The Teaching Prostitute (Hosea 1:2-9)
Pictures often provide more information than words ever could.
God picked some unusual visual aids to teach his people. Isaiah walked around naked for three years to show that the King of Assyria would overtake the Egyptians and Ethiopians (Is 20). God took Ezekiel’s wife, but Ezekiel could not mourn because God was about to take from Jerusalem all that was dear to them (Ez 24:15-24).
With Hosea, God uses the picture of a prostitute. That’s a strong picture. We normally wouldn’t hire a preacher who had a prostitute for a wife.
Picture of Sin, vv 2-3
God told Hosea to go marry a prostitute and to have children of prostitution. He was to do this because the land committed prostitution. They did this by following idols. The Canaanite religion of Baal worship had infiltrated Israel. Hosea 4:12-13—The god the people worshiped wasn’t the LORD.
We don’t deal a lot with idols today. But we do deal with people putting things before God. Are things more important than worship? Many say Sunday night worship and Wednesday night Bible study aren’t really that important. But God demands to be first in our lives.
How do we use our money? How we use our money says much about what’s important in our lives. Do we use our money in the service of God?
This is a strong picture. When we put other things in front of God, we are “prostitutes” and whores. We have left God; we are unfaithful.
Picture of God’s Response, vv 4-9
Sin brings judgment; God told Hosea to name his first child Jezreel.
He was to do this because in a little while God would punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel. He would do this by putting an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
This passage causes some problems. Jehu massacred the house of Joram to overtake the throne (2 Ki 9-10). But God through a prophet told him to do it (2 Ki 9:6-10). God even commended Jehu for carrying out his wishes (2 Ki 10:30).
But Jehu’s heart was wrong. 2 Kings 10:29, 31: Jehu didn’t follow YHWH. He murdered the sons of Ahab in a ruthless way—he had their heads sent to him at Jezreel (2 Ki 10:7-10).
When we serve God, we need to do so with a pure heart. God wanted to execute justice upon the house of Ahab. Jehu wanted to overtake a kingdom.
Because Jehu was power hungry, God was going to punish the kingdom of Israel. God would break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. In other words, the Assyrians would take them captive (722 BC). If our hearts are wrong, God will punish us.
God shows no pity to sinners; Gomer bore Hosea another child—”Not pitied.”
This would show that God would have no pity on the house of Israel. He would not forgive their sins.
There comes a time when God’s patience runs out. God had been patient with Israel, but his patience was wearing thin. God was ready to judge Israel and send the country into captivity. At Judgment, mercy will have been exhausted. God will no longer have pity.
God does not belong to an apostate people; Gomer bore a third child.
Hosea was to name the child “Not my people.” He was to do this because Israel was not God’s people and God was not their God.
This was a divorce formula. “She is not my wife, and I am not her husband” was a common divorce formula in the Ancient Near East. God is divorcing his people. The people have been unfaithful, broken their covenant, and God is divorcing them. God will divorce us if we are unfaithful—we will no longer belong to him.
God still loves.
God told Hosea to go again and love a woman who had a lover and who is an adulteress. He was to do this because God loves Israel even though they turn to other gods. He was to do this because God loves Israel even though they love raisin cakes—raisin cakes were used in pagan festivals.
Hosea went bought his wife as though she were a slave. That’s a picture of love. Even though she had been unfaithful, Hosea welcomed her home. Even though we are unfaithful at times, God will welcome us home. God loves us even though we are imperfect.
Even though God loves, he punishes. Gomer would remain with Hosea many days—she would no longer have intercourse with a man. This would symbolize that things important to Israel would soon be taken away.
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Owingsville church of Christ in Owingsville, Kentucky.