Hosea: Punishment and Promise

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

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Reading through Hosea leaves readers with a clear view as to why God is angry at Israel, but it also ultimately extends hope to that nation, hope that will finally be fulfilled in the future. God speaks authoritatively through the prophet and, unlike Jeremiah, there is very little mix of Hosea’s emotions or thoughts in the whole thing. There are 14 chapters of God calling out the Israelites and telling them what He will do if they don’t repent. This was during the time of the Assyrians and God is fairly graphic in what He will allow the Assyrians to do to the unrepentant Israelites.

There are 14 chapters in the book of Hosea.

Chapters 1 to 3 form a distinct section of the book, giving the prophet’s own domestic experiences. In chapters 4 to 14, we are given the prophetic discourses proper. (Hosea the Prophet, from The Minor Prophets, Charles L. Feinberg, pg 14)

Hosea is another prophet that I would not want to have been. His ministry was a ministry of warning mainly with what would be considered very poor results and essentially to the northern kingdom of Israel. Though there was certainly promise that the nation would ultimately return to God, this won’t happen until after the coming seven year Tribulation period. The point is that it will grow much, much worse for Israel in the coming years before Jesus returns to set things right and destroy Israel’s enemies (and God’s). This is in spite of the alleged “peace” deal happening now between Israel and Hamas. The good thing to come out of this is the very near release of the live hostages back to Israel.

I want to give a brief introduction to Hosea and an overview so that folks can begin to understand the purpose of the book, the pain and anger that God goes through in dealing with that wayward nation and what will ultimately be a new Israel after all the judgment play its course. Ultimately, during that time in Israel, the nation enjoyed great prosperity, first under King Uzziah and to some extent, also with successive Kings Jeroboam II, however, it should also be noted that this latter king was a terrible king. He allowed and encouraged, by his words and actions, a downward spiral for Israel. It was finally in the year 722 BC that God directed the Assyrians to rush in to destroy Israel (which of course, by this point, had already made the separation from the southern kingdom of Judah). More can be read about this in 2 Kings 14-17.

The folks at the Bible Project have summarized one of the key themes of Hosea like this: “While God brings just judgment against human evil, he does not intend to harm Hosea’s message to future generations that God’s love is unbreakable and his ultimate purpose is to heal and save.“[1]

That is certainly true enough, however, the fact remains that the judgment God personally brought on “Ephraim” (Israel) was horrible. It was so because of Israel’s resolute stiff-necked response to God for years and their adamant refusal to return to God with all their heart. The people not only worshipped the false images of surrounding nations, but still continued to try to worship the One true God as well. The people got to a point where they started to pay little attention to any king because of that king’s corruption. So the people ended up doing whatever seemed good to them. Sound familiar with other sections of Scripture when there was no king?

The largest problem with Israel that continues to this very day is the fact that they have literally severed their covenant relationship with Yahweh. This is except for those Jewish people who have become Christians and are now hidden within the Church. Today’s Israel is not what God wants it to be and He will succeed in turning that nation to Him through a final remnant of Jewish people who become believers in God the Son as Messiah, Savior and Lord. This will ultimately occur during the coming Tribulation period. It will be that final remnant that goes into the Millennial Kingdom and enjoys the fullness of that original covenantal agreement with God that occurred on Mt. Sinai.

So today’s Israel is still not what God wants or expects, but He will get that remnant nation where He wants them and they will never again reject Him and His covenant. Until then, Israel is still referred to as “children of whoredom” because of the way they reject God and chase after other nations for their security.

This is now happening in this latest “peace” agreement between terrorists Hamas and Israel, brokered mainly by President Trump, whose efforts in this were not enough to reward him with a Nobel Peace Prize and even Russia’s Putin condemned the Nobel Peace committee for this lack. Nonetheless, who knows if this peace will last? I doubt it because Hamas is already showing signs of simply biding their time to wait for another advantage to overcome Israel.

By the way, there are some wonderful videos of the Son of Hamas (Mossab Hassan Yusef) debating pro-Palestinian people and wiping the floor with them.[2] Yusef’s father actually started Hamas and Yusef came to reject what his father had created. He speaks plainly, intelligently and has the facts at his disposal. He literally shut down the woman from Egypt attempting to debate him with lies. For anyone who wants to learn more about the actual history of Gaza (Judea and Samaria), and the propaganda being pushed by clueless Leftists, I highly encourage people to view his videos and read his book, Son of Hamas.

As far as Hosea goes, God used the children born to Hosea and his wife Gomer as object lessons regarding Israel. Hosea was to take a woman of harlotry. Whether or not she was a harlot prior to marrying Hosea or whether she became one after marrying him is debated.

As Feinberg notes though, “The mother represents Israel corporately, while the children speak of the nation individually, although the transaction in the home of Hosea was literal and historical.” Each child is named by the Lord and has a representative story to tell about Israel. Hosea and Gomer have three children, the first, a son named Jezreel after the valley of that name. It ultimately goes back to Ahab and Jezebel and their murder of Naboth over a vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–16). The Valley of Jezreel had been originally marked by its natural beauty, but had ultimately been severely marred from all the battles undertaken there. This was Israel, originally designed to be a beautiful symbol of God’s love and mercy, but because of their battles against God, had become marred by sin and harlotry.

The name of the second child, a girl, was Lo-ruhamah, which means “no mercy” or “no pity.” This unfortunately, is God telling Israel that He was removing His love and mercy from that nation. God’s patience with Israel had run its course and Israel would now reap the seeds of what she had sown due to her idolatrous adultery and whoremongering.

Hosea’s third child was a son named Lo-ammi. The name literally meant “not my people” and God was clearly disowning that particular generation of Israelites because they had disowned God, with whom they had covenanted generations before. To be clear, God was rejecting Israel in its then sinful state. However, as God always does, He held out hope to that nation promising they would ultimately return to Him and He to them (Hosea 2:1-2).

Some of the main truths of Hosea regarding Israel and God’s character are:

• God is a jealous husband and his people are his bride.
• God shows great kindness to his people, but they turn against him.
• God will punish his people for flagrant violations of his covenant.
• God will never utterly forsake his people, but will restore them to the blessings of covenant life with him.[3]

It seems clear to me that though Hosea is essentially about Israel, the application can also be applied to authentic Christians. While God does discipline His wayward children (Christians), He always does so for our betterment and His glory. Those believers who refuse His efforts to draw them back to Him will live under greater pressures to turn. Failing that, God always reserves the right to take a child home earlier than He had intended (1 Corinthians 11:30).

The book of Hosea tells us a good deal about the way God has dealt with the nation of Israel. It also tells us His plan for that nation in the future.

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days. (Hosea 3:4-5)

At no time in Israel’s history have the two above verses been fulfilled yet. Verse 4 speaks of Israel’s present condition since the time their leaders rejected Jesus in favor of Caesar (“We have no king but Caesar!” John 19:15). Since that time, they’ve literally had no king, they’ve not been able to offer sacrifices because the Temple does not exist, and the priests do not practice their priesthood. But notice verse 5. It clearly tells us that there will be a day when the children of Israel (the final remnant of believing Jewish people), will “return and seek the Lord their God…” This is remarkable and has not yet occurred.

Verse 5 also notes that “David their king” will lead them. This reference to David here is believed to be by the majority of conservative biblical scholars pointing to the physical return of Jesus, who is from the line of David and considered to be the Son of David. At some point in the future, after the coming Tribulation period, Jesus will physically return to this planet, judge the nations and establish His 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom on this earth. He will reign from His “father” David’s throne in Jerusalem and establish true and lasting peace on earth, between Israel and all nations. However, He will rule with a rod of iron because people alive (and born) during that future time will continue to have the sin nature.

It is clear that from Hosea, the Israelites then had become so depraved, so compromised in their relationship with God that they no longer wished to retain any knowledge of Him, much less be in active covenantal relationship with Him. Because of that, God turned them over to themselves so that they would fulfill every type of moral uncleanness.

In spite of how bad things looked for Israel during Hosea’s time as a prophet to that nation, God continued to hold out hope. He always pointed them to the day when Israel, as a nation, would return to Him, embrace Him wholly and live for Him as well as they had lived apart from Him prior.

Hosea is a book that points us to God, His love and in it we see just how much He values His own promises to that nation. Today’s Israel is on its way toward fulfillment of the many promises throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. While God will turn His back on His covenant people of Israel, it is never permanent. The Church has not replaced Israel as God still has a program for that nation that He will fulfill in its entirety.

As we continue to see the rise of unbridled hatred for Israel and Jewish people throughout the world, we should take comfort in the fact that God’s promises will find fulfillment. This will occur in His time, His way, and for His glory.

The 14th chapter of Hosea breaks with the judgment that God has promised on that nation. It provides a resounding measure of joy and fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. God promises to heal that nation’s backsliding (v4). He promises to turn from judgment to blessing (vv5 and following). Though God has turned His back for a time on the very nation He created, He never annuls His covenant with them in all of Scripture.

The very last verse of chapter 14 states with clarity the blessings that will occur.

9 Who is wise?
Let him understand these things.
Who is prudent?
Let him know them.
For the ways of the Lord are right;
The righteous walk in them,
But transgressors stumble in them.

Everything the Lord does is right and those who are His walk in that righteousness, while the sinners will continue to stumble over them.

All prophecy is given to induce a godly walk in conformity with the will of God. This does not always result because the same sun that melts the wax hardens the clay…the transgressor, who finds no delight in the revealed ways of the Lord, will find the purpose of God will condemn him in the hour of judgment – Charles L. Feinberg

[1] https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-hosea/

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kil6-oXjFl0

[3] https://reformedanswers.org/answer.asp/file/41809

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective