Redemption

Book of Hosea Chapters 1-3

We need to have a clear understanding of the word “redemption”.

Redemption is the buying back of something you once owned through the payment of a ransom!

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The “redemption” the Scriptures are speaking of is not for objects but for each human.

In fact the “redemption” spoken of in the Scriptures is the price of blood that Christ Jesus paid for the Church.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Tit 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

God would have never paid such a ransom if He had not had such a great love for humanity.

Many times God has taught us the important themes of the Scriptures through examples.

Old Testament prophets often lived their message as well as preached them.

In the Book of Hosea we see a man who God called to be a living example of the Lord’s great love for all humans no matter how sinful we are.

The name Hosea actually means “salvation” or “a savior” much like the name Joshua and we know these names in the Greek would be translated “Jesus”.

The entire Book of Hosea gives us a living picture of the great love our Savior has for us, if we just picture ourselves being the spiritual adulterers that we were before we asked the Lord Jesus to come into our hearts.

Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
Rom 9:25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
Rom 9:26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

The period of the ministry of Hosea was for about 60 years some even say 80 years.

It is hard to imagine a man staying married to a harlot for this period of time but if we can relate this harlot to the Israel of that day, or even to the Church, or even to each and every individual, we can better understand the Book of Hosea.

If we just imagine the Lord married to the adulterous Israel, the subject of this great book of the Bible is not only clear but highly instructive.

We can even see the ties to the modern Church of today that has become lukewarm.

In the Book of Revelation Jesus had these words:

Rev 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

Without a doubt the Book of Hosea is much more about the “Grace” of God than any other subject!

So let’s begin:

*****Hos 1:1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hos 1:2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

It should be obvious to us all that Hosea was called of God to be a prophet. After this call Hosea’s life was under the control of God just the same as any other prophet of God.

We know that adultery is a sin condemned by God and there no exceptions at all, even to Hosea. So it seems strange that God would tell Hosea to marry a harlot and we should know that Hosea still had a choice, he could have said no.

Remember it was not Hosea who committed this sin, he just obeyed God and it would have been Hosea’s sin to not obey God.

In fact Hosea did not spend much time searching for a wife, he did as the Lord had told Him to do.

No matter what we think, the safest place for any of us to be is still to be in the will of God!

This life would be painful for Hosea and it would cost him dearly, mentally and also in material things.

By the end of this lesson Hosea would have to redeem his adulterous wife.

Hos 3:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
Hos 3:2 So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
Hos 3:3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.

Hosea had informed his new wife that she would not be a harlot and remember this is the same command that God gave to the children of Israel and also the same command God gave to the Church.

God tells us all that we are to have no other gods before Him and this is what Hosea told his new wife, she was to have no other man before him. The same thing we men expect from all our wives.

Gomer gave Hosea 3 children.

God named all three children.

1) Jezreel a son: This name means “seed of God”.

Jezreel was also the place where King Ahab of Israel, the Northern Tribes, had his palace.

God said:

Hos 1:5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

2) Loruhamah a daughter: This name means “uncompassionated”

God said:

Hos 1:6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

At this time this did not include Judah which also included Benjamin.

3) Loammi another son: This name means “not my people”

And God said:

Hos 1:9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

We should remember in the days of Hosea most all of Israel had turned away from the Lord.

If we look at our own world today we will see that most all the world has again turned away from the Lord.

And then God said these words:

*****Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

BUT, Even in the midst of God’s anger God simply does not forget those that love Him!

It should be obvious that this promise was not made to any who lived in that day but was to be fulfilled in a future age!

The truth is there is nothing lost to those willing to lose for the Lord!

When we are willing to lose for the Lord, it is then the time when God will renew and confirm His covenant with us.

We should remember what God told Abraham.

Gen 22:15 And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time,
Gen 22:16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:
Gen 22:17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Gen 22:18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

It is true that God promised a day when Israel will be restored and we know that time as the Millennial Kingdom of the Lord and many multitudes will come to the Lord.

We know that this passage also refers to the Church Age when many souls will be saved.

God has promised that both groups would be called the “Children of the Living God”!

There will only be one ruler in these times:

*****Hos 1:11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

That one ruler is the promised Messiah.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Jesus came the first time as a babe, with a manger for a throne!

When Jesus returns again to sit on His throne in Jerusalem, it will be after He has destroyed His enemies in the Valley of Jezreel! (Jezreel was the place of Ahab’s palace) (The Valley of Jezreel is the palace of all who reject the Lord)

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

The truth is, that God’s Kingdom is soon coming to this earth!

The Lord Jesus will return as King Of Kings and Lord of Lords and He will rule here on this earth from Jerusalem.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

At this time, just as Gomer was playing the harlot, Israel was playing the harlot.

*****Hos 2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.
Hos 2:6 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

The truth of those living in sin is that, they are too blind and too ignorant to see the dangers in the path they have chosen.

The truth of a worldly church is that, it will become shameless but will also be bold in contempt of those who cannot believe as they believe.

The sin of idolatry is that objects are loved and hearts are taken from the Living God!

When a wife commits adultery she is ignoring the responsibilities of her marriage and especially her children.

The same goes for any man.

The children should rebuke any such activity and not just stand still.

When the worship in any church is straying from the doctrine of Jesus Christ, then the faithful of the church should take a stand against such nonsense.

It is sin to fall away from the Lord but it is also great sin to not take a stand for the Lord!

Verse six means that Gomer would be denied access to the things she lusted after. This is enslavement.

This is the lesson that Israel would learn if they would not repent and of course we know that they did not repent.

So they had become enslaved to their sin!

And so they would be come enslaved to other people.

This is exactly what sin does, it makes us slaves to Satan, the Devil, and slaves to worldly governments!

Gomer was enslaved in her own sin and then became no more than a slave to her lovers.

In the end sin will only hide the way to freedom!

What we find is, that the things we worship other than the true God are never able to provide the things we need the most. What we need the most is the “Grace” and the “Mercy” of our God!

In the end then sin can only bring disappointment!

*****Hos 2:7 And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.

Gomer continued to chase after her lovers but she could never find the peace nor the satisfaction she was looking for.

The sin of Israel was the same. They would chase after their false gods but they could never catch them because they were only figments of their imagination. They did not actually exist!

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

Rom 1:28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

They would have been far better off to have returned to the Lord but that day is still in their future.

This is the sin of our world today and it cannot be denied from those who are willing to open blinded eyes.

How blind are those that reject the Lord?

*****Hos 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

Spiritual blindness is devastating in the end!

Gomer had failed to realize that the good things that Hosea had given to her had actually come from the Lord.

Gomer had not just turned away from her husband but she had turned away from her God.

We as men are fools if we do not think that a good wife does not bring great gifts and great treasures into a marriage but Gomer had chosen to give her treasures and her gifts to others rather than her husband.

Israel had failed to realize that all good gifts come from God.

Jas 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This is the way of sin and every sinner, they forget that there is a God and God has already said no one will be able to use this as an excuse on judgment day.

Most of our world do realize that there is a God, so only a few actually say “there is no God” and we even allow them to dictate their thoughts while Christians sit idle and allow these things to happen!

What most of our world says is “If there is a God, why would He allow such things to happen”.

They don’t hesitate to blame God for all the bad things but they refuse to accept that they may be the blame for God’s actions.

The truth is that, when we expel God from the intellectual side of thinking, immorality will increase and the whole of our nature will decrease.

The world we live in refuses to admit that there is a “Supreme Being” and that we are all responsible to Him!

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
Gen 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

If this is not a true statement then lets just throw it all away!

What people do not want to hear is that God will judge sin!

*****Hos 2:9 Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.
Hos 2:10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

Hos 2:13 And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

1) For Gomer she would be cast into the world naked and afraid with no one to provide for her.

For Israel they would lose God’s care and His providing hand even the necessities of life.

2) For Gomer she would be publicly exposed and shamed in the eye of the public.

Eventually she would find that men would no longer find her desirable.

For Israel, they would also be exposed and shamed before the eyes of the world. Her lovers would be the other nations of the world but when the weakness of Israel was exposed even those nations would not have anything to do with them.

It is obvious that most of these things are still in effect today!

3) No one can escape the “Judgment of God”. Not Gomer, not Israel, and not anyone!

All adulterous people will face the “Judgment” of God.

Gomer was the wife of a prophet of God but she would still be judged. Not even the family of Hosea could escape the “Judgment of God”

Israel was established as the people of God and they were certainly judged.

AND, there is no means available on this earth or anywhere else, that can deliver any of those from the hand of and God’s Judgment!

Gomer strayed from her husband, dressed as a harlot, had immoral behavior, and committed adultery.

Israel had false worship, improper dress, immoral behavior, and turned away from the Living God.

Do we even need to look at the nation we live in today to see the similarities?

God warns us all: if we disobey the Word of God and commit illicit sexual acts, we will suffer at the hand of God.

The theme of Book of Hosea should not be missed and we certainly have no excuses, we have been warned and we are going through the disciplinary stages at this time and the next thing on God’s calender is then God’s “Judgment”.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

We know that Satan uses many things to entice us into sin but here we see that God will also use His great benefits to entice us back to Him.

*****Hos 2:14 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.

Even after all these things Hosea would speak softly to his wife, and allure her, trying to renew the romance they once had.

In the wilderness they could be one on one with no distractions. Hosea would assure his wife that they could still have a loving and a wonderful relationship.

Hosea put forth every effort to reconcile all these things with his wife!

God did the same thing to Israel!

God has done the same thing to every sinner by Jesus Christ!

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

How does God describe His reconciling with Israel?

*****Hos 2:15 And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
Hos 2:16 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
Hos 2:17 For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

Just as Hosea offered Gomer a great hope of a renewed marriage, God promised a renewed relationship with Israel!

God promised a day in the future which we know will be the Second Coming of Christ.

God would restore their property. The marriage bond of the children of Israel would be completely restored.

When Israel had first entered into the promised land the Valley of Achor had been the “valley of trouble” but the “Valley of Achor would now become the “valley of hope”.

No longer would Israel only think of God as “Master”(Baali) but would think of God as My Husband (Ishi).

The name Master (Baali) might remind them of those old false gods and that could never be a good thing.

God tells the Church to just say Abba Father or (Daddy) because to say God might cause some to remember their false gods.

Just as Hosea would do everything in his power to help Gomer forget her old lovers, God would do the same for Israel.

We can see that the intent of Hosea’s call was to remind Israel of all these things and not only Israel but all who are here today.

Hosea even promised Gomer a new environment.

*****Hos 2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

Only in the early days of Adam has there been true peace on this earth. Sin and the murder of Abel brought an end to true peace on this earth.

It was also sin that caused the disruption of trust between the animal world and mankind.

Very few animals are what you call domesticated and most of them only provide food for mankind.

We will all, including the animals, be vegetarians again in the restored earth, during the Millennial Reign of Christ.

The prophesies of the restored earth are to numerous to list them all but here are a few.

Isa 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
Isa 11:7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Isa 11:8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.
Isa 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jer 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
Jer 23:8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.

Zec 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
Zec 14:8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Mic 4:3 And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Mic 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.

Psa 46:9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psa 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

These things cannot happen until the Prince of Peace returns:

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Hosea told Gomer that divorce would be totally out of the picture!

God told Israel they would have their day of renewed marriage!

God tells the Church, I will never leave you nor forsake you!

Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Heb 13:6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Psa 37:28 For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
Psa 37:29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

The marriage bond to our Lord cannot be broken!

*****Hos 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
Hos 2:20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

God has promised His people a new marriage.

It was always God’s intent for the marriage bond be unbroken!

In our world the marriage was to be to the end of one’s life.

God has promised a marriage bond that can never be broken.

God’s marriage bond, the Church to Christ, will never expire, not at death and not at this world’s ending!

God has promised an eternal union with those that love Him!

What is the truth about the nation of Israel today?

*****Hos 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
Hos 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.

Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD there has been no place for Israel to offer sacrifices.

Since the destruction caused by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, there has been no King of Israel in the line of King David and there have been no prince’s to continue that line.

Israel was in exile with no place to worship, until May 14, 1948 when Israel was again established on only part of the land that God had given to them.

What we do know is that our King can never die, King Jesus is the rightful heir to the throne of King David!

We also know that there is no one who holds the position of High Priest of Israel since the time of the destruction of the Temple.

That position will also be filled by King Jesus who will be both King and High Priest not only of Israel but of this world.

These things are true now, even as we go through this lesson!

Our lesson today is about “redemption” and we can see that God’s heart is a heart of redemption!

This could be said to be “the goodness” of the Lord”!

In other words we have not seen “the best” that the Lord has to offer yet, it is still in all our future.

It is the “goodness of the Lord” that should bring fear to every sinner who rejects the Lord!

Hosea redeemed his wife with 15 pieces of silver, and a homer and a half of barley.

This was a substantial amount of money even in that day, for an adulterous wife who could have been executed by the laws of Moses.

A new slave could be bought for 30 pieces of silver!

But we must remember God paid a much greater price for our redemption!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Anyone that thinks Israel will never return to God, do not understand what God is saying. The same stumbling block for Israel is the same stumblingblock for the world.

1Pe 2:7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Not everyone in Israel will be saved but the nation as a whole will be saved.

Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

When Hosea brought his wife back home we can be sure he gave her some strict rules.

Hosea had been obedient to the Lord but Gomer would have to prove she could be trusted.

This is why God tests our faith from time to time to see if we truly love him like we say we do.

God has shown His goodness to this world by His own Son.

Psa 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
Psa 31:20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Psa 31:21 Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city.
Psa 31:22 For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.

God has already paid the ransom for our redemption, it’s up to us as individuals to prove our own trustworthiness.

Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Questions?

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