The small prophets is a collection of books in the Former Testament which give insight into who God is, how He works, and the history of Israel and Judah; they are just as important to Scripture every bit the major prophets, but their texts are not every bit long.

One of these small-scale prophets to State of israel, most probable nigh Samaria in the northward, was Hosea, whose ministry was earlier the exile to Babylon. This book prophecies the results of the Israelites turning to other gods, the separation of their nation from the one true God, the subsequent disastrous results, and the eventual reconciliation. Moreover, God used Hosea'southward own life as a symbol for this relationship through the prophet'southward matrimony to Gomer, who would exist unfaithful to him. Why would God want Hosea to marry Gomer? What is the greater plan?

Hosea's life and ministry serve non only every bit prophecy for State of israel at that time, just as a reminder today about the consequences of choice, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of virtue.

What Happens in Story fo Hosea and Gomer?

The Book of Hosea can be broken upwardly into two thematic sections. There is the story of Hosea, Gomer, and their children, and there is the story of God and Israel. Both are stories of covenant relationships which get violated and then restored.

God made a covenant relationship with Israel, promising to bless and protect them if they follow Him, worshipping only the one, true God. Wedlock was instituted to be a lifelong promise betwixt a man and a woman to be faithful, and to assistance i another. Under the Lord's guidance, Hosea married Gomer, a woman he knew would commit adultery. The union would serve as a symbol for the relationship between God and His people.

Later King David'southward decease, his son Solomon married hundreds of women from cultures all over the region, who worshipped many fake gods. Theologians generally pinpoint this event as the reason that polytheism became more widely skillful in Israel. Eventually, Judah and Israel separated, becoming two split kingdoms, which had their own prophets. Hosea lived in the northern kingdom, and God chose Him to live a life which illustrated the relationship betwixt State of israel and Himself.

"When the Lord starting time spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, 'Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the state commits dandy whoredom by forsaking the Lord'" (Hosea 1:2). By setting this example, God wanted Israel to understand the extent of their sins.

Gomer gave nativity to three children, whose names reflected the state of the nation. When they were built-in, their names were sad, symbolizing the turning away of the nation, and the tragedy that would befall the people. The outset son'due south name was Jezreel, because God said, "...I will punish the house of Jehu for the claret of Jezreel, and I volition put an end to the kingdom of the house of State of israel. And on that solar day I will interruption the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel" (Hosea 1:4b-5).

Their daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah or No Mercy, because God would show no mercy.

The third child'due south name means Non My People - Lo-Ammi. Information technology was mutual among the families in the Bible for their children to bear names of significance. One of the most pregnant examples was earlier the Flood. Enoch named his son Methuselah, which theologians agree translates roughly to, "when he dies it shall come" or "upon his death it comes." The "it" is the Great Alluvion. Likewise, Hosea'due south children received their names in this tradition.

Hosea and Gomer: Separation and Reconciliation

Gomer does leave Hosea and commit adultery, simply eventually her husband retrieves her, taking her back into his home and forgiving her. This reconciliation foretold the future return to God the nation of Israel would make, and His forgiveness.

The majority of the fourteen chapters bargain with the specific prophecies about this separation from God and its eventual reconciliation, and beyond the sequence of events, piffling is known about Hosea's life, married woman and children. It does not hash out how he felt, simply that he obeyed.

wife and husband, hosea and gomer

Photograph credit: Unsplash/Travis Grossen

Hosea was non the just prophet whose life reflected the country of the relationship between God and His people. Ezekiel, a prophet in Judah, was called past God to act out his life in such a fashion that it foretold the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC:

"Then lie on your left side, and place the penalisation of the business firm of State of israel upon it. For the number of the days that you prevarication on information technology, yous shall bear their punishment. For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their penalization. So long shall you deport the penalty of the house of Israel. And when you have completed these, you lot shall lie downwardly a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the firm of Judah. Forty days I assign you lot, a twenty-four hour period for each year. And you shall set your face up toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and yous shall prophesy confronting the city. And behold, I volition identify cords upon you, and so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege" (Ezekiel 4:iv-eight).

God sometimes called on his prophets to live symbolically and sacrificially in guild to communicate to the people. Much like Christians today are chosen to alive by faith, which sometimes includes taking risks that do not make sense. While few Christians are called to take a spouse or a live in the streets to symbolically communicate things today, both require trust and obedience.

Why Did God Let Bad Things Happen in the Story of Hosea and Gomer?

Ane of the biggest questions that arises from the life of Hosea is why God would orchestrate his obedient prophet's life in such a manner that Hosea would suffer and so much. He married Gomer knowing she would exist an adulteress, suffered the humiliation of her having multiple affairs, and gave his children sad names because of this spousal relationship. Hosea was a prophet, obedient to His Lord, simply still he suffered. Information technology is a picture of a good human who has many bad things happen to him.

Despite the hardship, through Hosea'due south life, God works out the redemption of Gomer through her husband'due south forgiveness. She is welcomed dorsum into her husband's domicile, much similar how the Begetter of the Prodigal Son forgave the immature man and brought him back in the dwelling. The Lord used these hardships to teach State of israel and all future generations about the long-suffering patience of God, who waits for the sinful to come up to Him.

During the prophetic communications in this book, God says, "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols" (Hosea 11:ane-2). Over and over, the Lord emphasizes His love for His people, everything He did for them, and the heartbreak of seeing them chose false idols over Him. Nonetheless, He redeemed them anyway, later a menstruum of chastisement and exile.

Correcting through chastisements and times of difficulty are some of the ways God shows His love. He does non want His children to behave desperately, to wallow unchanging in spiritual immaturity and sin. Instead, He wants them to grow and become more righteous; "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights" (Proverbs iii:11-12).

Though the people of Israel and Hosea went through difficult times, God used the hardship.

Is This Book Still Relevant Today?

The events prophesied in the Book of Hosea happened centuries ago, but that does not mean at that place is nothing at that place for the contemporary Christian to have away. By living a life of suffering personal injury and embarrassment at the hands of someone close to him, Hosea obeyed the Lord knowing these hardships would come, and also establish the strength to forgive his wife.

Forgiveness is one of the hardest acts for a sinful man. It is as well a lesson of obedience to God, because sometimes believers are called to practise hard tasks or make big sacrifices. Finally, there is a reminder of God's beloved and forgiveness. Even in the Former Attestation, God was merciful and patient with Israel, merely every bit He is with people today.

Sources

Bartlett, Hosea: The Prophet of a Broken Heart. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016.

Bassett, Rev. F. Tilney. Book of the Prophet Hosea Literally Translated with Introduction and Notes Critical and Explanatory. London: Due west. Macintosh, 1869.

Craigie, Peter. Twelve Prophets Volume one: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1973.

Photograph credit: ©Getty Images/Katarzyna Bialasiewicz

Bethany Verrett is a freelance author and editor. She maintains a religion and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses well-nigh the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.