Lesson 1 Hosea: God’s Persistent Love July 4, 2021 Background Scripture Hosea 1, 4, 6 Lesson Passage: Hosea 1:2-10; 4:1-6; 6:4-11 (HCSB) Introduction: Hosea, whose name means salvation, or deliverance, was a contemporary of Amos. Hosea was a young preacher in the nation of Israel, the northern kingdom, and he was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah and Amos. He lived, as we are told in the first verse, during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (kings of Judah, the Southern Kingdom), and during the reign of Jeroboam. Jeroboam was one of the wicked kings of Israel and the nation was going through a difficult time when Hosea was preaching. Hosea has the distinction as being the last prophet God sent to that nation. The peoples’ conduct was nothing close to that demanded by God. They were guilty of swearing, breaking faith, murder, stealing, committing adultery, deceit, lying, drunkenness, dishonesty in business, and other crimes equally abominable before Jehovah (4:1-2, 11; 6:8-9; 10:4; 13:1-2). The priests were also involved in violence and bloodshed (6:9). The picture painted in the Book of Hosea is truly that of a nation in decay. God was completely left out of the peoples’ thinking. The prophet’s task was to turn the thinking of the people back to God, but they were too deeply steeped in their idolatry to heed his warning. They had passed the point of no return and they refused to hear. The key to Hosea’s prophecy is the parallel of Hosea’s personal life to that of God’s relationship with Israel. Hosea was instructed to take a wife of harlotry (whoredom) and have children of harlotry (1:2). Only then could the prophet gain a glimpse of what God must have felt towards Israel. Scripture References: Hosea 1:2-10 (HCSB) 2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him: Go and marry a promiscuous wife and have children of promiscuity, for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord. 3 So he went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to him: Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will bring the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. 6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him: Name her No Compassion, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. I will certainly take them away. 7 But I will have compassion on the house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the Lord their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry. 8 After Gomer had weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 Then the Lord said: Name him Not My People, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God. 10 Yet the number of the Israelites will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or counted. And in the place where they were told: You are not My people; they will be called: Sons of the living God. God’s Case against Israel Hosea 4:1-6 (HCSB) 1 Hear the word of the Lord, people of Israel, for the Lord has a case against the inhabitants of the land: There is no truth, no faithful love, and no knowledge of God in the land! 2 Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. 3 For this reason the land mourns, and everyone who lives in it languishes, along with the wild animals and the birds of the sky; even the fish of the sea disappear. 4 But let no one dispute; let no one argue, for My case is against you priests. 5 You will stumble by day; the prophet will also stumble with you by night. And I will destroy your mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you from serving as My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons. Hosea 6:4-11 (HCSB) 4What am I going to do with you, Ephraim? What am I going to do with you, Judah? Your loyalty is like the morning mist and like the early dew that vanishes. 5 This is why I have used the prophets to cut them down; I have killed them with the words of My mouth. My judgment strikes like lightning. 6 For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. 7 But they, like Adam, have violated the covenant; there they have betrayed Me. 8 Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with bloody footprints. 9 Like raiders who wait in ambush for someone, a band of priests’ murders on the road to Shechem. They commit atrocities. 10 I have seen something horrible in the house of Israel: Ephraim’s promiscuity is there; Israel is defiled. 11 A harvest is also appointed for you, Judah. When I return My people from captivity, Memory Verse: “When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him: Go and marry a promiscuous wife and have children of promiscuity, for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord” (Hosea 1:2). HCSB Topic Explored: “Hosea: God’s Persistent Love” The people didn't pay much attention to Hosea because he spoke of judgment and chastisement. He said that God was going to raise up the Assyrian nation to punish them and that fierce and ruthless army would sweep across the land like a scourge. But the people paid little attention to him and said that Hosea's God must be a pretty vengeful sort to talk like that. Hosea told them that God was a God of love and that His doing this was an activity of His love. God used Hosea to paint a picture of Israel so that Hosea would know how God felt about their spiritual adultery toward Him. God would then use Hosea to emphasize His loving-kindness and how much Israel had disappointed Him as His spiritual bride. Lesson Focus: Hosea 1:2-10 (HCSB) Verse 2 ~ Hosea married Gomer, who broke his heart with her unfaithfulness. Gomer’s actions gave Hosea an insight into Israel’s standing before God. Only then could the prophet gain a glimpse of what God must have felt towards Israel. The main message of Hosea’s prophecy is God’s unconditional love for undeserving sinners. Love was always the motivating force behind His actions on behalf of Israel. Through his own broken heart, Hosea came to learn this lesson all too well. It was through this agony that the prophet spoke to his brethren about their unfaithfulness. As repulsive as literal harlotry is to us, even more so was Israel’s spiritual unfaithfulness to God. Verses 3-10 ~ Together Hosea and Gomer have three children each with symbolic names: Jezreel (for God is about to humble Israel in the Jezreel valley), Lo-Ruhama (not pitied), and Lo- Ammi (not my people). God later calls them children of harlotry. At some point Gomer leaves Hosea for a lover and enters into an adulterous relationship. We can only imagine Hosea’s pain and likely anger at this rejection. Lesson Focus: Hosea 4:1-6 (HCSB) Verses 1-6 ~ In addition to the violations of the Ten Commandments listed here, Hosea speaks of cursing, lying and murder. Stealing and adultery are running rampant. The Israelites are breaking all bounds of violations of God’s commandments. Even the land will mourn. Wild animals, birds, fish will be totally devastated. The priests and prophets have led the people into a spiritual apostasy, and they no longer truly acknowledge God. They have failed to do their sacred duty properly. Because of this, the nation faces God’s destruction. “I will destroy your mother.” The reference to Israel as “mother” continues the metaphor of portraying the relation between Hosea’s wife Gomer, the mother of his three children, and Israel. The Israelite people themselves will be destroyed. The people have followed the priests in their virtual failure to acknowledge God. He will reject them as His priests. God is exasperated with Israel because there is no loyalty. It is knowledge of God - relationship with God - that matters, not some external ritual. Lesson Focus: Hosea 6:4-11 (HCSB) Verse 4 ~ At times Israel and Judah seemed disposed to repent under their sufferings; however, this vanished, and they were as vile as ever. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? The people were fickle. Their goodness was like the morning cloud that fades away before the rising sun, or like the early dew which is speedily evaporated by heat. When justice was about to destroy them for their iniquity, it was prevented by their repentance and contrition. When mercy was about to pour upon them as penitents its choicest blessings, it was prevented by their fickleness and relapse! The only thing that could be done in such a case was that which God did. Verses 5, 6 ~ “I desired mercy, and not sacrifice - I taught them righteousness by my prophets; for I desired mercy.