The Book of Hosea actually doesn't tell us much about Hosea. It is a story to explain the relationship between God and God's people. It is told through the Prophet Hosea who is called to take an unfaithful wife. But not just unfaithful, a "wife of whoredom." (I'd be curious to see what other translations say - this is NRSV.) This relationship is said to mirror the relationship between God and the people of Israel.
The time period of this book is about 750 to 722 BCE. Hosea's context was the Northern Kingdom of Israel, beginning with a peaceful reign under King Jeroboam II, but followed up by wars between Israel and Syria against Judah. Along the backdrop was also a culture of religious pluralism and worship of foreign deities and idols.
"The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri, in the days of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and in the days of King Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel.
"When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by foresaking the Lord." So he went and took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
"And the Lord said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for in a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kindgom of the house of Israel. On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."
"She conceived again and bore a daughter. Then the Lord said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have pity on the house of Israel or forgive them. But I will have pity on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God; I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by war, or by horses, or by horsemen."
"When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God."
Hosea and Gomer's childrens' names:
Jezreel means "God sows"
Lo-ruhamah means "Not pitied"
Lo-ammi means "Not my people"
2 comments:
in my translation (the new living), it says "go and marry a prostitute"... in vs.9, it says "name him Lo-ammi-'not my people'-for isreal is not my people, and i am not their god"... pretty harsh.
Any more reflections?? You should post a post -- (bossy me)
I was thinking I would leave this passage up until next Wednesday, and then post the next section.
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