Examining The Reason God Asked Hosea To Marry A Prostitute
Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2012
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Hosea served God as a prophet from about 760 BC to 720 BC, in the northern kingdom of Israel, after the nation had split. The word Hosea is derived from the Hebrew root hoshea, (which means ‘salvation“) the same root from which also comes the names Joshua and Jesus. His name is mentioned nowhere other than in his book in the Old Testament, and only once referred to in the New Testament by Paul in his letter to the Roman Christians and is the Greek translation Osee, which was pronounced as O’see in the Hebrew.
The departure from God by the entire Jewish nation had long since become a reality and God had pleaded through the prophets for them to return to his fold. The book of Hosea is not only written in this regard but God used Hosea as an example of Himself in relation to His chosen people.
Many people have contended that it was unlike God to require one of his prophets, or even any one of his own, to marry a prostitute. But the role he gave Hosea to play was symbolic of God and His children Israel. It is not known if Hosea’s wife was an harlot before she married him since the reference is seemingly more to her people than directly at her. Read this:
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. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 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. (Hosea 1:2-4 KJV)
As the book proceeds, Gomer bore two sons and two daughters to Hosea and afterwards left him to play the harlot. Then in chapter 3, Hosea went to her father’s house and talked her into coming back. This chapter is symbolic of the coming of Jesus Christ to form his spiritual kingdom here on earth where all men could become a part of it and that it would be the new “Spiritual Israel” where those who were not his children could become his children.
It develops that it is, in a peculiar way, a beautiful story of God’s love for his creatures and his longsuffering for Israel. And these could all be bought back, by the blood of Jesus if they would only come.
God often gave difficult assignments to his many prophets. Some had to place their lives in jeopardy and many were killed for His sake. So from this point of view, Hosea was not given such a difficult life. It appears that Gomer made him a decent wife with the exception of when she left him.
The book is also just another episode of the Israelites straying from God and His warnings.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Ironically, this story also should cause people to alter their standard kinds of judgmental thinking. Excellent piece. Well done as usual. It is only Joel H who would stop to write an article like this. I praise you.Thank you Christofer, you are very kind.
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