Hosea 1:2-3 – Faithfulness matters to God

Hosea 1:1 says, “…the words of the Lord came to Hosea.” This authenticates Hosea’s call to the prophetic ministry. It was a commission to speak for God. Indicated in verse 2 is Hosea’s first act as a prophet. He was to “get married.”  

Why the marriage? Verse 2 indicates that God wants to send a message to His people. God commanded Hosea saying, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.”   

 

Marriage was a normal part of life. It’s a shared relationship of love. When a marriage is blissful it is meaningful and joyful. However, marriage can also be painful rather than pleasurable. At least it was the case for Hosea and Gomer. It started well but became awry, but it has a message for God’s people.

 

Note in verse 2 that the command to Hosea to “take” includes the children and not just the wife. God did not just use his wife as the message but also his children. Both Hosea’s wife and children are described as promiscuous.

 

We see no clear indication that Gomer whom Hosea married was a known prostitute at the time of their marriage. There was also no indication of flaws in her character for Hosea to suspect any tint of unfaithfulness in her. Besides, the children she bore for Hosea were specifically said to be the children of their relationship. Hence the crux of the issue was not so much about Gomer’s violation of the marriage but a message of Israel’s unfaithfulness.  Hosea’s wife and children portrayed the scene of the day.

 

Common in the day of Hosea were Canaanite religious practices that had infiltrated Israel’s worship. When the wicked Jezebel married Ahaz, a flood of the practices of Baal worship was introduced. One of the practices includes extra-marital activity and marital infidelity. Under Jezebel’s influence, Israel was inundated with such practices because of Baalism.

 

Prostitution is also used to depict covenantal infidelity.  It is a symbol of spiritual adultery. Gomer’s disregard for the marriage would be an apt portrayal of Israel’s violation of her covenant with the Lord.      

 

The lesson: we must remain faithful in our relationships, and commitments, especially with God. Here we sense a call to be loyal to God and to honor our commitment to Him.