Hosea: The Prophet of Relentless Love

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• Hosea's powerful story demonstrates how God used one prophet's painful marriage to unfaithful Gomer as a living metaphor for His relentless love for wayward Israel. We explore the shocking imagery, historical context, and timeless message of this prophetic book that foreshadows the gospel's redemptive love.

• Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel between 755-710 BC during a time of prosperity masking spiritual decay
• God instructed Hosea to marry Gomer, knowing she would be unfaithful, as a living picture of Israel's betrayal
• The prophet's three children were given symbolic names representing judgment that God later transformed into promises of restoration
• Israel's primary sins included idol worship, political alliances with pagan nations, and corrupt spiritual leadership
• Despite certain judgment through Assyrian conquest, God promises eventual healing and restoration
• The book reveals three key truths: God hates sin, judgment is coming, but His loyal love never gives up
• Hosea's redemption of Gomer from slavery foreshadows Christ's redemptive work on the cross
• The final chapter offers a beautiful invitation to return to God's healing love rather than condemnation

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Some of my favorite choirs singing “Come Thou Fount, Robert Robinson”

• The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square
• Oakwood University Aeolians
• GHAMSU Choir UCC
• Morgan State University Choir

Resources:

• Galan, B., & Curiel, J. (n.d.). Bible Overview.
• Hays, J. D., & Longman, T. (2010). A Survey of the Prophetic and Apocalyptic Books of the Old Testament. Zondervan.
• MacArthur, J. (Ed.). (2019). The MacArthur Study Bible, NIV edition. Thomas Nelson.
• Nelson, T. (n.d.). The NIV, Open Bible: Complete Reference System.
• Wood, L. J. (n.d.). Prophets of Israel. Baker Book House

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Note: All scripture references are from the NIV translation unless otherwise indicated.

Episode Transcript

Jacqui (00:12):
Greetings listeners.
Today we're exploring the bookof Hosea, a prophet whose life
was his message.
Imagine being asked by God tolive out a painful,
heartbreaking relationship, toshow the world just how deeply
God loves his people, even whenthey're unfaithful to him.

(00:34):
That's exactly what happens inthe story of Hosea, and it's one
of the most unforgettableprophetic books in the Bible.
But what does this ancientstory mean for us today?
Well, let's explore thattogether.
Well, welcome everyone.
I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole,and this is the Bible Basics

(00:58):
Podcast, where, weekly, we breakdown the basics of the Bible
into understandable, bite-sizedchunks.
Let's set the stage.
Hosea was a prophet in thenorthern kingdom of Israel
somewhere between 755 to 710 BC.
On the surface, things lookedprosperous, israel's economy was

(01:24):
strong and the nation feltsecure, but beneath the surface,
spiritual decay was eatingIsrael alive.
The people worshiped Baal,b-a-a-l, a fertility god, while
still claiming loyalty to theone true God, Yahweh.
And instead of trusting God forprotection, israel was courting

(01:49):
alliances with Assyria, thevery empire God would soon use
to bring their judgment.
Hosea's prophecy was God'sfinal voice to the northern
kingdom before its destruction,a last warning before everything
collapsed.
It was a classic case oftrusting human power instead of

(02:13):
divine protection, and Hosea hada lot to say about it.
So who was Hosea?
We don't know much about hisbackground.
What we do know comes almostentirely from his own book.
His name means salvation and,interestingly, it shares the
same Hebrew root as Joshua andJesus, which mean Yahweh is

(02:40):
salvation, salvation.
Hosea wasn't a palace insider ora priest from a famous family.
He was just a man called by Godto deliver a deeply personal
and painful message, one thatplayed out not only in his
preaching but also in his ownmarriage.

(03:00):
His primary audience was thenorthern kingdom of Israel, and
if you read his book, you'llnotice Hosea calls them by
several different names.
Sometimes he says Israel, whichis the usual name, other times
he calls them Ephraim, becauseEphraim was the dominant tribe
in the north, and still othertimes he uses Samaria, the

(03:25):
capital city, as a shorthand forthe whole kingdom.
His 8th century contemporariesincluded Amos in the north and
Isaiah and Micah in the south.
But what really sets Hoseaapart is this God told him to
marry a woman named Gomer,knowing from the start she would

(03:48):
be unfaithful.
Their broken marriage was meantto be a living picture,
something the people could seewith their own eyes that showed
how Israel had betrayed God'scovenant God's covenant.

(04:11):
Even in that heartbreak, Godused Hosea's marriage to
illustrate his own relentlesslove, a love that refuses to
quit even when the beloved haswandered far away.
Now let's look at the way thebook is organized and its
contents.
The book of Hosea has 14chapters and flows between two
main sections.
Chapters 1 through 3, theUnfaithful Wife tells the story

(04:36):
of Hosea's marriage to Gomer,showing how her repeated
unfaithfulness mirrors Israel'sspiritual adultery.
Then there are chapters 4through 14, the Unfaithful
People.
It shifts into a loosecollection of prophetic messages
delivered during Hosea's almost50-year career as a prophet.

(05:00):
In them, hosea lays out threeprimary topics the charges
against Israel, the comingjudgment, but it also offers a
stunning promise of restorationif they would just return to God
.
In terms of genre, virtuallythe entire book is penned in

(05:21):
poetry, with the exceptions ofchapters 1 and 3.
Now let's look at the prophet'smain message.
If you had to sum up the entirebook of Hosea in one sentence,
it would be this God's love forhis people is relentless, even
when they are unfaithful.

(05:42):
But to really understandHosea's message, we need to
remember the covenant Israel wasliving under, the Mosaic
Covenant.
The Mosaic Covenant was abinding agreement that set
Israel apart as God's chosenpeople, but it also came with
conditions.
If they obeyed they would beblessed.

(06:04):
If they broke it they wouldface consequences.
The covenant is the frame ofreference for the whole book.
Every warning of judgment,every call to repentance and
every promise of restoration istied to that covenant
relationship.
Hosea is not just saying tryharder people.

(06:26):
He was saying remember who youare.
You are God's covenant people,but you're living like you don't
even know him.
That's the heartbeat of thewhole book, and Hosea delivers
this message through three maintruths.
First, God hates sin.
Second, judgment theconsequence of sin is coming.

(06:50):
But third and this is the onewe can't miss God's loyal love
will not let them go.
Let's break this down a bit.
Truth number one God hates sin.
The biggest issue spiritualadultery.
The people of Israel werebowing to idols like Baal, but

(07:13):
that wasn't the only problem.
They were also putting theirtrust in political alliances
instead of God.
Hosea, chapter 7, verse 11,puts it this way.
Hosea, chapter 7, verse 11,puts it this way quote Ephraim
is like a dove, easily deceivedand senseless.
Now calling to Egypt, nowturning to Assyria unquote.

(07:37):
They were running to foreignnations for protection instead
of trusting the God who hadrescued them from Egypt in the
first place.
It's like spiritual cheatingand political cheating rolled
into one.
And Hosea's message was clearForeign alliances can't save you
when you've abandoned the Godwho actually can.

(08:00):
And there was another layer tothe problem, and it was a
leadership failure.
In chapter 4, verse 6, God saysquote my people are destroyed
for lack of knowledge.
Unquote.
At first that sounds like thepeople just forgot some facts
about God.
But Hosea makes it clear thatpart of the blame falls on the

(08:22):
priests, the very people God hadentrusted to teach the people
his law.
And we find that in Deuteronomy, chapter 33, verse 10.
Instead of teaching truth, thepriests had become corrupt.
Hosea, chapter 4, verse 8, saysthat they were literally
feeding off of the sin of thepeople, profiting from

(08:44):
sacrifices instead of callingthe people to repentance.
And chapter 6, verse 9, paintsan even darker picture.
God says the priests havebecome like a gang of robbers,
committing violence themselves.
Yes, this is not what priestswere supposed to be according to

(09:04):
Deuteronomy 33 and Malachi 2.
Priests were meant to guardknowledge, teach God's ways and
guide the people into rightrelationship with him.
But in Hosea's day, the priestsforgot God's law, so the people
never really knew it either.
Now, this is a warning thatstill applies today.

(09:26):
When spiritual leaders stopteaching the truth or when
churches replace God's word withfeel-good messages or empty
rituals, spiritual drift isn'tfar behind.
And at the same time, each ofus has the responsibility to
seek to know God personally.

(09:46):
It's not about filling ourheads with religious facts, it's
about growing in realrelationship with him.
That's why God says in chapter6, verse 6, quote for I desire
mercy, not sacrifice, andacknowledgement of God rather
than burnt offerings, unquote.

(10:08):
In other words, I'm not afterempty religious performances.
I want hearts that actuallyknow and love me.
Now let's look at truth numbertwo.
Judgment was coming.
The Assyrians would invade.
Two judgment was coming.
The Assyrians would invade.
Exile was on the horizon.
Chapter 8, verse 7 paints thepicture with this well-known

(10:36):
phrase, quote they have sown thewind and they shall reap the
whirlwind.
The very nation Israel trustedto protect them would become the
instrument of God's judgment.
Their false worship, injusticeand refusal to know God would
all catch up with them.
But there's truth number threehope of restoration.

(10:58):
Even though judgment wascertain, it wouldn't be the end
of the story, judgment wascertain it wouldn't be the end
of the story.
Hosea's message doesn't stop atjudgment.
It ends with hope, and this isconsistent with God's character.
God is just, yes, but he isalso merciful.
After exile, after everythingfalls apart, god promises he

(11:31):
will heal and restore his people.
Chapter 14, verse 4, says Iwill heal their waywardness and
love them freely, for my angerhas turned away from them.
Even after betrayal, even afterjudgment, god's love would
still be there, pursuingforgiving, restoring and Hosea's

(11:52):
own painful story pursuing andredeeming his unfaithful wife,
even while she was in the midstof her sinful behavior.
God was making a way to bringher back.
That's an unforgettable messageof hope.
Now let's look at somethingwe've been trying to do with all

(12:14):
the prophets looking at theirstrange but powerful prophetic
imagery.
Prophets were famous for usingbold, even shocking imagery to
make their message impossible toignore, and Hosea's book is
full of vivid symbolic pictures.
What makes Hosea unique, though, is that the imagery wasn't

(12:36):
just in his sermons.
It was in his life.
The first and most personalimage is in his marriage to
Gomer.
The first and most personalimage is in his marriage to
Gomer.
God told Hosea to marry a womanwho would be unfaithful, to
show Israel what theirunfaithfulness to God looked
like.
And Hosea obeyed Gomer, chasedafter other lovers and

(12:59):
eventually ended up enslaved,but Hosea didn't give up.
Enslaved, but Hosea didn't giveup.
In chapter three, hosea buysher back, paying a price to
redeem his own wife.
It's a living picture of grace,hosea rescuing Gomer, just like
God longs to rescue his people.

(13:20):
It's love that pursues,forgives and restores, even when
it's undeserved.
The next powerful image comesfrom the names God gave Hosea
and Gomer's three children, andwe see that in chapter 1, verses
4 through 9.
Each name was a message fromGod to Israel, was a message

(13:43):
from God to Israel.
The first son was named Jezreel, meaning God scatters, a
warning of coming destruction.
The next daughter was namedLo-Ruhamah, meaning no mercy or
no love, a sign that God'spatience was running out.
The third child, a son, wasnamed Lo Ammi, meaning not my

(14:09):
people, a heartbreakingdeclaration that Israel had
broken the covenant.
But here's the amazing twist,in chapter 2, verse 23, god
reverses the names.
Not my people becomes you aremy people.
No mercy becomes I will showmercy.

(14:30):
Even when Israel rebelled, godwas already planning to restore
the relationship.
And the name Jezreel also getsa surprising twist in chapter 2,
verse 22.
At first Jezreel pointed tojudgment.
Israel would be scattered byexile, but later God uses the

(14:51):
same name to promise restoration.
He would sow them back into theland like a farmer planting
seeds.
It's a beautiful reminder thateven in judgment, God is already
planning redemption.
But not all of Hosea's imageryis about restoration.

(15:11):
Some of it is intense,describing judgment with the
force of an attacking lion inchapter 5:14, or an enraged bear
in chapter 13, verse 8.
Why?
Because sin isn't just breakingrules, it's breaking God's
heart.
It's harsh, even unsettlinglanguage, but it shows just how

(15:35):
seriously God takes Israel's sinand just how deeply he feels
the pain of broken covenant love.
This isn't God lashing out inrandom anger.
It's the grief of a betrayedspouse who has loved
relentlessly and been rejectedagain and again.
For us today it's a powerfulreminder that sin isn't just

(16:02):
breaking rules, it's breakingGod's heart.
It's breaking God's heart andyet, even in that heartbreak,
God's love still pursues,forgives and restores.
So at this point you might bewondering what does Hosea's

(16:23):
story have to do with me?
Honestly, a lot.
Let me walk you through threekey ways.
This ancient story speaksdirectly to us today.
First, jesus.
Jesus is the ultimatefulfillment of Hosea's message.
Just like Hosea pursued andredeemed Gomer, jesus pursued
and redeemed us.
We were lost in sin,spiritually unfaithful and

(16:45):
unable to save ourselves, butJesus paid the price to bring us
back.
That picture of Hosea buyingGomer back from slavery, that's
a preview of the cross, whereJesus paid the ultimate price to
set us free.
Second, Hosea calls us tofaithfulness, and Jesus does too

(17:08):
.
Israel's mistake was chasingafter other gods.
What about us?
What are the gods with a smallg we chase today?
Money, success, approval,relationships.
There's an old hymn called ComeThou Fount that captures this

(17:28):
tension so well.
I included a link to some of myfavorite renditions of this
song in the show notes, butanyway it has a line that goes
quote prone to wander, lord, Ifeel it Prone to leave the God I
love, unquote.
But that same hymn also givesus the hope we need.

(17:51):
Quote Jesus sought me when astranger wandering from the fold
of God, unquote.
And that's Hosea's message andthe message of the gospel.
So the third way this appliesto us today and maybe most
powerfully.
Hosea reminds us that God'slove never gives up, even when

(18:15):
we wander, he calls us back.
He doesn't excuse sin.
But his love isn't based on ourperformance, it's based on who
he is.
I can't help but think of Hosea11, where God reflects on his
love for Israel like a parentremembering their child's first
steps.
Let me read this to you.

(18:37):
It's too beautiful to skip.
Quote.
And we're starting with verseone.
When Israel was a child, Iloved him, and out of Egypt, I
called my son.
But the more they called, themore they went away from me.
They sacrificed to the Baalsand they burned incense to

(18:58):
images.
It was I who taught Ephraim towalk, taking them by the arms,

(19:20):
but they did not realize.
It was I who healed them.
And if that doesn't move you,listen to this promise from
chapter 14.4.
Quote I will heal theirwaywardness and love them freely
, for my anger has turned awayfrom them.

(19:43):
Unquote.
I don't know about you, butthat gets me every time.
Actually, the whole finalchapter of Hosea is a call to
return, not to condemnation, butto healing.
So if you've ever felt too fargone, hear this loud and clear

(20:03):
God is still pursuing you.
So what can we take away fromthis book of Hosea?
If you could sum this messageup in one line.
It might be this God's love isfaithful even when we're not.
Hosea's story gives us a previewof the gospel A God who pursues

(20:24):
sinners, pays the price toredeem them and invites them
back into relationship despitetheir unfaithfulness.
In the New Testament, jesus isdescribed as the bridegroom, the
faithful husband who rescuesand restores his bride, the
church.
Hosea's story helps usunderstand just how costly and

(20:46):
personal God's love really is,and it still matters today.
Maybe you felt unworthy ofGod's love.
Maybe you've wandered furtherthan you ever imagined.
Hosea reminds us God's lovedoesn't waver.
It doesn't depend on ourperfection.

(21:07):
Doesn't waver.
It doesn't depend on ourperfection.
It remains steadfast, patientand always ready to restore.
No matter where you've been,god hasn't given up on you and
he never will.
Thank you for joining me today.
Next time we'll continueexploring the prophets, so be

(21:29):
sure to tune in and, as always,keep reading, keep seeking and
keep growing in your faith sothat we spread God's word
further.
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