel but it carries with it the force of God has been unfaithful in her covenantal actively engaging the people with whom he relationship with God. To call a is in covenant relationship. “woman of whoredom” is not to call her a prostitute but to label her as a person of The Unfaithful Wife: Hosea 1:2-9 unfaithfulness, just as Israel had been The opening scene takes place over the unfaithful to the covenant. Hosea’s course of a couple of years. God speaks to marriage will mirror God’s covenant Hosea, who is the son of and now of relationship with Israel. God chooses and marriageable age. Hosea is instructed to enters into a relationship with Israel and take for himself a wife, as the NRSV Israel lives unfaithfully to God. God, as we translates, of “whoredom.” A lot of will see with Hosea, does not completely attention has been given to the nature of reject his unfaithful partner, but continually the woman that Hosea is commanded to welcomes her back. marry, even though the amount of information that the text actually gives us is Israel’s relationship with God, as well as rather sparse. Too often it has distracted Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, should have from the main message of the section and been characterized by loving faithfulness book. The word that the NRSV translates as from both sides. Hosea’s marriage “whoredom” is a noun that simply means illustrates for us the nature of Israel’s (and to engage in sex outside of the context of our own!) unfaithfulness to the God who marriage. The related noun that specifically has called us and chosen us to live in designates prostitution is never used to covenant relationship with him. describe Hosea’s wife. Hosea is obedient and engages in this It is unlikely, then, based on the textual and symbolic marriage. He marries Gomer, the grammatical evidence found in Hosea that daughter of Diblaim and they begin to have Gomer is a prostitute. We can get a clearer children. The first child is born and Hosea picture of God’s command to Hosea by is instructed to name him Jezreel. The name understanding the marriage in the context itself is a pleasant one; it means “God of a prophetic symbolic act. Symbolic acts plants” and refers to a beautiful and fertile were undertaken by prophets throughout valley in Israel. It had, however, taken on a the , for example, Isaiah 8:1- more ominous meaning because of the 4; 20:1-6; Jeremiah 13:1-11; 27:1-5. For these events that had previously taken place symbolic acts, the prophet was there. 2 Kings 9-10 tell us the story of how commanded to do something that would overthrew the house of and help illustrate for his hearers the message became king of Israel by killing the King that God was trying to convey through the there. It was also at Jezreel that Jehu had prophet. The marriage that Hosea enters Jezebel, the widow of Ahab, thrown to

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dogs. Jehu’s dynasty, which lasted until the compassion and pity from Israel can only time of Hosea, becomes a symbol for lead to one place: abandonment as God’s religious idolatry and a quest for national people. To be sure, this abandonment will power. “Hosea’s first child, named Jezreel, not be final and complete, but the time has is to be a constant reminder that the come that God must give them up to their reigning dynasty–from its first hours of its own desires and wishes. They have chosen founding onward–is not in accordance with the path that has led them to this place, and God’s will” (Wolff, 18). To name a child now they must go there alone. The Jezreel would be a scandalous thing. It covenant has been undone. The three might be the same as naming a child today names culminate to have chilling effect. “World Trade Center or 9/11.” Israel will have no kingdom, they will have no one to have pity or compassion on them, A short time later Gomer conceives again and they will have no relationship with and gives birth to a daughter. Once again, God. The future is not bright. God tells Hosea what to name the child. The child’s name will be “Lo-ruhamah” Yet: Hosea 1:10-2:1 which means “no pity” or “no By the time we come to verse 10, the compassion.” Pity and compassion are movement of the passage has been toward important words in the Old Testament. darkness and destruction. The “yet” at the Compassion specifically is related to the beginning of the verse causes the whole Hebrew word for “womb.” This may trajectory of the chapter to change. Yet. It suggest that God’s compassion for Israel is keeps in mind and takes seriously all that related to the all encompassing and has been said or that has taken place but nurturing feelings that a mother has for a dares to move us to begin to see an child she has carried in her womb (Birch, alternate future and reality. “Yet the 21). God will no longer express pity or number of the people of Israel shall be like compassion toward Israel as he has done in the sand of the sea…” This takes us back to the past. God will no longer protect them God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis. from the consequences of their infidelity. Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness, despite her God will, however, continue to express his wickedness, despite the fact that she will be compassion toward Judah in the south. He destroyed, that God will remove his will reach out and save them, but not compassion from her, that God will count through the means that Israel will seek to her as one who is not among his people, save herself. God will not save Judah despite all that, God will turn and work for through the sword or the bow but by his Israel’s life. strength alone. Hosea then begins to use the images More time passes and Gomer gives birth to evoked by the names of his children. God another child, this time another son. His begins to reverse the future that is divinely ordained name will be “Lo-ammi” displayed in the children’s names. which means, “not my people.” This is an Judgment will happen, but they will one undoing of the covenant formula, “I will be day, again be called God’s children. They your God and you will be my people,” of will be “children of the living God.” The which we see variations in Deuteronomy covenant will be renewed and restored and 26:17; Exodus 6:7; Leviticus 26:12 and 2 Israel will be a people again with Judah. Samuel 7:24. The withdrawal of God’s

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The section ends with a command to use from the consequences of our the positive forms of the names of Hosea’s unfaithfulness and sin, God is actively second two children. The NRSV translates working to draw us back to himself, the names as singular, but the original seeking to lavish his compassion upon us Hebrew is plural. At the end of the day, and to call us his people those in Israel will once again be a people who rest in the compassion and care of CRITICAL DISCUSSION God. This command to say, “pity” and “my QUESTIONS: people,” brings hope and a future to the people who experience God’s judgment. 1. What does God look like in this text/Who is God in this text/What is SO WHAT? God doing in this text? While the message of Hosea is sprinkled a. God in this text looks like the with more hope than that of Amos, the ever-faithful spouse, who reality of God’s judgment is still plain to remains absolutely committed see. The simple fact is that Israel was to live to the covenant. We, in in covenant faithfulness to God. They were comparison, are like Gomer. to uphold, in faithfulness, their end of the In a very real and clear way, deal. For far too long, Israel had not held God is depicting for us the up her end of the deal. She had served kind of partner we have other gods. She had failed to exercise historically been. As we read justice for the poor, oppressed and this passage we must identify marginalized. The metaphor that Hosea ourselves, not with Hosea, uses is that of an unfaithful spouse. but with Gomer the unfaithful Unfaithfulness always caries with it wife. Our continued consequences, even when the offended unfaithfulness leads God no party chooses to forgive. Israel’s destiny is choice but to abandon us for a clear. Her unfaithfulness will lead to her time. destruction, the withdrawal of God’s b. The hope is that the “yet” of compassion from her and her verse 10 rings true for us. We abandonment as God’s people. may be unfaithful, but God is working to change the Yet, God’s judgment on Israel does not trajectory of the entire story mean that God has completely abandoned so that we might once again her. God’s faithfulness to Israel despite her become the children of the infidelity will be on display constantly living God. throughout the book. For you and I though, Hosea’s message speaks clearly to us, too. 2. How does an encounter with this We are in covenant relationship with God story shape who we are and who we through Jesus Christ. The constant should become? temptation will be to live in unfaithful a. This passage asks us to ways toward God. The consequences of our identify ourselves in the story. infidelity will not be pleasant and, at times, We can either be Hosea, who it will feel like God has withdrawn from us is called to proclaim God’s and we are no longer his people. But that is word faithfully, or we are not the end. Even though we may suffer Israel, who is symbolized by

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Gomer the unfaithful wife. If consequences of our own we find that we are Israel and unfaithfulness? Gomer, if we find that we are in the midst of God’s 7. Have you ever felt as if God did not judgment, then we have hope have compassion or pity on you? because God will not Have you ever felt as if you have not completely give up on us. been one of God’s children? God will continually draw us back to him so that we may 8. How does the example of God’s once again become the faithfulness challenge you in your children of the living God. relationships with others?

SPECIFIC DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Read the text aloud. Then, read the text to yourself quietly. Read it slowly, as if you were very unfamiliar with the story.

1. Why would God call Hosea to marry a wife of “whoredom?”

2. What kind of woman do you think Gomer was?

3. See 2 Kings 9-10. What is the significance of the name Jezreel? What happened there that might give the name meaning?

4. What is the significance of the name Lo-ruhamah? How might a lack of pity or compassion on God’s part toward Israel be bad news?

5. What is the significance of the name Lo-ammi?

6. In Hosea 1:10-2:1, the tone of the passage changes considerably. Even though it seems like God is abandoning Israel because of her unfaithfulness, what is God’s intention? How might we find comfort in these verses when we find ourselves being overrun by the

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