Hosea Part 1

Hosea was a prophet in the 8th Century BC, prophesying to the northern kingdoms, warning them of impending judgment. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the way God drew parallels between Hosea’s own life and the relationship between God and Israel.

1) Why do Christians often refer to marriage as a “covenant?” What is the difference between a covenant and a mere agreement? In the context of a human marriage, what could break such a covenant? It may be helpful to refer to Matthew 6:31-34 or 19:1-9.

2) What is Hosea commanded to do in verse 2?
Note that there is some ambiguity here. Based on what comes next we can say at a minimum that Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea after the marriage, likely as a prostitute. To see this, note that the children are referred to as children of unfaithfulness or adultery (see 2:4). The whole analogy to Israel is that Israel is already “married” to God, but has committed adultery by going after other gods. In 3:2, she must be bought back out of prostitution. It is possible that she was already a prostitute when he married her initially, and that she went back to her old ways after the marriage.

3) What is the significance of the children Gomer had and their names?
Given that the children are referred to as children of unfaithfulness, it may be significant that only the first child is specifically noted as being born to Hosea. The other two children may be by other men. The names, especially the last two, indicate the consequences of the unfaithfulness.

4) What signs of hope do we see in 1:10-2:1?
The judgment of the previous verses is reversed, new names are given. But how can this be? Take time to imagine how surprising these verses might have been.

5) In 2:2, Gomer’s children are probably being addressed, but this serves as a transition to the charge being made against Israel. What are the charges against Israel in 2:2-13 and what are the consequences?

6) What does 2:14-23 indicate about God’s ultimate plan for Israel? What does this tell us about what God is like? Pay particular attention to verse 8. Can we see this sin in ourselves? Everything we have is from God. Do we take what God has given us and then use it to pursue things that are not godly? If so, should we describe our own actions as “adultery?”

7) What command is Hosea given in verse 3:1? How is he supposed to model for Israel the love of God? Try to imagine yourself in his position. What would it take for you to love an adulterous spouse that way? Take time to let this image focus our minds on the depths of God’s love for us and the meaning of grace.

8) In what ways do verses 3:2-4 foreshadow what Christ accomplishes?
He redeems us from our own form of slavery and is the new King who will finally reunify his people. David was from Judah, so talking about the Kingship of David to the people of the northern kingdom was a bold prophecy.