July 28, 2019 Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

“1 ¶ 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. 2 ¶ When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to him: “Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 It shall come to pass in that day That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.” 6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. 7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.” 8 ¶ Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God. 10 “Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’ 11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!” (Hosea 1:1-11 NKJV)

As you read this passage do you look again to make sure it really is in the Bible? God orders Hosea to marry a harlot and have children of her and then gives the children names that must have been hard to bear. Does God command all this to make a point?

Why would God command Hosea to marry a prostitute? (Jewish religious leaders and prophets were not allowed to marry prostitutes)

Note: Hosea means salvation

Gomer means complete

Why did God command Hosea to give the children such interesting names? (Could you imagine what other children would say?)

Jezreel – God sows

Jehu – Jehovah is He

Lo-Ruhamah – no mercy

Lo-Ammi – not my people

What does God say after each promise of God’s anger and the coming destruction?

What does this mean to you?

Through Hosea God is not making a point but THE point stripping away the nice terms we use for the horrific things we do and for our ability to ignore or disagree with God. God names us and our sin trying to force us to open our eyes and see as well as opening our ears to hear.

What is the hope God offers you? What name do you think God calls you?