Hosea’s Difference
Hosea was a man of
Israel and a
prophet through whom
God spoke. His
predictions were
coded in thin
metaphors, and mainly dealt with showing Israel their sins (particularly
idolatry). Hosea does have some
hope, for
mercy is promised. Shared by all
prophetic books, including
Hosea, is the predictions and
prophecies. Hosea may be yet another prophetic book, yet it is different because of the story of
Gomer and Hosea.
The book of Hosea is very similar to the other prophetic books, because well, it is one of
prophecy. It does differ in the
intimate and
personal manner in which prophecy is
foretold. In the second line Hosea is told, by God, to take an “
adulterous wife.”(
1:2) From this marriage comes progeny who are used as a
symbol for
people,
lands and
events. The first son of Hosea and Gomer,
Jezreel was named as to predict the
destruction of Israel in “the Valley of Jezreel”(
1:5). The next child is a
daughter whose names means
not loved; God will “no longer show love to the house of Israel”(
1:6). Whereas in other prophetic books the prophecies are told, Hosea and his family are used for symbols of prophecies.
Hosea’s kids: Jezreel, for the end of the kingdom of Israel; Lo-Ruhamah, for the end of love of Israel; and Lo-Ammi, for “you are not my people, and
I am not your God.”(
1:9) Hosea’s children are further used to
illustrate how Israel will fall in the second
chapter, describing the relationships and how God will deal with them. Hope is brought when God declares that he will be called “
husband”(
2:16) not “
master”(
3:16) ( a more intimate relationship with God), and things will be set right. Jezreel will be
accepted, Lo-Ruhamah will be
loved, and Lo-Ammi will say, “’
You are my God.’”(
2:23) Obviously not the actual children themselves, but the people and the symbols for which they represent. The fact that God takes Hosea and gives him children to reveal prophecy presents a difference from other prophetic books.
Again the intimacy of Hosea is intertwined in the book, with “Hosea’s
Reconciliation.”(
3) Hosea does not appreciate that his wife is adulterous, but God tells him to “
love her.”(
3:1) God uses their
renewed love to show that the
Israelites will “return and seek the Lord.”(
3:5)
The metaphor of Hosea’s family is then
dropped, and the book becomes just like any other prophecy;
Israel sins, but will be
forgiven. It is clear that Hosea is different for an
extended metaphor is present pertaining to
faithfulness. A more
personal feeling of God is felt, for he deals with Hosea on an intimate,
family basis (perhaps a view to the God of the
New Testament). Adultery is used as the symbolic idolatry of Israel. The level at which Hosea begins sets it apart from other books. God changes Hosea’s life to present prophecy, a notion quite different from other prophetic books, which sets the book of Hosea apart.
Quotes and references to the New International Version Bible (NIV)