Kingdom Divided Lesson 15 – Hosea

 

Note:  For clarity the Kings of Israel are coded in Orange and Kings of Judah are coded in Blue.

Hosea is a minor prophet.  His name means ‘salvation’.  Again we know little about this prophet just like we know little about the other minor prophets.  He lived and worked in the northern kingdom of Israel, but his messages also concerned the southern kingdom of Judah.

Hosea 1-3 – Hosea’s Wayward Wife

God instructed Hosea to marry an adulterous woman named Gomer.  It’s hard to understand why a holy God would want one of His servants to marry a woman living in sin.  Hosea obeyed God’s instructions which brough him grief and pain.  God doesn’t promise an easy path for those who follow Him.

God assigned names for Gomer’s children with prophetic significance.  She had two sons named Jezreel and Lo-Ammi and a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah.  The daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah, because God will no longer show love to the house of Israel.  The boy was named Jezreel, because God will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel (capitol city of northern kingdom of Israel) and will put an end the kingdom of Israel.  The second son was named Lo-Ammi, because God no longer knew Israel as His people and they no longer knew Him as their God.

But wait.  Didn’t God command Jehu to avenge His prophets by destroying the house of Ahab in 2 Kings 9?  God told Jehu to destroy the house of Ahab, but Jehu went too far killing by massacring all Ahab’s men, his acquaintances, and priests.  He also slaughtered a large gathering of Baal worshipers.  God never told him to do this.  God seemed to be upset with Jehu’s bloodthirstiness.  In his zeal in carrying out God’s command he didn’t have the right motives for doing so.

Jehu’s actions are an example for us today.  Many think they are serving the Lord, but their hearts aren’t right before the Lord.  It doesn’t matter how hard we work for Him if we aren’t truly obedient.  We are to do His work in His way and in His strength.

After God’s promised judgment there will come a day of prosperity and blessing.  He promised a restoration of the Judah and Israel.  This is a wonderful example of grace.  God continues to welcome underserving sinners into His kingdom.

Gomer like Israel refused to give up her sin.  She continued to reject Hosea as her provider.  In the same way, Israel failed to acknowledge God as their provider.  Both Gomer and Israel committed adultery and prostitution – Gomer against Hosea and Israel against God.

God commanded Hosea to seek and to love Gomer, despite her betrayal.  He was to love her as God loves Israel.  Hosea obeyed God.  He found her on an auction block and bought her back just as Jesus bought us back.  He invited her back to live as his wife and pledged his faithfulness to her.  Like Gomer and Hosea, God promised to redeem Israel.

Hosea 4 – 14 – God’s Wayward People

Hosea said with Israel there is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgement of God.  They refused to acknowledge God.  They had forgotten Him.  Hosea promised that God’s purposeful judgment would fall upon Israel.  God will do whatever is necessary to deliver His people from their sinful ways no matter how much suffering they have to go through.

Hosea begged Israel to confess their sins to the Lord.  If they would turn to G0d and turn away from idols, God promised to turn away His anger and restore them.  He longs to bring people to Himself and He continues to pursue His wayward people.

God will do the same for us.  God doesn't give up on us.  If we turn to God and turn away from sin and follow Him, He will restore His relationship with us.  It does matter what we’ve done in the past.  He longs to bring us into His kingdom to live with Him forever.

Principle:  God relentlessly pursues wayward people.

Hosea ends the book in Hosea 14:9 - “Who is wise? He will realize these things.  Who is discerning?  He will understand them.  The ways of the Lord are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.”  May we be wise and discerning and walk upright all the days of our lives.

Lessons from Hosea:

The marriage of Hosea and is wayward wife Gomer parallel to the covenant relationship between God and His wayward people.

Sin leads to confusion, forgetfulness, and destruction.

Personal and private sin does not stay personal or private for very long.

God disciplines His people when they are unfaithful, but He is faithful even when they are unfaithful.

Only God can redeem and restore.

God has deep love and affection for His people.

This week’s attribute of God is He is Love.  His love never fails.  He shows love to those who do not deserve it.  He sent Hosea to be a living example.  Jesus showed us just how much He loves us when He went willing to the cross to pay the debt our sin caused.  “I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.” – Hosea 14:4

Next time we will continue our study of Kingdom Divided by going back to the book of 2 Kings 15. Hope to see you here. – I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

_________________________________________

 

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.