This very tender-hearted prophet often cries, not because of his own sins, but Israel’s. This book brings before us a picture of a man (God), who has an unfaithful wife (Israel) who is put away for adultery, but later is to be brought back, purified and made the center of the new earth. The book can be divided into three sections. The first, Hosea 1:1 to 3:5; God telling His purposes. The second, Hosea 4:1 to 13:8; messages to the sinful people of Israel. The third, Hosea 13:9 to 14:9; the final blessings and glory of Israel on this earth. Wonderful? Wonderful! You’ll find four names in the 1St and 2nd chapters. Their meanings are “Loammi,” “Not my people” 1:9; “Ammi,” “My people” 2:1; “Lo-Ruhamah,” “Not having obtained mercy” 1:6; and “Ruhamah,” “Having obtained mercy” 2:1. You’ll notice the negative one is first in both cases because Israel deserved nothing but punishment which they will get, but afterward they will be blessed and happy.
Hosea speaks of the love of God more than the righteousness of God. This makes the warnings to Israel even more terrible. But yet a morning of blessing is promised after the dark night. God uses Hosea in a very striking way.
V.2-4 Hosea is told by God to live out a parable. The reason being that Israel was very unfaithful to God. Jeremiah 3:14 tells us that God Himself uses a parable about Israel. So Hosea is used by God to shock the people. You will see that Israel itself is called by the same name as the son that is born to Hosea (v. 11).
Most of the prophets had to suffer dreadful things so that their message from God would be listened to.
V.5 The son’s name is a name of a place in Israel today. A reminder that God is still going to punish Israel.
V.6-7 The daughter’s name means “not having obtained mercy.” This refers to the separated ten tribes called “the house of Israel.” They were swept away into captivity and have never been heard of since. But God is going to collect them all up again. “The house of Judah” was going to be kept by God. It is Judah which has been back in the land of Israel since May 14, 1948.
V.8-9 But God had, at that time, completely set aside Judah also.
V.10-11 A view into the yet future — all completely restored and blessed. Not because of themselves, but because the Lord Jesus has taken their punishment since Hosea’s time.