Book of Hosea Chapter 1 Vs. 4

 Hosea's Wife and Children

And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. Hos. 1:4

And the LORD... The 1st prophecy in Hosea (Hos. 1:4, fulfilled). Next, Hos. 1:6.

Three Predictions—Fulfilled:

1. In a little while I will avenge the blood of Jezreel (Hos. 1:4; 2Kgs. 9:16, 2Kgs. 9:25, 9:33; 10:11, 10:14-30).

2. I will cause the kingdom of Israel to cease (the ten tribes, Hos. 1:4; 2Kgs. 17:1-41).

3. I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel (Hos. 1:5; 2Kgs. 18:11).

Call his name... Jezreel, God will scatter or sow. The name of Hosea’s first son. The meaning was that God would scatter Israel and sow them in all lands; and when His purpose for this was complete He would again sow them in their own land (Hos. 2:22-23). Jezreel means “God will scatter” or “God Sows.” He is to be a reminder that God will judge the house of Jehu for the bloodshed in Jezreel, when the kingdom was wrested from Ahab and Jezebel and God’s judgment was poured out against them.

I will avenge... It was at the city of Jezreel where Jehu slaughtered the house of Ahab. “I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu”. It was at the city of Jezreel where Jehu slaughtered the house of Ahab (2Kgs. 9:7 – 10:28).

house of Jehu... Jehu had carried out God’s judgment on the house of Ahab; then he went into the same sins for which he had judged Ahab (2Ki. 10:31-36). This total destruction of the house of Ahab is called "the day of Jezreel" (Hos. 1:11). It was an appropriate picture of the terrible destruction in the day of the Lord and Armageddon.

He is to be a reminder that God will judge the house of Jehu for the bloodshed in Jezreel, when the kingdom was wrested from Ahab and Jezebel and God’s judgment was poured out against them (2 Kings Chapter 9) as above.

cause to cease... Looks forward to the exile of Israel to Assyria in 722 B.C., from which she never returned.

House of Israel... Israel means prince with God, or he will rule as God. "Jehu" means Jehovah is He. The blood of Jezreel that was to be avenged probably had to do with Ahab and Jezebel, who were severely punished for their evil deeds. This is saying that God will remove the house of Israel from their kingdom.

In Isaiah, God named Isaiah's children for what was going on in the country at the time. This is true here as well. God named these children to reveal an extra message to the people.

The reason for the Lord’s coming punishment on Jehu’s dynasty (lit., house) was the massacre (lit., “bloodshed”) at Jezreel (ca. 841 b.c.). Jehu’s slaughter of Jezebel and Ahab’s descendants had been prophesied by Elijah (1Kgs. 21:21-24), commanded by Elisha (2Kgs. 9:6-10), and commended by the Lord Himself (2Kgs. 10:30). So many think the attitude expressed by the Lord (Hos. 1:4) contradicted that in the accounts in 1 and 2 Kings. But a closer examination of the historical record suggests a resolution to the problem. Jehu also killed Joram (2Kgs. 9:24), Ahaziah, king of Judah (2Kgs. 9:27-28), 42 of Ahaziah’s relatives (2Kgs. 10:12-14), and several functionaries of the Baal cult (2Kgs. 10:18-28). Though the execution of Baal’s servants was certainly in accord with the Lord’s will (cf. 1Kgs. 18:40), Jehu’s attack on the house of David went too far. Despite the fact that Ahaziah’s assassination could be attributed to God’s providence (2Ch. 22:7), it demonstrated an underlying lack of regard for the Lord’s commands. This disregard subsequently came to the surface in other ways (cf. 2Kgs. 10:29-31). So Hos. 1:4 probably refers to the slaughter of Ahaziah and his relatives. Though their deaths did not actually occur in Jezreel (cf. 2Kgs. 9:27; 10:12-14), they were associated with the wholesale slaughter at that place.

The fulfillment of this prophecy came in 752 b.c. when Shallum assassinated Zechariah, the fourth of Jehu’s descendants to rule the Northern Kingdom (2Kgs. 15:10), thereby cutting off Jehu’s dynasty forever.