The prophets name means salvation, likely a reference to hoseas position in israel as a beacon of hope to those who would repent and turn to god because of his message. Hosea, the son of beeri, prophesied for quite some time, from 785 to 725 b. Hosea prophesied during a very dark time of israel\s history. As with much prophetic literature the life of the prophet portrays the truth of god. She had sold herself into slavery and had hit bottom. According to the books narrative, the relationship between hosea and his unfaithful wife gomer is comparable to the relationship between yahweh and his. Jamie and kriss story is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness and redemption. Many people of israel turned away from god to worship pagan idols. Hosea wanted to see gomer restored to his side as his faithful wife. The marital life of hosea and his wife, gomer, provide the rich metaphor which clarifies the themes of the book. At jehovahs bidding hosea married gomer the daughter of diblaim a prostitute. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bibles book of hosea. She had gotten down to the very dregs of shame and disgrace, but the love of this man broke her heart, and from this time on gomer was faithful to hosea. In the book of hosea, god sends hosea to israel during king jeroboam iis reign to admonish.
Hosea was called to the ministry of a prophet early in his life, and the book of the bible devoted. The northern kingdom of israel enjoyed moderate success from conquering neighboring kingdoms, but they were spiritually bankrupt on the inside. The first part of the book of hosea is an account of hosea\s marriage with gomer biographically which is a metaphor for the relationship with yahweh and israel. And every pointed precept shot like arrows at hoseas life. Hosea is the only prophet of israel who left any written prophecies which were recorded during the later years of his life. 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 first three chapters use hoseas life to illustrate his prophetic message, as he marries gomer, who is repeatedly unfaithful to him. Hosea, an oldtestament prophet, preached his own life message using his marriage as the sermon illustration. The book reveals the personality of the prophet, an emotional man who in a moment could swing from violent anger to the deepest tenderness. Hosea 1 new international version niv bible gateway. In this book, hosea accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and warns them of the tragic consequences to follow. 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. 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. Gods relationship with israel is demonstrated through hosea s marriage with the prostitute gomer. One day word came by way of the grapevine gossips that gomer had been deserted by her lover. Bible commentaries speculate that this book in the ot may be an allegory about the lord hosea and the rebellious nation of israel gomer. The key personalities are hosea, gomer, and their children. Hosea is the first book in the sections of minor prophets.
Gomer is a prostitute and hosea is a godly man told to marry her. The price is high when he must sing a song of ruin over everything in lyrics written with his life and lose his children and his wife. Hoseas life becomes a picture of the mercy and grace and patience of god with an unfaithful people. 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 wife and children when the lord began to speak through hosea, the lord said to him, go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of. Account of hoseas marriage with gomer biographically which is a metaphor for the relationship with yhwh and israel. Hoseas wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. The book of hosea is a narrative history and prophetic oracle. Hosea prophesies against the corruption of israels priests, who led israel away from knowing god and into idol worship. Hosea accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god, and warns them of the tragic consequences to follow. Hosea used to say, its hard to be a seer, and prophet bard. We are not told anything else on hoseas life and death. Hoseas wife, gomer, leaves him for anotherjust like israel has left god to worship idols.
Hosea bears somewhat the same relation to israel as jeremiah to judah. Through hosea, the lord tells the story of israels disobedience, his discipline, and his steadfast, faithful love. Hosea therefore must have been a contemporary of isaiah, micah and amos. Set around the fall of the northern kingdom of israel, the book of hosea denounces the worship of gods other than yahweh.
Set around the fall of the northern kingdom of israel, the book of hosea denounces the worship of gods other than jehovah, metaphorically comparing israels abandonment of jehovah to a woman being unfaithful to her husband. See more ideas about book of hosea, old testament and bible. Hosea 1 niv the word of the lord that came to hosea. Hosea s wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. Like gomer, israel has committed adultery against god by. May 02, 2020 hosea is the only prophet of israel who left any written prophecies which were recorded during the later years of his life. According to the superscription, hosea began his prophetic activity during the reign of jeroboam ii c.
The story of hosea and what it teaches about god and holy. 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. 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. Because of gomer s unfaithfulness, the prophet divorced his wife and lived apart from her. We dont know about gomers past, but we know that it was against all worldly logic that hosea, a prophet, a man of god, would take her to be his wife. The first part of hosea records the tragic story of the prophets unhappy marital experiences.
The first childa son is named jezreel meaning god scatters. As an account full of harsh judgment unfolds, we find in its midst a rare and pure gem. Hoseas wife gomer conceives and has two other children and it conspicuously does not say that hosea is the father. Gomer conceived two sons by the name of jezreel and loammi and a daughter by the name of lo ruhamah see section on peculiarities. Gomer in the bible was the unfaithful wife of hosea the prophet. Yet, as we shall see, the story ends with the wonderful love and faithfulness of god. According to the traditional order of most hebrew bibles, it is the first of the twelve minor prophets. Hosea is to take a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry in order to picture the lords relationship to israel who have forsaken their covenant with the lord 1. God, hosea, gomer, jezreel, loruhamah, loammi, kings of northern kingdom. Hosea was a prophet during the reign of four different kings spanning approximately 38 years in the 8 th century b. Jun 28, 2019 hosea was a prophet for approximately 38 years in the 8th century b.
Powerful love overcomes rebellion in the book of hosea. Hosea was instructed by god to marry a certain woman and experience with her a domestic life which was a dramatization of the sin and unfaithfulness of israel. As with the other women i have read about so far, there is so much to learn from gomers story, but i will just share with you what touched me the most about her life and the life of her husband. Three children were born to her, but they were not hoseas. Hosea son of beeri prophesied about the middle of the eighth century b. Because of gomers unfaithfulness, the prophet divorced his wife and lived apart from her. A sermon on the rocky love story of hosea and gomer modern day setting of the story provided by allan r. Hosea 3 is read earlier in service by a teenager as i read and studied this passage of scripture, i felt like it needed to 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. Oct 04, 2012 jamie and kriss story is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness and redemption. Hosea continues to pursueat times gomer would return to the safety and comfort of hosea but would leave him again. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bibles book of hosea 1. It is difficult, however, to separate historical facts about the couples domestic problems from the. Their life is a love story, but not the fairy tale kind.
A symbolical name given to a son of hosea loruhamah. In this book, hosea accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and. We are not told anything else on hosea s life and death. Gunther in the book, believers church bible commentary. Martin collins continues the exposition of hosea, an account of israels unfaithfulness to the covenant with god, and the redemptive work of god to rescue his unfaithful spouse from slavery, as depicted by. Their life together was an enacted prophecy pointing to the pain god experiences over our sin and the love he feels for us despite it. 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. When the lord began to speak through hosea, the lord said to him, go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the lord. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in fort worth, tx. Hoseas wife gave birth to a son named jezreel to picture the coming judgment which the lord is going to bring. In fact the name of her children implies that as well. Three children were born to her, but they were not hosea s.
Hosea revealed little about his background, though his book of prophecy offers a few glimpses into his life. Hosea and gomers story is the story of god and israel. It is difficult, however, to separate historical facts about the couples domestic problems from the theological message expressed through them. Watch our overview video on the book of hosea, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. 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. The story of gomer has been performed across the nation, reaching thousands of people with the message of gods faithfulness and love. The lord used hosea and gomer s relationship as an object lesson to show how israel had sinned against him by following other gods and how god remains faithful even when his people dont. According to the books narrative, the relationship between hosea and his unfaithful wife gomer is comparable to.
Hosea was instructed by god to marry a certain woman, and experience with her a domestic life which was a dramatization of the sin and unfaithfulness of israel. The book of hosea was likely written between 755 and 725 b. The lord used hosea and gomers relationship as an object lesson to show how israel had sinned against him by following other gods and how god remains faithful even when his people dont. Hosea beeri father of hosea diblaim father of hoseas wife gomer wife concubine. This summary of the book of hosea provides information about the title, author s, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of hosea. The book of hosea is a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet its a difficult story. The book of hosea is one of the books of the hebrew bible. And gomer was a promiscuous woman the lord told hosea to marry. Nov 01, 20 hoseas marriage is symbolic of gods covenant relationship with israel. What distinguishes hosea is the way he expresses the intense love and compassion of god for his unworthy people. 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.
The first portion of the book portrays gods free and faithful love for his people through hoseas marriage to unfaithful gomer. The word of the lord that came to hosea son of beeri during the reigns of uzziah, jotham, ahaz and hezekiah, kings of judah, and during the reign of jeroboam son of jehoash king of israel. Hosea we are currently reading from the book of the prophet hosea at. 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.
We are not to assume that at the time of hoseas marriage to gomer she was. This week i learned about the life of gomer in my devotional. Its purpose was to illustrate the spiritual adultery of israel and gods boundless love for his sinful people. Book of hosea overview insight for living ministries. Its their struggle she finds it hard to turn away from the life she has always known and basically born into. Hosea with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.
But hosea insists on pointing out the twistedness in everything the gap between rich and poor, all the deception and lies, the. The incredible scandal of gods perfect love found in hosea. And he believed that god was great enough to do it. Hosea s wife gomer conceives and has two other children and it conspicuously does not say that hosea is the father.