Redemption in Hosea

The life of the prophet Hosea was an object lesson of his message. God told Hosea to marry an unfaithful woman named Gomer who vividly illustrated Israel's unfaithfulness to God. God gave names to the children of Gomer indicating His current relationship with unfaithful Israel. The firstborn son, Jezreel (Hos. 1:4), means “God will sow” warning that God will punish (sow) Israel. The second child, a daughter, was to be named Lo-Ruhamah (v. 6) (“no compassion”) warning that God will show no mercy to His people. The last son was to be called Lo-Ammi meaning “not my people.” God said, “Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God” (vv. 9).

The names show God's relationship with His people. However, Hosea himself illustrates God. Hosea was to “redeem” his unfaithful wife promising that God will again have mercy and redeem His people. “I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'You are my God!'” (Hos. 2:23).

This is ultimately fulfilled in God's Messiah. Peter writes, “. . . for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Pet. 2:10). This comes from the “kindness of the Lord” (1 Pet. 2:3).

Ben