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HOSEA Prophet of God's Unconditional Love 45 45 HOSEA Prophet of God’s Unconditional Love HISTORICAL CONTEXT: always called adultery. As Jeremiah says bluntly: ‘Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, Hosea, a contemporary of Amos, also preached in the how she went up on every high hill and under every Northern Kingdom. He preached in the eighth century green tree, and there played the harlot?’ (3:6). BC during the thirty years prior to Israel’s fall to the Assyrians, which took place in 730BC. More “Hosea saw that his own generous action in taking specifically, Hosea preached during the last years of back Gomer mirrored, however faintly, the patience of the reign of Jeroboam when Israel enjoyed relative a loving God who will forgive and finally restore peace and prosperity. Hosea also prophesied during erring Israel. And Hosea preached the mercy and the reign of Jeroboam’s successors, which turned out tenderness of God so insistently that he has become to be chaotic years for Israel. Four of the kings were known as the prophet of divine love. God’s special assassinated. love for Israel is expressed very beautifully in Chapter 11” (p.117). So over a period of about thirty years, Hosea has seen seven kings come and go. Pursuing their own greedy As we read this book, we will discover that Hosea is a ends and trying to play power politics, the ruling class deeply sensitive man whose emotions can instantly ignore the poor and the needy in their midst and lead transform from violent anger to the deepest the people into idolatry, a form of spiritual tenderness. prostitution. It might be good to keep in mind the words of one Unique feature of the book of Hosea. The most unique commentator whose name I cannot recall: “When it and striking feature of this book is that it is the first comes to the transmission of this text, it seems as if the book of the Bible to use the metaphor of marriage to original pieces fell on the floor but were not put back describe God’s relationship with Israel—an image together properly by the final editor.” For example, that would often be used later by other prophets and chapter 2 begins with verse 4, and verses 1-3are by Christ and Paul. The marriage image is one that placed elsewhere. Similarly, the 1991 edition of the Hosea first lived in his personal life before he New American Bible begins chapter 2 with verse 4, preached it in his oracles or sermons. whereas the 2011 edition begins it with verse 1. The English translations of Hosea sometimes offer very In his book, Set My Exiles Free, Fr. John Power different readings of the same passage. writes: “Hosea was a good man whose marriage turned out an unhappy one. Having borne him three DIVISION OF CHAPTERS children, his wife Gomer took up, not with another man, but with a number of men. Hosea divorced her PART ONE: THE PROPHET’S MARRIAGE according to the Mosaic law, and she apparently AND ITS SYMBOLISM (Chs 1-3) became a temple prostitute in one of the pagan shrines PART TWO: CONSEQUENCES OF ISRAEL’S of the northern kingdom. In the eyes of a pious SINFUL CONDUCT (Chs 4-14) Israelite—and Hosea was one—this was the lowest any woman could go. But Hosea’s life and actions are Two clear themes in chapters 4-13 are God’s dominated by God, and so Hosea takes her back, in judgment on Israel and God’s love for Israel. “The fact, ransoms her from the pagan shrine—‘bought her dark gloom evoked by the message of judgment is for fifteen shekels of silver’ (3:2). And he goes on to frequently brightened by an insight of love that is say (v.5): ‘Afterwards the children of Israel shall irrepressible” (Peter Craigie). Chapter 14 is a call to return and seek the Lord their God…’ In other words, conversion. God enlightens Hosea and enables him to see in his painful domestic tragedy a picture of the infidelity of COMMENTARY Israel. Israel had been espoused to God—this is what the Sinai covenant meant for the prophets. But she PART ONE: HOSEA’S MARRIAGE AND ITS proved an unfaithful spouse who turned her back on SYMBOLIC MEANING God to worship false gods. This idolatry the prophets 1 CHAPTER 1: Hosea marries and has three children days of the northern kingdom are numbered because of her infidelity to God. The Lord said to Hosea, “Go take a harlot and harlot’s children, for the land gives itself to harlotry, Lo-Ammi (v.8) which means “not my people” is a turning away from the Lord” (v.2). walking reminder that Israel (the northern kingdom) will no longer be God’s chosen people. The first three chapters of this book focus upon the symbolic meaning of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer. The southern kingdom of Judah will continue to be Chapter 1 explains the symbolic meaning of the God’s chosen people. The names of the three children names of their three children. signify an increasing alienation in the relationship Verse 1 gives us the historical context for Hosea’s between God and Israel. The first child represents a prophetic ministry during the reign of Uzziah, Jotham, looming judgment against the royal family; the second Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings in Judah, and in the last years speaks of God’s compassion running out; and the third of Jeroboam’s reign in the Northern Kingdom. symbolizes the end of Israel’s covenant relationship with God. Israel had sinned and resisted God’s God’s first recorded words to Hosea are: “Go take a warnings and so the judgment of a terminated harlot wife and harlot’s children, for the land gives covenant is announced: Israel will no longer be God’s itself to harlotry, turning away from the Lord” (v.2). people or God’s bride. Some scholars wonder if Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was symbolic, or if it actually occurred. Was Gomer a Pause: Do you know the story behind your first and middle prostitute at the time of the marriage, or was the name? Do you have the same name as a saint? If so, author referring to what actually occurred later in the what do you know about the saint? marriage? Regardless of the actual historical circumstances, the message or symbolism is clear CHAPTER 2: Israel’s punishment and restoration enough. In allowing herself to be lured into the worship of foreign gods, Israel is prostituting herself “I will lay waste her vines and fig trees, of which to other gods, to another spouse. She is being she said, ‘These are the hires my lovers have given unfaithful to her true spouse, the God of Israel. me.’” (v.14) Israel’s behavior toward God is like that of an unfaithful spouse. Faithless Gomer is an image of “I will allure her….into the desert and speak to her faithless Israel. heart…. She shall respond to me as in the days of her youth when she came from the land of Egypt.” (vv 16- Symbolic names of Hosea and Gomer’s children 17) (vv 4-8). In the Bible, names are very important. They can tell us something about the person and his/her “I will espouse you to me forever. I will espouse destiny. For example, the name Abraham means you in right and justice, in love, and in mercy; I will “father of a multitude.” Simon’s name was changed espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord.” by Jesus to Peter (from the Greek petros, i.e. Rock). (vv 21-22) Peter was destined to become the rock on which the When we read this chapter, we will notice again the church would be built. Names could also speak to the rearrangement of the verses by The New American destiny of a nation. The names given to the children Bible. of Hosea and Gomer became “walking signs” of God’s word to Israel. The names of the three children The verses in this chapter can be interpreted on two are: levels: Hosea’s relationship with his family and God’s relationship with Israel. The former is intended Jezreel (v.4). Jezreel is the name of the royal house to mirror the latter. Sometimes the two levels are so where King Jehu carried out a terrible massacre. The intimately intertwined that it is difficult to distinguish child Jezreel is a walking reminder that Jehu’s dynasty between them. will be punished for this terrible deed. In verse 4 of this chapter, we can envision Hosea and Lo-Ruhama (v.6), Hosea’s second child whose name his children in a divorce court. They address words to means “not-pitied,” is a walking reminder that the the judge in the presence of Gomer. Hosea’s purpose time of God’s pity for Israel is coming to an end. The is to obtain a decree of divorce from his unfaithful wife. “She is not my wife and I am not her husband.” 2 Hosea’s tragic personal situation mirrors God’s entering into a covenant with Israel. As a loving relationship to Israel. In the divine court, Israel is husband, God will bestow on his bride the gifts of arraigned. God is present in his multiple roles of justice, loyalty and compassion. aggrieved party, prosecutor and judge. In this divine court, Israel’s crime is brought to light, i.e., Verses 23-25. In these final verses of chapter 2, the unfaithfulness to God in pursuit of other lovers or names of Hosea’s children are changed.
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