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.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 20

 Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Matthew 4:20 “And they straightway left [their] nets, and followed him.”

left their nets... Leaving all is required of all men. It is an idiom of putting God first in life (Mat. 19:27-30; Luke 14:33).

These men were strong. It takes a lot of muscle to pull in fish nets full of fish. The name “Andrew” means manly, and “Peter” means rock. You can see by their names, that these men were powerful physically. Jesus was about to make strong spiritual men of them. They would face more hardships as ministers of the Word than they ever did as fishermen.

These men were just ordinary men. They had no degrees in ministry, only the call of God upon their lives. These two were to become part of the elite l2 that would, through Jesus, make a giant impact upon the world. We will look at them, again and again, as we go through this study. For now, it is enough to know that they would no longer fish for food, but for the souls of men.

The message of the coming kingdom needed to be proclaimed widely so that many could hear and could become, by repentance, subjects of His kingdom.

Book of Hosea Chapter 1 Vs. 3

 Hosea's Wife and Children

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. Hos. 1:3

So he went... Three things the prophet did:

1. He went—he did not argue with God as Moses did (Exo. 4:18).

2. He took Gomer for his wife (Hos. 1:3).

3. He became a father, Gomer having borne him a son.

and took Gomer... Gomer means completion; that is, filling up the measure of idolatry.

In the course of prophesying he made mention of this person, who was a notorious common strumpet; and suggested hereby that they were just like her; or these were fictitious names he used to represent their case by Gomer signifies both "consummation" and "consumption".

The meanings of the people’s names are very important in this. The name "Gomer" means completion. This means then, that God has sent them final warning. They have gone too far, with their unfaithfulness to God. "Diblaim" means two cakes. If we put the names together, we would see that the woman was a pleasure, but not a true wife as she was full of sin. Thank goodness the son here is Hosea's son.

Hosea’s Marriage: Israel’s Unfaithfulness

This relationship, characterized by infidelity on the wife’s part, was to portray Israel’s unfaithfulness to its covenant with the Lord (cf. Hos. 2:2-23). In response to the divine command Hosea.… married Gomer, a daughter of Diblaim.

Much debate has centered on the circumstances of Hosea’s marriage. Some have held that the marriage was only visionary or allegorical, not literal. This proposal was motivated by a desire to sidestep the supposed moral difficulty of the holy God commanding His servant to marry a woman of disreputable character. However, the account is presented as a straightforward narrative, not as a report of a vision or as a purely symbolic act (cf. Hos. 3:1-5). The Lord sometimes required His prophets to carry out orders that many would consider over and above the call of duty (e.g., Isa. 20:1-4; Eze. 4:1-5:4).

Those who hold to a literal marriage disagree over Gomer’s status at the beginning of her relationship with Hosea. Some argue that Gomer was a prostitute at the time she was married. A modification of this is the view that she was a typical young Israelite woman who had participated in a Canaanite rite of sexual initiation in preparation for marriage (Wolff, Hosea, pp. 14-5). Others contend that Gomer was sexually pure at the time of marriage and later became an adulteress. The Book of Hosea does not provide information concerning Gomer’s premarital sexual experience. The expression “adulterous wife” (lit., “wife of adultery”) does not describe her condition at the time of marriage, but anticipates what she proved to be, a wife characterized by unfaithfulness. Any knowledge of Gomer’s status at the time of marriage is thereby precluded.

The children are those mentioned in Hos. 1:3-9. “Unfaithfulness” does not necessarily imply they were the products of Gomer’s illicit relationships. The fact that Hosea is not specifically mentioned in Hos. 1:6 and Hos. 1:8 as the children’s father need not point to their illegitimacy. In Gen. 29:32-35 the same phrase which appears in Hos. 1:6, 1:8 (“she conceived again and gave birth”) is used with no mention of the father (Jacob) because he is identified in the preceding context (as in Hosea, Hos. 1:3; cf. Andersen and Freedman, Hosea, p. 168). “Children of unfaithfulness” may simply point to their being born in the context of (but not as a direct result of) Gomer’s infidelity. Also the phrase emphasizes the mother’s character, not that of the children. Andersen and Freedman understand the phrase as elliptical: “children of (a wife of) promiscuity” (Hosea, p. 168). It is similar to other Hebrew expressions in which the descriptive term points primarily to a quality of the parent not of the offspring (cf. b^enê hann^e‛ûrı̂m, lit., “sons of youth,” i.e., “sons born to a youthful parent,” Psm. 127:4; and ben z^eqūnı̂m, lit., “son of old age,” i.e., “a son born to an aged parent,” Gen. 37:3).

Hosea’s Children: Israel’s Judgment

The divinely chosen names for Hosea’s three children served as reminders of the broken relationship between the Lord and Israel and pointed ahead to judgment. Each section on the children (Hos. 1:3-5, 1:6-7, 1:8-9) contains a birth notice (Hos. 1:3, 1:6, 1:8), a divine word of instruction concerning the child’s name (Hos. 1:4, 1:6, 1:9), and an explanation of the meaning of the name (Hos. 1:4-5, 1:6, 1:9). God’s words (Hos. 1:7) are unique in that they qualify the announcement of judgment given (Hos. 1:6).

Jezreel

The first child (a son) was named Jezreel. At this point the significance of his name was not in its meaning (“God sows”), but in its association with past and future events at the place Jezreel (cf., however, Hos. 1:11; 2:22-23). Jezreel was the site of Jehu’s ruthless massacre of the house of Ahab (Hos. 1:4; cf. 2Kgs. 9-10). In the future it would be the scene of Israel’s military demise (Hos. 1:5).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 19

 Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Follow me, and... The call to evangelism compared to fishing. To follow is an idiom of discipleship (2Kgs. 6:19).

This Sea of Galilee, as we said, was a popular place for the men in this area who made their living fishing. This sea is about six miles wide and seventeen miles long. When the wind would get up, it would be really rough; so rough that you could easily lose a ship and all aboard.

These verses tell us a lot about our Lord Jesus Christ while He walked on the earth. He spoke and these two men obeyed. These men, by vocation, were fishermen. When the call came for the ministry, they did not hesitate. We could take a real lesson from these men. So many times, when the call comes to the ministry, we hesitate and try to finish the job at hand before we answer.

These men dropped everything and followed Jesus. This call that Jesus made to these two men was not for salvation, but to work with Him. They had to give up the comforts of home, and even the living they had, for an uncertain future of winning souls. This call brought them out of the worldly into the spiritual.

Jesus now called these fishermen to leave their profession behind and to begin following Him permanently. He would take them from fishing for fish and make them fishers of men.

Book of Hosea Chapter 1 Vs. 2

 

Hosea's Wife and Children

The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. Hos. 1:2

said to Hosea... Hosea claimed that God spoke by him.

Go, take unto... Twenty-six Commands in Hosea

1. Go, take a wife of whoredoms (Hos. 1:2).

2. Call his name Jezreel (Hos. 1:4).

3. Call her name Lo-ruhamah (Hos. 1:6).

4. Call his name Lo-ammi (Hos. 1:9).

5. Say to your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah (Hos. 2:1).

6. Plead with your mother (Hos. 2:2).

7. Let her put away her whoredoms.

8. Go yet, love a woman beloved by her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of God for Israel (Hos. 3:1).

9. Hear the word of the Lord (Hos. 4:1).

10. Let not Judah offend (Hos. 4:15).

11. Come not to Gilgal.

12. Do not go up to Beth-aven.

13. Do not swear, the Lord liveth.

14. Let him alone (Hos. 4:17).

15. Hear this, O priests (Hos. 5:1).

16. Hearken, you house of Israel.

17. Give ear, O house of the King.

18. Blow the trumpet in Gibeah (Hos. 5:8).

19. Blow the trumpet in Ramah.

20. Cry aloud at Beth-aven.

21. Let us return to the Lord (Hos. 6:1).

22. Set the trumpet to the mouth (Hos. 8:1).

23. Rejoice not, O Israel (Hos. 9:1).

24. Sow to yourselves in righteousness.

25. Return to the Lord, O Israel (Hos. 14:1).

26. Take with you words and turn to the Lord: say to Him, Take away all iniquity (Hos. 14:2).

The prophet’s wife was a woman of the northern kingdom and was therefore regarded as an idolatress, being the child of people in a nation which had gone deep into idolatry. She became unfaithful to her husband, Hosea, as she was unfaithful to Jehovah (Hos. 2:1-13).

committed great whoredom... Whoredom referred to here not only meant backsliding from Jehovah, but included literal sex orgies and perversions in connection with idols, as we have seen through the historical books of the O.T.

children of whoredoms... This point to the future unfaithfulness of their mother. The children were possibly not fathered by Hosea. That Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was to depict God’s marriage to Israel is clearly set forth and becomes the key to the theme of the book.

This seems like such a ridiculous thing for Hosea to do. We must remember, that the prophet experiences in the flesh, what is going on with the people in their relationship to God in the spirit. Israel was the harlot wife of God in the spirit, so Hosea the prophet must experience this relationship in the natural. God plainly gives the reason for this (for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD).

Hosea’s Experience: A Portrayal of God’s Dealings with Israel

The message of the first three chapters (and of the entire book) oscillates between judgment and salvation. Hosea’s marital experiences, which included the heartbreak caused by his wife’s unfaithfulness and the joy of their renewed relationship, provide the framework for this message.

The symbolism of Hosea’s family

This opening section sets forth the major themes of the entire prophecy: Israel’s unfaithfulness, the certainty of judgment, and the ultimate restoration of the nation. These ideas are introduced within the context of the Lord’s command to Hosea to marry and have children.

Both the language of Hos. 1:2 and the following context support this interpretation. The expression is similar to others in Hebrew that describe a married woman’s character (e.g., “wife of one’s youth,” “a quarrelsome wife” [“a wife of quarreling”], “a wife of noble character”. The Hebrew word z^enûnı̂m (trans. here “adulterous”) refers elsewhere in Hosea to the activity of Israel under the figure of a married woman (cf. Hos. 2:2, 2:4; 4:12; 5:4). Also the emphasis in the following context (Hos. 1:2; 2:2-3:5) is on the unfaithfulness that characterized both the Lord’s and Hosea’s marriages, not on the brides’ premarital experiences. Thus the Lord’s command should be understood as follows, “Go, take to yourself a wife who will prove to be unfaithful.”

The Lord also told Hosea to take… children of unfaithfulness. This does not refer to children born from another father before Gomer’s marriage to Hosea. The Hebrew expression is elliptical with the second verb omitted. The command could be paraphrased, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and have (NASB) children of unfaithfulness.”

In Hos. 1:2 the land, which stands for those living in it (cf. Hos. 4:1), is personified as a wife who is guilty of the vilest adultery. This Hebrew verbal expression is emphatic, highlighting the extent to which Israel had departed from the Lord.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 4 Vs. 18

 Jesus Calls the First Disciples

Matthew 4:18 “And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.”

sea of Galilee... A fresh-water lake, called also the Sea of Tiberias, Gennesaret and Chinnereth (Luke 5:1; John 21:1; Jos. 12:3; 13:27; Deut. 3:17).

saw two brethren... Jesus had encountered Peter and Andrew before, near Bethabara, in the Jordan region, where Andrew (and perhaps Peter as well) had become a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35-42).

Peter was originally named Simon. Jesus surnamed him “Rock” (Greek Petros; Aramaic Cephas). Peter and his brother Andrew were fishermen from Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee (John 1:44) who later worked out of Capernaum (Mark 1:29).

Andrew his brother... First of Christ’s disciples (John 1:33-42). He returned to his fishing until his call with his brother Peter (Mat. 4:18; Mark 1:17). He became one of the 12 apostles (Mat. 10:2; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; Acts 1:13). Mentioned in Mark 1:29; 13:3; John 6:8; 2:22. Tradition says he was of the tribe of Reuben, that he evangelized Scythia (becoming Russia’s patron saint), and that he was stoned and crucified in Greece or Scythia.

They left John to follow Jesus for a time before returning to fishing in Capernaum. Perhaps they had returned to Capernaum during Jesus’ earlier ministry here. Here He called them to follow Him in long-term discipleship.

Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, immediately began to follow Jesus on the day John announced Him. At once he introduced Simon to Christ (John 1:35-42). Peter’s devotion to Christ brought him within the innermost circle of disciples. Peter shared in the greatest moments of Christ’s ministry; Peter was always listed first among the Twelve.

Yet Peter’s devotion was at times an impulsive one. Peter’s faith in Christ’s command allowed him to walk on water; and then, after he had walked, his disbelief caused him to sink (14:28-31)! Peter’s sensitivity to God’s witness prompted his great confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” only to be followed by words inspired by Satan (16:16-17, 22-23).

Three events during Christ’s earthly ministry were significant to Peter’s life and future ministry:

1. His confession concerning Christ at Caesarea Philippi (chapter 16);

2. His involvement at Christ’s transfiguration (chapter 17);

3. His threefold denial of Christ before the Crucifixion (chapter 26).

After the ascension of Jesus, Peter continues as the leader, opening the door of the gospel to the Jews (Acts 2), to the Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17), and to the Gentiles (Acts 10; 11:1, 18; 15:7, 14). However, his ministry in the early church remained primarily to the Jews.

His summons

Since Jesus is the promised Messiah, He had the right to call men from their normal pursuits of life to follow Him. This was not the first time these men had met Jesus, for the Fourth Gospel relates Jesus’ first meeting with some of the disciples (John 1:35-42).

Book of Hosea Chapter 1 Vs. 1

 Hosea’s Times

The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. Hos. 1:1

word of the... "The word of the Lord" is used three times (Hos. 1:1, 1:2; 4:1).

The word of the LORD (compare 6:5). This kind of introduction, expressing the prophet’s divine authority and message source, appears also (in Joel 1:1; Mic. 1:1; Zeph. 1:1; Mal. 1:1). Similar statements appear (in Amos 1:3; Oba. 1; Jon. 1:1; Hag. 1:2).

came unto Hosea... Hosea, salvation. The only man whose name is spelled this way (Hos. 1:1-2). He is called Osee in Rom. 9:25.

son of Beeri... Jewish tradition identifies Beeri with Beerah of Reuben (1Ch. 5:6). Christian tradition makes Hosea of the tribe of Issachar.

in the days... Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

Hosea was a prophet to the 10-tribe kingdom, but he had warnings for Judah also. He prophesied in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel. The period must have been at least 72 years, for if he prophesied during the last 2 years of Jeroboam, there would be 38 years in the rest of the time of Uzziah’s reign to be counted, besides 16 years of Jotham’s reign and 16 years of Ahaz’s reign (making a total of 72 years); this would not include any time of his prophesying in the reign of Hezekiah (Hos. 1:1). The book of Hosea points to the imminent destruction of the 10 tribes and the fall of Samaria (predicted in Hos. 13:16), which took place in the 6th year of Hezekiah. The book is quoted in the N.T. in Mat. 2:15; 9:13; 12:7; Rom. 9:25-26; 1Cor. 15:55; 1Pet. 2:5, 2:10.

The kingdom had split at this time. Hosea is a prophet to the ten tribes, spoken of as Israel. The other two tribes were spoken of as Judah. It was hard for the people to hear his warnings, because there were good times in the land. This is Jeroboam the second, spoken of here. He raised Israel to great splendor, but was very evil. His father, Joash was evil, also.

One tremendous difference in Judah and Israel is that more of Judah’s kings followed after God, than did Israel’s evil kings. All of Israel’s kings were evil. Hosea prophesied during the reign of all four of the kings of Judah, above mentioned. He prophesied in Israel and not in Judah. It is believed by some that he prophesied for about 70 years.

Hosea’s Times

In Hebrew the name Hosea (“salvation”) is the same as Hoshea, Israel’s last king (2Kgs. 17:1). Hoshea was also Joshua’s original name (Num. 13:8, 13:16). Nothing is known of Hosea’s family background except that he was a son of Beeri.

Hosea’s ministry extended for a number of decades in the second half of the eighth century b.c. Four kings of Judah (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah) reigned when Hosea prophesied. Only one king of the north (Jeroboam II), is mentioned though Hosea’s message was directed primarily to the Northern Kingdom. Six kings of Israel followed Jeroboam II during the reigns of the four Judean kings mentioned. Perhaps Hosea omitted those six (as stated under “Date” in the Introduction) to point up the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty in Judah.