Hosea’s marriage is symbolic

Prologue

1:1

• God’s Word came to Hosea [concerning the Northern Kingdom of Israel] during the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel (& during the reigns of King Uzziah of Judah & his descendants)

Hosea gets married and children are born

1:2

• God tells Hosea, ‘Marry a promiscuous woman & have children’
  • [symbolising:] The Land is committing promiscuity against God’ [e.g. worship of false god Baal (2:8) & golden calves (8:5-6)]

1:3-5

• Hosea marries Gomer
• God says, ‘Name your son “Jezreel”!’
  • [symbolising:] God will punish Jehu’s family [Jeroboam II] for the massacre at Jezreel;

[Jehu destroyed King Ahab’s family at Jezreel (see 2 Kgs 9:6-9, 10:11), but when Jehu continued in idolatry (2 Kgs 10:30-31) he fell under the same judgement (cf. 1 Kgs 14:7-11; cf. King Baasha: 1 Kgs 15:25-30, 16:1-4)]

• God will end the kingdom of Israel

1:6-7

• Gomer has a daughter;
• God says, ‘Name her “Lo-Ruhamah”!’ [translated as ‘Not-Receiving-Compassion’]
  • [symbolising:] God will no longer show compassion to [faithless] Israel,
• But God will show love to [faithful] Judah (cf. 11:12) & He will save them [e.g. see 2 Kgs 19:30-35]

1:8-9

• Gomer has a 2^nd son;
• God says, ‘Name him “Lo-Ammi”!’ [translated as ‘Not-My-People’]
  • [symbolising:] they are not His people & He is not their [God, because they have false gods]

God will show mercy in the future

1:10 – 2:1

[Prophecy]:

• a. There will be as many children of Israel as [grains of] sand

[This promise was made to Abraham in Gen 22:17-18; see also 1 Kgs 4:20, Isa 10:20-23, Rom 4:16-25, 9:24-33, 11:25-32]

• b. God will name them ‘Sons-of-the-Living-God’ instead of ‘Not-My-People’ [cf. 1 Pet 2:9-10]
• c. Israel & Judah will be united with one leader [cf. Eze 37:22] for there will be a great day of ‘Jezreel’ [the name will become associated with God’s mercy (2:21-23) instead of punishment (1:4-5)]
• d. Call your brothers, ‘Ammi’ [‘My-People’] & sisters, ‘Ruhamah’ [‘She-Receives-Compassion’]

2:2-3

[Those who obey God are told:]

• ‘Plead with your Mother!’ [Mother-Israel] for [currently] she is not [God’s] wife [He has divorced her, see Jer 3:8a];
• she must stop acting as a prostitute or she will be stripped & left in the wilderness like the day she was born [see Dt 32:9-11, cf. Eze 16:1-19]

2:4-13

• God will not show pity when He punishes [His people] for their [spiritual] adultery & idolatry

2:14-20

• [But] God will speak in love to [Mother-Israel];
• the Valley of Achor [Josh 7:24-26, Isa 65:8-10] will become a Door of Hope;
• God will be named ‘Ishi’ [‘My-Husband’]; Israel will be His wife

2:21-22

• God will respond [favourably] to Jezreel [cf. Eze 36:8]

[Here the name Jezreel represents Mother-Israel]

2:23

• God will:
  • a. sow [Mother-Israel] to Himself [cf. Eze 36:9-11, v33-36, Jer 31:27-28; the word ‘Jezreel’ means ‘God will sow’];
  • b. show compassion to ‘Lo-Ruhamah’ (cf. 1:6);
  • c. rename ‘Lo-Ammi’ as ‘Ammi-Atah’ [‘You-Are-My-People’] (cf. 1:9)
• [Israel] will respond, ‘Elohi’ [‘My-God’]

After Hosea’s wife had left him

3:1

• God tells Hosea, ‘Go and love your wife, even though she is loved by another [man] and is an adulteress’
  • [symbolising:] God loves the Israelites though they are idolaters (cf. 2:2, v14-20)

3:2-5

• Hosea buys his wife [from the other man?] & tells her, ‘You must abide with me for many days [in isolation; similar to instructions of Dt 21:11-13?] and no longer be a prostitute!’
  • [symbolising:] the Israelites will live for a long time without a king, without a daily sacrifice and without their idols;
  • afterwards they will seek after God, seek after their king [in David’s line], and seek after God’s goodness

Ezek / Dan / HOS / Joel / Amos