Hosea 1: Secure in Steadfast Love

​The word of the Lord that came to 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.

Hosea's Wife and Children
2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

4 And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”

8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
 
Meditation
The security in the Lord’s steadfast love is beyond comprehension. God displays the richness of His covenant love through the living parable of Hosea’s life. God gives mercy and makes family through His covenant love.
 
Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom, just before Assyria took Israel into exile. Gomer was a prostitute, a woman of ill repute. To illustrate God’s covenant love for an unfaithful people, God called Hosea to speak first with his life by marrying Gomer. The prophet’s life put flesh on the message of God’s covenant love.

Hosea married Gomer and they had three children; Jezereel, No Mercy, and Not My People. These unconventional names illustrated an ancient covenant truth: If Israel rejected God to worship other gods, they would give birth to violence, judgment, and exile. BUT GOD is rich in mercy; slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Exodus 34:6, also Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:15; Joel 2:13; and Jonah 4:2). God’s covenant faithfulness is greater than the failure of His people!
 
The security of God’s steadfast love transforms “not my people” into “children of God,” “Jezreel” into a place of reconciliation, and “no mercy” into receiving mercy (10-11). Transformation is possible because a greater prophet put flesh on the word of God, Jesus Christ the Bridegroom for believers (Mark 2:19).  Jesus received no mercy so believers can experience mercy, reconciled to God through His work to become children of God. Jesus was rejected so believers can be secure in God’s steadfast love- dirty, unfaithful, enemies of God welcomed into God’s family.
 
Richly Dwelling
-What stands out to you from today’s reading, especially the revelation of God’s radical love for His people?
 
-God’s love is greater than your sin, rebellion, and rejection of Him. Do you know the security of His love? Or do you look for security in your performance or other people?
 
-How does the finished work of Jesus help you see the security you have in God’s steadfast love? Where do you (specifically) need to embrace this reality?
 
Key Verse
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”