Hosea 1

Hosea 1:1

The mind of God is revealed to his prophet, and by him to the people, in the three first chapters by signs and types; but afterwards by discourse. In this chapter we have, 1. The general title of the whole book, ver. 1. 2. Some particular instructions he was ordered to give to the people of God. (1.) He must convict them of their sin in giving a whoring from God, by marrying a wife of whoredoms, ver. 2, 3. (2.) He must forbid the ruin coming upon them for their sin in the names of his sons, which forbid God’s disowning and abandoning them, ver. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9. (3.) He must speak comfortably to the kingdom of Judah, which still retained the pure worship of God, and assure them of the salvation of the Lord, ver. 7. (4.) He must give an intimation of the great mercy God had in store both for Israel and Judah, in the latter days, ver. 10, 11. for in this prophecy many precious promises of mercy are mixed with the threatenings of wrath.

a. a. Pet. i. 2.1. i. e. A Saviour. 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 Joah king of Israel.

The prophet opens with an account of his name and parentage. He was called Hosea, the same as Jefus or Joshua, a Saviour, the great business of his ministry being to promote the salvation of his people. His father’s name is mentioned, but of what tribe or place he was, is not said.

He prophesied during the reigns of four kings of Judah, and their contemporaries, who ruled in Israel, though but one of them is mentioned. Their lives were so bad perhaps, that their very names were odious.

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. 3. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, which conceived and bare him a son. 4. And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will § avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the hour of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6. ¶ And the conceived again, and bare a daughter; and God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will I utterly take them away. 7. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

2—7. The first revelation of God’s will to Hosea, was a fearful threatening against a rebellious people, under the figure of a man taking a wife of whoredoms, whom the prophet perishers, to convince them of their abominations, and of the just judgments of God coming upon them.

Some indeed have supposed, that Hosea literally did this which is here spoken; and married a woman of infamous conduct, Gomer, a noted trumpet, the daughter of Diblaim, by whom he had the children after mentioned: but it can hardly be supposed the Lord would command him to do an action which must make him scandalous in the eyes of the people, and especially when he would be so unqualified thereby to reprove their whoredom. The sense therefore above given seems much more eligible, which would fully answer the intention of re-

buking Before Christ 750. I. e. The God, or hertering of God. a. K. K. K.

baking their wickedness, who should have been a holy people, but had turned from God to idols; a sin more dreadful and odious, than if a woman should unachronously depart from her husband’s bed, commit adultery, and bring a spurious brood into his family. In the names of the children born of this adulteress, the prophet is commissioned to foretell the approaching ruin of that devoted people.

1. In the name of the first son, who is called Jezreel, God shews Jeroboam the destruction determined against his family, and the cause of it. Jezreel signifies the land of God, or scattered of God, and this is explained, for yet a little while, in a few years, under his son Jechomish, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the body of Jehu; the blood of Ahab, and his sons and kinshoka, which Jehu shed; for the the action was right, and God commenced it, 2 Kings x. 20. yet the temper with which Jehu did it was evil, intending not God’s glory, but the gratification of his own pride, ambition, and cruelty, as afterwards evidently appeared; for the he pretended zeal for God, when he seized the throne, he still kept the calves in Dan and Bethlehem. Thus many of the good works of pride and self-righteousness become evil from the temper with which they are done, and bring down a curse infested of a lucidity. And I will cause to cause the kingdom of the body of Israel, in the family of Jehu, as was soon fulfilled, 2 Kings x. 8-11. Or this may relate to the destruction of the son either by Salmaneser, 2 Kings x. 6-23. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will break the brow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel; which refers to Menachem’s Daughter of Shalman, 2 Kings x. 14-16. or to some battle fought there with Salmaneser, before he subdued the country, 2 Kings x. 16. Note. They who depart from God, weaken their own arms, and sin brings certain ruin in its train.

2. In the name of the second child, Lo-ruhamah, God foretells his entire rejection of the whole nation. The word signifies not having obtained mercy, 1 Pet. xi. 10. intimating, as the prophet from God explains it, that God would have no more mercy on the Israelites, but would utterly take them down, as was done by the king of Aliyra, 2 Kings xvi. Wo to the260s with whom God’s mercies are at an end!

3. A promise of mercy is made to the house of Judah, that had preserved the true worship of God; for he hath ever a chosen remnant, who, when others apollastic, still approve their liability. I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, not by any human power or weapons; which may refer to the deliverance of the Jews from Sennacherib’s army, 2 Kings xix. 35. or perhaps to the greater salvation which the Lord Jesus should accomplish, subduing all the spiritual foes of his people, and by his own arm making them more than conquerors. Note. (1.) All our salvation comes not from any merit in us, but the mere mercy of our God. (2.) They who cleave to God as their God, shall find he will own them in the day of trouble, and interpose for their rescue. (3.) Those whom God will save, not all the wicked on earth, nor all the devils in hell shall be able to destroy.

4. Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and bare a son. 9. Then said God, Call his name + Lo-ammi: for ‘ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. 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 if 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. 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.

Hosea 1:8-11

The decree gone forth against this wicked nation is here confirmed in the name of a son, the third child, called Lo-ammi, after Lo-ruhamah was weaned; which may signify the patience of God for a while bearing with them, or that first captivity, when many of Gilead and Galilee were carried away by Tiglath-pileser, 2 Kings xv. 29.

1. God rejects Israel from being his people, as the name La-Ammi signifies, ye are not my people; have cast off my government and worship: and I will not be your God, to bless, protect, and save you. Note. (1.) They who revolt from God, are justly rejected by him. (2.) Many claim a relation to God in name, whose works deny him, and whom he will therefore disown.

2. In wrath God remembers mercy, and a gracious promise is made of their reformation. He that wounds will heal. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; which prophets, what ever primary respect it might have to the return of the Israelites from their captivity with their brethren; or whatever ground of comfort it might afford to the pous captives there; yet we are assured, Rom. ix. 24—26. was to have its glorious accomplishment, when Jews and Gentiles should be converted to the faith

Vol. II.

of Christ; as was eminently the case, when by the preaching of the gospel at the first, multitudes were added to the church; and daily we observe the immensely built increasing, all the schools of the Gentiles shall be come in at the last day, and is all Israel shall be saved. 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; adopted into the family, and admitted to all the great and distinguished privileges of the children of God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together; which some interpret of the union of the divided kingdoms, on their return from Babylon; but rather rejects the times of the gospel, when Galileans, Samaritans, and Jews, converted by the preaching of Christ and his apostles, were joined in one Christian church, and the Gentiles afterwards incorporated therein. And some also suppose particular respect is had to the times when the Jews shall be collected from their precinct dispersion, and be universally turned to the Lord, and appoint themselves one head, the Divine Messiah, to whom they shall be gathered at the last, willingly submitting themselves to his blessed government; and they shall come up out of the land, or the earth, collected from all parts of it; or as experiencing a kind of referendum from the state of misery, like death, in which they lay; for great shall be the day of Jezreel; after all the affections they have endured, their latter end shall be full of glory, and Jezreel, the said of God, the faithful, shall be saved with an everlasting salvation. Note. (1.) Every believer is distinguished with the eminent dignity of being a child of the living God; and however he may be despised of men, is glorious in the eyes of the Most High and Most Holy, and shall be acknowledged by him in the last great day. (2.) The people of God have Christ for their living head, desving from him all vital influence; yielding themselves up to him, to be directed and governed; and through him maintaining mutual communion with each other, being all one in Christ Jesus. (3.) They who have Christ for their head, must come up from the earth, and for their affections on things above, where Christ attends at the right hand of God.