The book of hosea is a collection of prophetic messages delivered by the prophet hosea and narrative descriptions of hosea s marriage and the birth of his children 1. And the lord said to hosea, go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms. The hebrew idiom woodenly reads, for the land commits great whoredom from after the lord. Hosea, an oldtestament prophet, preached his own life message using his marriage as the sermon illustration. The covenant1 unfaithfulness of gods people israel will result in divine judgment but gods love for his people will ultimately transcend their unfaithfulness. The book of hosea depicts gods relationship with his people through a metaphor that occurs throughout the bible, though nowhere as strongly and pervasively as in hosea.
Doubtful as the text often is, there is no question as to the import of hosea s words. Scarcely any book in the old testament is more difficult of exposition than the book of hosea. This marriage is a symbol of the covenant between the lord and israel. Farr, the concept of grace in the book of hosea, zaw 70 1958. He makes the point that commitment in the presence of god is the most important element in marriage. The contents of the book may be analyzed further as follows.
The book reveals the personality of the prophet, an emotional man who in a moment could swing from violent anger to the deepest tenderness. Most of hoseas messages are announcements of gods anger with israel the northern of the two israelite kingdoms and gods impending judgment on this people. The hebrew of the book of hosea is challenging to translate, possibly because the text is corrupt or because it is written in a nonstandard dialect of hebrew. What can we learn about adultery from the book of hosea. As an account full of harsh judgment unfolds, we find in its midst a rare gem. The very first thing god ever said to hosea tells us about his unlikely marriage. The most notable question arising from hosea 1 has centered on the meaning of hoseas marriage. Oct 12, 2018 the esv translates the last phrase of hosea 1. Hosea came to his vocation through a tragic experience in his life. Thirteen contributors explain the shorter prophetic books of the old testament daniel, hosea, joel, amos, obadiah, jonah, micah, nahum.
Account of hoseas marriage with gomer biographically which is a metaphor for the relationship with yhwh and israel. Go and take yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the lord. It is one of those books that asks incredibly difficult questions. The book of hosea is a narrative history and prophetic oracle. We do well to recall the story, especially given the continue reading the story of hosea and what it teaches about god. Theres a curious protochristian moment at the beginning of chapter 6. In the first three chapters of his book, which consists of fourteen in all, hosea sets out his personal drama, that is his marriage to a harlot, a. Whenever one studies the book of hosea, one is fascinated by the events related to his marriage to gomer. This book is all about relationship gods relationship with his people which is falling apart owing to their adulterous behaviour. This marriage was arranged in order to serve to the prophet as a symbol of israels unfaithfulness to the lord. Very few details are offered in the portion of the book narrating. Jan 02, 2020 the prophet hosea was commanded to marry an unfaithful wife, and this set up a model of israels broken relationship with god. In his book, chaplain miller shares bits of this experience where relevant, always anonymously. A brief outline of the concepts presented in the book of hosea exist below.
Was the story of hosea and gomer a story of how marriage should be. Adapted from the book of hosea in the bible, we journey with gomer, a harlot lost in her sin until hosea, a prophet of god, offers to marry her and redeem her life from darkness. Its their struggle she finds it hard to turn away from the life she has always known and basically born into. Book of hosea overview insight for living ministries. Israel had been chosen and loved by god yet had been unfaithful to him by way of idolatry. The marriage of hosea the prophet and gomer the wayward woman run parallel and point to the covenant relationship between god and his wayward people.
Mar 27, 2019 the marriage of hosea the prophet and gomer the wayward woman run parallel and point to the covenant relationship between god and his wayward people. Hosea is the first book in the sections of minor prophets. These instructions have been variously understood by different students of scripture through the years. Most of hosea s messages are announcements of gods anger with israel the northern of the two israelite kingdoms and gods impending judgment on this people. The imagery of hoseas family and the restoration of israel. Chapter 14 closes with an appeal to true repentance. His marriage will dramatize the breakdown in the relationship between god and his people israel. The story of hosea puzzles even the devout and zealous christian.
Hoseas tragic marriage and birth of his children representing gods relationship with his people. For this very reason, the biblical book of hosea has frustrated and intrigued scholars for over two millennia. The names of his children indicate the attitude of god toward israel. Hoseas wife, gomer, leaves him for anotherjust like israel has left god to worship idols. Why did god tell hosea to marry a prostitute hosea 1. In the office of readings of the liturgy of the hours last week we read from the book of the prophet hosea. And it may be said now that the evidence avail able here presents grave difficulties, for a great variety of inter pretations have been educed. Hosea instructs the israelites to return to the lord, telling them that, on the third day he will. The book of hosea stands first in the division of the bible called the book of the twelve in the apocrypha cf.
The first three chapters of the book of hosea have furnished one of the very. The prophet and his times nothing is known of hosea the man apart from the matter. Hosea accuses israel of three crimes in particular. At the centre of the hebrew bible in the book of hosea chapters one and three, lays a controversy about the marriage between the prophet hosea and gomer the harlot. Hosea, theology of definition and meaning bible dictionary.
This is the first of a series of expressions in hosea where god puts himself in the place of a forsaken human lover cf. The first three chapters use hoseas life to illustrate his prophetic message, as he marries gomer, who is repeatedly unfaithful to him. The prophet hosea and his allegorical marriage pemptousia. In hosea, the faithless actions of israel toward god are illustrated by the relationship between hosea and his adultress wife, gomer. By them hosea expresses his deep woe over israels condition. Hosea with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. The marriage metaphor in the book of hosea amy bost henegar. Gomer is a prostitute and hosea is a godly man told to marry her. The first part of the book of hosea is an account of hosea\s marriage with gomer biographically which is a metaphor for. God is faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful. Doubtful as the text often is, there is no question as to the import of hoseas words.
Hosea continues to pursueat times gomer would return to the safety and comfort of hosea but would leave him again. Hosea speaks about the first love, the short period of israels loyalty in the desert, which was then followed by a long history of unfaithfulness lasting until his day. This is particularly important today as there has been so much discussion about divorce. They are called minor prophets not because their material is less important or insignificant, but because of the size of the book they wrote was shorter in length. Hoseas unhappiness was unique in that it reflected gods heartache in his relationship with israel. I am like a lion unto ephraim, and like a young lion to the house of israel3 i verily will tear and get me away. The opening surprise of the book is that god initiated hosea s marriage to this harlot 1. Through hosea, the lord tells the story of israels disobedience, his discipline, and his steadfast, faithful love. The sheer number of conflicting interpretations offered. The story of the prophet hoseas troubled marriage is a powerful. Its fourteen chapters contain both a warning concerning future events and an interpretation of these events meanings. The frequent allusions to torah and metaphor of marriage suggest.
The new testament uses the marriage imagery to describe the union between christ and the church e. The book of hosea is a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet its a difficult story. Book of hosea, the first of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, considered as one book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Hoseas marriage to gomer and the birth of their children become the texts of gods message to israel. In the bible story which shapes the book, hoseas wife, hagar, left him and became a. The lord has yoked himself to israel in the most intimate way, likened to the most profound of human relationships. The book of hosea is a collection of prophetic messages delivered by the prophet hosea and narrative descriptions of hoseas marriage and the birth of his children 1. Chapters are so powerful and personal that i want to walk through them with you and make some brief comments and applications as. According to the superscription, hosea began his prophetic activity during the reign of jeroboam ii c. Hosea means salvation and this is what the lord offered to israel if they would turn from their idolatry or adultery. The second part of the book contains longish lamentations of hosea. We are currently reading from the book of the prophet hosea at daily mass.
Below is a suggested outline of the book of hosea with some key passages. This book is based off the love story from the bible of hosea and gomer. The metaphor of marriage in hosea leif fredheim go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the lord hosea 1. Summary of the book of hosea the story of the bible. Hoseas message and marriage society of biblical literature. Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry, and have children of harlotry. Hoseas personal tragedy speaks to readers at the deepest level, moving them emotionally, intellectually, and. This experience gave hoseas message its characteristic shape.
The book of hosea illustrates that no one is beyond the offer of our forgiveness because no one sits outside gods offer of forgiveness. Certainly, god brings judgment on those who turn from him, but hoseas powerful act of restoration within his own marriage set the bar high for those of us seeking godliness in our lives. She chased other lovers but hosea went after her and. Taking these passages as historically true may defeat the nature of the righteousness of god. Nov 01, 20 hoseas marriage is symbolic of gods covenant relationship with israel. Israels unfaithfulness is portrayed in gomers infidelity, and the removal of gods covenant relationship with the nation is typified in the symbolic names given to hoseas children. Aug 12, 2019 in the office of readings of the liturgy of the hours last week we read from the book of the prophet hosea. Hoseas marriage as a prophetic signact reveals the length to which god is willing to go to wake us from our sinful stupor. Hosea continues to love his wife, despite her unfaithfulness to him and so his marriage is a picture of gods covenantal love for his people and israels continual. The story of the prophet hoseas troubled marriage is a powerful testimony to two things. At the same time he shows the future ways of god with his people. The book of hosea was written in the northern kingdom of israel in the eighth century bc, during the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc. Does god expect us to stay married to an adulterous spouse, like hosea did. Through hoseas marriage to gomer, god, also known as yahweh, shows his great love for his people, comparing himself to a husband whose wife has committed.
Why did god command hosea to marry an immoral woman. Many people of israel turned away from god to worship pagan idols. The story of hosea and what it teaches about god and holy. Marriage between the prophet hosea and gomer religion essay. Chapters 414 give excerpts from hoseas preaching of grace and judgment leading up to the fall of israel in 722 bc. Throughout the book, the prophet speaks to the people of israel about the critical situation that developed during the. The story of gomer has been performed across the nation, reaching thousands of people with the message of gods faithfulness and love. Hosea knew she would be unfaithful, as god says this to him immediately in the opening statements of the book. The international standard bibleencyclopaedia observes.
The names of his children indicate the attitude of. We do well to recall the story, especially given the continue reading the story of hosea and what it teaches about god and holy matrimony. The book of hosea describes hoseas marriage to gomer and its prophetic meaning for israel. Hosea prophesied during a very dark time of israel\s history. She continually ran from hosea and forgot about his loving care for her. Why god told a prophet to marry a prostitute medium. In the book ofhosea, gods own relationship with israel.
In the book of hosea, god uses hoseas marriage to represent his love for his people. Like the book of amos, the book of hosea is addressed to the people of the northern kingdom israel. The metaphor of marriage in hosea southern adventist university. He would tell me that sometimes he thought about it, but most of the time, it didnt even come to his mind. Hosea and gomer i can remember, while i was still hiding my prolonged affair, asking my husband if he ever got angry, thinking back to the affair he knew about. Stuart hoseajonah in word biblical commentary, xxxiixlii for a development of the idea that leviticus and deuteronomy show up in hosea as the covenant. Hosea s personal tragedy speaks to readers at the deepest level, moving them emotionally, intellectually, and.
In structure, the book is di vided into two major sections. The opening surprise of the book is that god initiated hoseas marriage to this harlot 1. Jan 28, 20 hosea came to his vocation through a tragic experience in his life. Just as hosea redeemed his estranged wife and sought to continue his relationship with her, god promised to redeem israel and.
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