{"id":29205,"date":"2023-12-21T22:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-22T05:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/joel-2_18-32-copy\/"},"modified":"2023-12-12T17:55:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T00:55:08","slug":"hosea-1_1-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/hosea-1_1-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Find Your Story in the Book of Hosea"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hosea 1:1-11 <\/strong>\u00a0(CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today we begin the book of\u00a0Hosea, a book written by the prophet\u00a0Hosea\u00a0in approximately 8th century B.C.\u00a0 Today’s passage is\u00a0Hosea\u00a01:1-11.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

Hosea 1:1-11 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n1\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0that 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:
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When the\u00a0LORD\u00a0began to speak through Hosea, the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said 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\u00a0LORD.”
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said to Hosea, “Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.”
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them.
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them–not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the\u00a0LORD\u00a0their God.”
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Then the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said, “Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0“Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-11: \u00a0Why would God tell\u00a0Hosea\u00a0to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him and raise a family with her?\u00a0 God was using\u00a0Hosea’s relationship with Gomer as a real life picture of God’s relationship with the nation of Israel, and ultimately, with us.<\/p>\n

By the way, was Gomer already an adulterous woman even before Hosea married her, or did she become adulterous only after Hosea married her?\u00a0 Modern Bible translations like the New Living Translation describe Gomer as a prostitute (v2), which suggests that Gomer already had a reputation for having extramarital affairs prior to marrying Hosea.\u00a0 Still, the focus is not on what Gomer did before marrying Hosea but after, as she would later commit adultery while being married to Hosea (see Hosea 3:1).<\/p>\n

In particular there are 4 big lessons I learn from this passage:<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Before you can experience God’s power, sometimes you first need to experience God’s pain. \u00a0<\/strong>You and I are called to be representatives of God in this world.\u00a0 But it’s hard to represent someone well when you don’t understand what they’ve gone through or how they feel.\u00a0 In\u00a0Hosea’s case, by marrying an adulterous wife,\u00a0Hosea\u00a0would learn first hand what God feels like when the one he loves is unfaithful to him.<\/p>\n

So when someone sins against you and hurts you badly, remember that God knows how you feel.\u00a0 If you would respond to the sin and to the pain the way God responds (as we’ll see below), you and those around you will experience God’s power.<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0As incredible as\u00a0Hosea\u00a0and Gomer’s story is, it’s actually foretelling our story.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hosea\u00a0and Gomer’s love story has 4 main parts to it: \u00a0Hosea\u00a0chooses Gomer as his wife, Gomer cheats on\u00a0Hosea,\u00a0Hosea\u00a0divorces Gomer, but in a tremendous act of love and forgiveness\u00a0Hosea\u00a0takes Gomer back.<\/p>\n

God’s love story with us has the same four parts: God chose us as His bride, we were unfaithful to God, God banished us from His presence (divorcing us, you might say), but then in love God takes us back.<\/p>\n

Hosea\u00a0and Gomer’s story is ultimately God’s and our story.<\/p>\n

3. \u00a0From the names that\u00a0Hosea\u00a0gives his three children, we learn that God is a just God.<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0For example:<\/p>\n

– Why would God tell\u00a0Hosea\u00a0to name his first son “Jezreel” (v3-5)?\u00a0 The name “Jezreel” was a real life reminder to those who met\u00a0Hosea’s family that God remembered the murderous atrocities that King Jehu of Israel committed in the Valley of Jezreel (see 2 Kings 9), and that God would punish Jehu for his sins.\u00a0 The name “Jezreel” was a reminder that God is just, that He sees the sins we commit and is committed to making sure justice is served.<\/p>\n

– The names of\u00a0Hosea’s daughter and second son were, respectively, Lo-Ruhamah (meaning “Not my people”) and Lo-Ammi (meaning “Not loved”) (v6-9).\u00a0 Why give these two children such names?\u00a0 It was a real life reminder that because of Israel’s sins, Israel did not deserve to be called God’s people or to be loved by God.<\/p>\n

Similarly, God had every right to call sinners like us Lo-Ruhamah (“Not my people”) and Lo-Ammi (“Not loved”).\u00a0 But there’s more to our story (keep reading)…<\/p>\n

4. \u00a0Through the way God forgives and restores the Israelites, we see the way God forgives and restores you and me through Jesus Christ.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Notwithstanding how much Israel had cheated on God, God promises in verses 10-11 to make the Israelites “as numerous as the seashore”, fulfilling a promise God had originally given to their forefather Abraham (see Genesis 22:17).\u00a0 God also promises that “in the very place where it was said to them ‘you are not my people’, they will be called ‘children of the living God’ (v10)”.<\/p>\n

In the same way, notwithstanding how holy God is and how much we deserved to be disowned by God for our sin, God chose to have mercy on us.\u00a0 In love He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.\u00a0 At the cross of Jesus Christ, Jesus was punished and disowned in our place.\u00a0 Yet in the very place where God disowned sinners and punished our sin, God would also extend the greatest forgiveness the world has ever seen and call us His own again.<\/p>\n

So Jesus is that “one leader” that verse 11 speaks about who will rise up from the land to unite God’s people and restore their land. To those who did not deserve to be called His people, God gave His blessing and called us “children of the living God” (v10).<\/p>\n

Father, thank You that\u00a0Hosea’s story with Gomer is a picture of Your story with us — how You loved us, forgave us, rescued us, and restored us in ways we do not deserve.\u00a0 Thank You that because of Jesus and what He did on the cross, we know that Your mercy triumphs over judgment.\u00a0 Praise You, God, for Your amazing love.\u00a0 In Jesus’ name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2021 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs!<\/p>\n

Today we begin the book of\u00a0Hosea, a book written by the prophet\u00a0Hosea\u00a0in approximately 8th century B.C.\u00a0 Today’s passage is\u00a0Hosea\u00a01:1-11.\u00a0 Let’s go!
\n\u00a0
\nHosea 1:1-11 (NIV)
\n1\u00a0\u00a0The word of the\u00a0LORD\u00a0that 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:
\n2\u00a0\u00a0When the\u00a0LORD\u00a0began to speak through Hosea, the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said 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\u00a0LORD.”<\/p>\n

On verses\u00a01-11: \u00a0Why would God tell\u00a0Hosea\u00a0to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him and raise a family with her?\u00a0 God was using\u00a0Hosea’s relationship with Gomer as a real life picture of God’s relationship with the nation of Israel, and ultimately, with us.<\/p>\n

By the way, was Gomer already an adulterous woman even before Hosea married her, or did she become adulterous only after Hosea married her?\u00a0 Modern Bible translations like the New Living Translation describe Gomer as a prostitute (v2), which suggests that Gomer already had a reputation for having extramarital affairs prior to marrying Hosea.\u00a0 Still, the focus is not on what Gomer did before marrying Hosea but after, as she would later commit adultery while being married to Hosea (see Hosea 3:1).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29207,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29205"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29208,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29205\/revisions\/29208"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29207"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}