The prophet Hosea took Gomer, a wife of harlotries (1:2-9). This symbolized that God took Israel as His wife—one who gave herself to harlotries and who departed from Jehovah. God told Hosea to do what He Himself had done, and Hosea did as God had commanded him.
Gomer bore Hosea a son named by God Jezreel (vv. 3b-5), symbolizing that God will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel (2 Kings 10:1-11) upon the house of Jehu and will bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel (2 Kings 15:10-12).
Gomer also bore Hosea a daughter named by God Lo-ruhamah (Hosea 1:6-7). This name, which means “she has not obtained compassion,” symbolizes that God will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that He should forgive them at all. However, on the house of Judah Jehovah will have compassion and will save them by Jehovah their God, not by bow, by sword, by battle, by horses, or by horsemen.
After weaning Lo-ruhamah, Gomer bore a son named by God Lo-ammi (vv. 8-9). This name, which means “not My people,” symbolizes that Israel is not God’s people and God will not belong to her.
Hosea 1:10—2:1 is God’s promise of restoration to the children of Israel. This promise is a matter of grace. Grace follows sin. Where sin abounds grace abounds even more (Rom. 5:20).
In the restoration the number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered (Hosea 1:10a).
“In the place where it will be said to them, You are not My people, / It will be said to them, You are the sons of the living God” (v. 10b). Sons of God indicates regeneration. When God makes a new covenant with Israel (Jer. 31:31-34), they will have God written into their hearts. This means that they will be regenerated. God will put Himself into them as their life to make them the sons of God. Thus, Israel will be not merely the people of God but also the sons of God.
In the restoration the children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one head, and they will go up from the land of their captivity, for great will be the day of Jezreel (meaning “God sows” or “God will sow”), the day for the people of Israel to be sown in the holy land by God (Hosea 1:11; 2:22-23). Today God has sown the children of Israel back in their fathers’ land, and no one can pluck them out again.
Eventually, the Lord will charge the children of Israel to say to their brothers, “Ammi” (meaning “My people”), and to their sisters, “Ruhamah” (meaning “she has obtained compassion”). Thus, Israel will be perfected. Under the victory of God’s love, Israel will become His people and obtain His compassion.
We all need to learn a twofold lesson from Hosea 1. First, God loves Israel with an everlasting love. There will be no change in His love. Second, although God is loving, He is also a God of purity and righteousness. He cannot tolerate any kind of uncleanness or unrighteousness. Wherever these things are found among God’s people, God’s chastisement comes in. For this reason, even though Israel has been re-formed as a nation, they are still under God’s chastisement. Nevertheless, as they are being chastised by God, they are still loved by Him. It is the Lord’s lovingkindness that they have not been consumed (Lam. 3:22). Because of His compassion, Israel remains.
We too have been chosen by God and loved by Him with an everlasting love. However, we should not indulge ourselves just because God is loving. We must be in fear and trembling as we enjoy His love. If we are even a little mistaken, God will come in to chastise us. Yet His everlasting love is always victorious. On the one hand, His dealing with us is a matter of His chastisement; on the other hand, it is a matter of His love. His love will gain the victory.