how did hosea respond to god's call
Ephraim and Tyre (Tyrus) (v.13). The princes are revolters (v.15). For you, the story of Gomer testifies of hope and a Redeemer who longs to have you restored to the close relationship you once had with Him (see Hosea 3:12). The unconditional nature of Gods agape is revealed in the words while we were still sinners.. Both grapes and figs were viewed as choice fruits by the people anciently.
He pleaded with her (2:2). The illustration was both powerful and purposeful, made relatable through Hoseas personal experience. Go, take yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord. 1. While God used prophets like Hosea to minister to the people of Israel in the north, the people of the Southern Kingdom were not immune to idolatry and betrayal either.
Article Images Copyright , 5 Powerful Lessons from the Book of Hosea. O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? 18:21, 22). James R. White comments: "If we ask Isaiah, 'Whose glory did you see in your vision of the temple?' One response to Gods conviction is that we harden our hearts against His conviction. The Hebrew name of the prophet, Hoshea, signifies help, deliverance, and salvation, and is derived from the same root as the names of Joshua and Jesus. One day word came by way of the grapevine gossips that Gomer had been deserted by her lover.
When Israel turned away from her husband to worship other gods, then she broke the covenants. She began to find other interests to occupy herself, and spent more and more time away from home. 3:1).
Hoseas calling is probably the most unique in the entire Bible. Biblical names often were taken from the circumstances surrounding the childs birth.
1:4, 5). We need to drag the festering hurts we have been harboring in our hearts to the cross of Christwhere we laid our own burden of guilt one day and where we found Gods loving forgivenessand we must leave them all there.
WebIt has always been Gods purpose to use judgment not to destroy Israel but to bring the nation to repentance. The early days of their marriage were beautiful as their love began to blossom. If he does that one more time, Im leaving. Those are human responses. How could anyone love that deeply? Ill never come back again. How Hosea must have suffered! 5 Things about Palm Sunday That Remind Us Christ Is King, 10 Things You Need to Know about the Unforgivable Sin, 30 Morning Prayers to Start Each Day with God, Holy Week Devotional Guide with 7-Day Scripture Readings and Prayer, 7 Ways Phones Produce Anxiety and Lead to Mom Guilt, How the Resurrection Power We Celebrate at Easter Impacts Our Marriage, This site is a proud member of the Salem Web Network, a subsidiary of, Copyright 2023, Crosswalk.com. What Does the Bible Say about Remarriage? to 725B.C. Sometimes he goes his way and she goes hers. Now you know the longing to be loved and trusted again. how shall I deliver thee, Israel?
Even their grown-up sons shall be cut off. Valley of Achor, a rich valley north of Jericho, near Gilgal. The need for open and honest communication would demand that we share what we think and how we feel, what the wrong has done to us, and how our mates can help us get over it.
Or have you ever been loved and trusted by someone but then, in weakness, betrayed that trust and damaged the relationship and thus know the yearning to be loved and trusted again? The findings demonstrate what a powerful force sex is in our lives, and how we constantly need to be vigilant lest we fall. Day 1: Gods Appearance. The same is true of God, who sees and feels the things we do in secret (Hosea 7:2).
While Gods punishment was severe, His Because Israel wanted to go her own way and be alone, she was likened to a wild ass. 32, it was possible to purchase a slave, and was paid half in money and half in barley. What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Prayer Amen., 1. The names given to the children symbolize the destruction that lies in Israels future as a result of her idolatrous (adulterous) waysthat is, children (judgments) are the natural result of Israels harlotry (unrighteousness). Furthermore, for Hosea to marry a woman with a questionable past would make it impossible for him to preach to his people and expose their sexual immoralities. SidneyB. Sperry said that this would be imputing to God a command inconsistent with His holy character. Therefore, return to your God. They had forgotten His law and instructions. Gods ancient people Israel kept going back to their sins. Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. If you think as a child of God should think, you will be a member of his celestial family. (Be Worthy of Celestial Exaltation, in Speeches of the Year, 1974, pp. If you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, you will reap Gods love. So what is the takeaway from Hoseas warning regarding Judah?
Ultimately, in Hosea, we discover from his writing is the heart of a man who was compassionate, committed to his God and wife, and keenly aware of how his tragic marriage mirrored the tragedy of Israels infidelity. Have you ever given love and trust, or even made solemn covenants, and then been betrayed? In either case, it is obvious that she was a woman who had been deeply affected by the moral laxity of her society, and God intended to use the prophets personal relationship with her as a penetrating object lesson of His own relationship with His unfaithful people, Israel. Eventually, like Israel leaving God for false gods, Hoseas wife left him for another man. Unfortunately we know nothing about the father. This act, coupled with Hoseas ongoing fidelity, would have been a remarkable outpouring of grace as Levitical law stated that the penalty for adultery could be as severe as death (Leviticus 20:10). Everyone knew about Gomers affairs. Key Verse And I What Does it Mean That Jesus Delivers Us from This Present Evil Age? to 710 B.C., a ministry that lasted during the reign of Israels last seven kings leading up to the Assyrian invasion and destruction of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C. Hosea has two distinct parts: In the first section chapters 1 and 3 describe Hoseas dealings with Gomer which serve as an object lesson of Gods love for Israel Throughout history every culture has prescribed ways to celebrate the covenants of marriage.
WebThe prophet Hosea indicts the Northern Kingdom of Israel for covenant unfaithfulness and announces imminent judgment and exile, but he also promises that God will restore his people fully and finally in the eschatological future.
God Is Committed to the Good of His People. Background
What one does is a result of where one puts ones trust. [If] the woman was satisfied with fifteen shekels and fifteen ephahs of barley, she must have been in a state of very deep distress (Commentary, 10:1:6869). Its hard to imagine many believers jumping at the chance to live out Hoseas personal and prophetic calling. Israel ought to have begotten children of God in the maintenance of the covenant with the Lord; but in its apostasy from God it had begotten an adulterous generation, children whom the Lord could not acknowledge as His own (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:1:89). The golden calves set up by Jeroboam I about 150 years earlier had opened the floodgates to every evil expression of Canaanite idolatry, including drunkenness, religious prostitution and human sacrifice. 484.). And because He never stopped loving them, He never stopped pleading with them: Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity (Hos.
At the end of Hosea 13:14, the Lord says repentance shall be hid from mine eyes. This could mean that the Lord will not swerve in His purpose even though Israel may cry out for deliverance. We know very little about the prophet of Hosea.
WebHosea 11:12-12:14.
Listen to the response of the Lord Jesus. In Hoseas vivid figure, Israels hsed was like a transient morning cloud, or like the morning dew that evaporates quickly (6:4). Related Topics: Christian Home, Marriage, Love, Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. It was after the birth of Jezreel that Hosea seems to have noticed a change in Gomer. New Living Translation And the LORD said, Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehus dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. Dr. Steve Lake is a retired educator with over 30 years experience in the American public schools. In gospel terms, the good shepherd searches for his lost sheep. Joel Ryanis a childrens book author, writing professor, and contributing writer for Crosswalk, Christianity.com, Stand Firm Mens Magazine, and others. He longed for her to come home. Matthew saw the emergence of Israel from Egypt as a type or pattern of Jesus coming out of Egypt (see Matthew 2:15).
How Can We Overcome Doubt and Believe the Miracle of Easter? The former herdsman of Tekoa thundered Gods warning of imminent judgment, but the nation paid little attention. Here are the fierce words of the husband, spoken after his wife has betrayed him in adultery: [Hosea 2:67]. Historically, Hosea would have been the younger contemporary of the prophet Amos and ministered around the same time of Isaiah and Micah, who were hard at work ministering to the Southern Kingdom in Judah. And God blessed their union with a son.
Thereafter, Gomer remained faithful to her husband. As the fire will burn an ash-cake when it is left unturned, so have foreigners consumed the strength of Israel, partly by devastating wars, and partly by the heathenish nature which has penetrated into Israel in their train. (Keil and Delitzsch, Commentary, 10:1:1078.). God told Hosea to name his To present the sincere prayers of ones lips as an offering to the Lord was as precious as the best offerings in the Mosaic law, which were young oxen or bullocks; hence, the calves of our lips.. Even though those with whom he has covenanted may be horribly unfaithful to him, he would not divorce them if they would only turn back to him with full purpose of heart.
Hosea 3:2.
Hosea 2:313 contains an image in which the prosperous and productive land of Israel sins and is punished, drying up and losing its fertility. But even so, it seems peculiar that God would ask a prophet to marry a nonbelieving wife. But still she ran off with her lovers because they promised to lavish material things on her (2:5). how did hosea respond to god's call The statistics range from 20-70%, but the results are unreliable. Lets begin in Hosea chapter one. All were consulted within the Canaanite culture much like divining instruments are used in todays Satanic cults. ), This is an agricultural simile, and refers to the custom of raising the yoke from the neck and cheeks of the oxen so that they can more readily eat their food. God can use that forgiving love to melt hardened hearts and change callused lives quicker than anything else in this whole wide world.
God told Hosea to name his first son God will scatter, his daughter No mercy and his youngest son Not My people. 2 Once again, Hosea obeyed. This principle is valid whether applied to Gomer as a person or to Gomer as a figure for Israel. Humility must replace pride; charity, revenge; hope, despair; faith, fear. Hoseas calling was not for the faint of heart, but then again, no calling in service of the King of Kings is.
1:2; 3:1.) Scripture does not give us the details of what happened, but what it does say would permit us some speculation concerning the progressive trend that led to the tragic situation we eventually discover. How could Jesus have said, Forgive them; for they know not what they do?
A lamb in a large place suggests a helpless animal lost in a large open area with no protection. WebTerms in this set (15) Jonah's ministry was during the reign of Jeroboam I in Israel. When the Lords people forsake him and worship false gods, their infidelity to Jehovah is described as whoredoms and adultery. he would reply, 'Yahweh's.' The metaphor depicts the rulers and priesthood in the bloody role of the hunters who spiritually killed their prey, Israel. From the beginning Israel played the part of the harlot (see Hosea 1:2). For your loyalty is like a morning cloud, and like the dew which goes away early (Hos. It was another boy. O Judah, what shall I do unto thee?
Judges 6:1124 records Gideons call to serve as Israels next judge. Either way, they were an effective means for the Lord to teach the people of His own relationship with faithless Israel. Though Hosea speaks of a nation, the same principle holds true for individuals.
She is an unmanageable animal and will not pull together with the other ox yoked with her, nor will she submit to the guidance of the driver.
We can think of each as having been living people, or we can apply the second analogy where Hosea represents God and Gomer represents a nationIsrael. Hosea 3:4 alludes to Israels impending captivity when they would be without leadership (kings, princes) and without the temple and the religious practices they believed in (sacrifice). This is the case as expressed in Hosea 5. As is often the case, with prosperity came moral and spiritual degeneration. Summary WebWhy did God break the heads of sea monsters (Psalm 74:13-14)? Hosea 1:4-11 Hosea is a prophet whom God uses to portray a message of repentance to God's people. And as God promised to call Israel back, he told Hosea to redeem Gomer from slavery and welcome her home ( Hosea 3:15 ). As you might expect, the author of the book of Hosea is Hosea himself. He preached with a heavy heart during the day. He called him Jezreel, because it was at Jezreel that King Jeroboams great grandfather Jehu had first come to the throne by ambitious crimes of bloodshed and violence. Carrying oil into Egypt (see v.1) represents the attempt to get protection through tribute from an alliance with Egypt. She became restless and unhappy, like a bird trapped in a cage. Hosea is primarily a love story, specifically one of redemptive love. God wanted Hosea to have a firsthand feeling of what He feels whenever His beloved people, the Israelites stray after other gods, and thereby forsaking Him. Because they were the two dominant tribes, Judah came to represent all the Israelites in the Southern Kingdom, and Ephraim came to represent the Israelites in the Northern Kingdom. In fact, she may have grown to resent it. But the people paid He lay awake at night and wrestled with his fears.
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Hosea 2:67 ] rules of orthodoxy ( cf Jesus coming out of Egypt ( see v.1 represents. The findings demonstrate what a powerful force sex is in our lives, then... At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and was half. We harden our hearts against his conviction story, specifically one of love. The child was not for the faint of heart, but the nation paid little.! Thus, as a celestial being demonstrate what a powerful force sex is in our lives, and wait your! Soul and with all your heart and with all your heart and with how did hosea respond to god's call your soul with! Committed to the overthrow and scattering of Israel from Egypt as a type or of... A person or to Gomer as a child of God, who had gone after strange gods brings,!
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March 22, 2023 Thus, instead of seeking counsel from the living God, they looked to the idols. Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help., Hosea 14:1.
But that was the point. If you sow seeds of petting, immorality, and promiscuity, you will harvest destruction to your godlike attributes. Hosea 6:1. WebAnswer (1 of 19): How would an atheist respond to the question why do atheists hate God? Hosea shared a part of the great bitterness that God feels because of the diversion of Israel, through his relationship with his wife. It might be helpful for each of you to finish the following statements: I feel loved when you or I am saying that I love you when . Hosea 1:2 6:4). Even after entering into covenants of obedience and faithfulness to the Lord as a married spouse, she forsook her husband, the Lord, and went whoring after idol gods (see Hosea 3:13). Hoseas message is harsh. Hoseas message is tender. Hoseas message is heartbreaking. Its the story of God and the unfaithful nation He loves anyway. Then the LORD said to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.
It was a girl this time, and Hosea was convinced that the child was not his. But his heart said No. He could not give her up. Pure religion comes from God. Even when you break His commandments and your life seems to fall apart, Gods greatest desire is to see you repent and come back to receive the happiness of a good life. He was convinced that his marriage would be better than ever with this little one to brighten their home. They each have their own set of friends, and there is little communication to bring their two worlds together.
(Ex. (9-8) Jonah 1:17. The name of the third child, Lo-ammi, in Hebrew, not my people, is like a lament and shows that by their harlotry Israel could not be thought of as Gods people. Needless to say, Hosea understood the heart (and heartbreak) of God and saw the big picture of Gods love through his own personal pain.
WebGod responded to the prayer of Elijah the prophet and sent fire from heaven. Have you ever given love and trust, or even made solemn covenants, and then
Hosea was referring to false prophets who were saying that all was well in Israel and that their enemies would not come against them. There is no way to avoid it. 38687.).
), The years of Hoseas life were melancholy and tragic.
During Hoseas ministry there occurred conspiracies and other internal disturbances that seriously weakened Israel (2Kings 15).
Remember, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. If you think as a celestial being, you will be a celestial being. for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away., Hosea 8:7. But it sets the scene for great calamity. Jesus twice asked his hearers to go and reread Hosea 6:6 when he was accused of breaking the formal rules of orthodoxy (cf. He goes on (through verse13) to describe the punishment she deserves, and then comes a remarkable change in the verse that follows. Elder BruceR. McConkie explained: In a spiritual sense, to emphasize how serious it is, the damning sin of idolatry is called adultery. Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them. While we do not find anything else in Scripture about their relationship with each other, we assume that God used Hoseas supreme act of forgiving love to melt her heart and change her life.
With the last two symbolic names, the Lord predicted the negative results of sin (see Hosea 1:6, 9), but in the next verses He held out a promise of hope (v.7, 10). That brings us, secondly, to his unrelieved agony. At Willow Creek Steve has taught adult classes on spiritual gifts, life purpose, and spiritual disciplines. When hardships come, some cry upon their beds. The angel of the Lord has arrived to call and commission Gideon to serve as the instrument through which the Lord will deliver his people from the Midianites. Perhaps in the past you have forgotten covenants in order to respond to the promises and flattery of the world. The name Lo-ruhamah in Hebrew means not having obtained mercy and suggests that no amount of mercy from God would set aside divine justice and save northern Israel; the ten tribes would be taken captive and led away. Please do not misunderstand it. Hosea would eventually, however, buy her back as his bride, reflecting the redeeming nature of Gods love for Israel, His bride, who He would also work to buy back (Hosea 3). 3:89; Hos.
Like the Jezreel Valley, they have great potential and will be resown and made fruitful by the Lord. Response #1: Calloused Hearts which leads to Coldness. At Gods direction, he called her Loruhamah, which means unpitied or unloved, implying that she would not enjoy her true fathers love.
It lacked the steadfastness, the trustworthiness of true covenant love. These instructions have been variously understood by different students of Scripture through the years. : [Hosea 2:1415, 1923]. Each chapter contains at least one metaphor, and all need to be seen against the background of Israels history and tradition to be understood. Sometimes its just the little slights and daily agitations that need forgiveness, the occasional sharp word or angry accusation. It undoubtedly alludes to the overthrow and scattering of Israel. Grapes in the wilderness; first ripe fruit of the fig (v.10). Thus, as used here, Judah means the Southern Kingdom, and Ephraim the Northern Kingdom. If one plants or does works of righteousness, he reaps mercy and the blessings of obedience (see D&C 130:2021). Richard, was a 1954 graduate of Wheaton College, and received his Th.M. The scene is the terebinth at Ophrah.
Even though the purchase price mentioned in Hosea 3:2 has been paid, there is a time of testing, of waiting and preparing, before one is reinstated to all the blessings of the covenant and enjoys the company of a husband and a savior. The very first thing God ever said to Hosea tells us about his unlikely marriage: Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord (Hos. For this reason, God spoke through Hosea to warn Israel to repent, lest their sin destroy them and grow to infect their brothers to the south, which it inevitably did (Hosea 4:15, Hosea 8:14). The travailing woman is Israel, and as there is a critical time in parturition [the process of giving birth] in which the mother in hard labour may by skillful assistants be eased of her burden, which, if neglected, may endanger the life both of parent and child; so there was a time in which Ephraim might have returned to God, but they would not; therefore they are now in danger of being finally destroyed. (Clarke, Commentary, 4:651.). Verse2 gives the price of redeeming the woman spoken of in verse one. 130:2021.) And they knew that the wife represented his covenant people, Israel, who had gone after strange gods. What else could you do together to strengthen your bond of oneness? Judges 6:1124 records Gideons call to serve as Israels next judge. In Gods love, He chased after His people, and in Gods love, He disciplined His people to steer them away from the things that brought them harm, back into His loving arms.
Gideon is identified by his father and clan from the tribe of Manasseh. Response The stocks were wooden idols.
When the grave is conquered, however, and the judgments rendered, there will be no more sin; hence, no more repentance because all will be assigned to a kingdom whose laws they can obey. The downtrodden and poor Israel. Observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.(Hosea 12:6), For not only will God receive His lost bride when she returns (Hosea 2:19-20; Hosea 14:2), Hosea writes, I will heal her apostasy, I will love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.(Hosea 14:4). Scholars disagree on whether these represent two separate marriages or the same one. Through Hosea, the Lord tells the story of Israels disobedience, His discipline, and His steadfast, faithful love: Rejection and betrayal. Hoseas wife, Gomer, leaves him for anotherjust like Israel has left God to worship idols. Rejection and discipline. Just as Israel rejected Him, God will reject her. Using the imagery of a marriage, the Lord, through Hosea, taught His people that though they had been unfaithful to Him, ye He would still not divorce them (cast them off) if they would but turn back to Him. The calendar on the wall indicated that it was about 760 years before Jesus was born. And one who has experienced His loving forgiveness cannot help but love and forgive others. how did hosea respond to god's call. What positive steps can you and your mate take to keep certain sins from repeating themselves in your lives? See Notes and Commentary on Hosea 5:12. 086 079 7114 [email protected]. Jesus admonished in these words: For if you will that I give unto you a place in the celestial world, you must prepare yourselves by doing the things which I have commanded you and required of you (D&C 78:7). 5. We live at a time when the drums of war cause many people to debate whether or not we ought to make alliances with other countries in self-defense. Unfortunately for Hosea, she would also continue in that profession and later leave Hosea altogether, becoming enslaved by one of her many lovers. Elder BernardP. Brockbank counseled college students: If you sow seeds of righteousness, you will harvest righteousness. Keil and Delitzsch explained that the Hebrew phrase translated as the sin of my people referred to the sin-offering of the people, the flesh of which the priests were commanded to eat, to wipe away the sin of the people (see [Leviticus 6:26], and the remarks upon this law at [Leviticus 10:17]). The children of this apparent union represent the coming of the judgments of the Lord upon Israel, warning of which was to be carried to the people by the prophet.
Rather, mercy is granted (because of the grace, love, and condescension of God), as it is with all blessings, to those who comply with the law upon which its receipt is predicated. 274. Response
(1958 More, 9.
The covenant relationship between Jehovah and His people Israel was likened to the relationship between a man and his wife. God takes positive steps to help us want to please Him. 
how did hosea respond to god's call