The Book of Hosea

The Book of Hosea
By Richard St.James
Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2023

By Richard St.James

Hosea is the first of the Minor Prophets. [The Minor Prophets are not minor in importance but in the length of their prophecies.]

There are 14 chapters in the book of Hosea.

There are 197 verses in the book of Hosea.

There are 5174 words in the book of Hosea.

The name Hosea is also spelt Oshea or Osee in the Authorized King James Bible of 1611.

See for this in the third book of Moses, called Numbers, in chapter thirteen, verse eight: “Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea, the son of Nun.” [Numbers 13:8]

Thus, we see the name Hosea is also known as Joshua or Jehoshua.

For this skip down to verse sixteen in that same chapter:

“These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.” [Numbers 13:16]

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul references Hosea’s prophecy calling him Osee:

See the book Romans 9:24-26:

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

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.” [Romans 9:24-26]

Thus, we have: Hosea = Oshea = Joshua = Jehoshua= Osee.

The name Hosea means GOD IS SALVATION or SAVE, O GOD!

Hosea, chapter one:

Verse one: “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.”

The word of the LORD

The word of the LORD is TRUTH: T-R-U-T-H:

· “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” [John 17:17]

· “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” [John 8:32]

This BOOK is herein identified: It is the Authorized Bible of 1611, or any of its editions! It is the word of God in the English language!

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” [Psalm12: 6-7]

Amen!

At this point the word of the LORD by Hosea begins .

Hosea, the son of Beeri, (Osee)

Note: The word of God came to a man. [There are men called of God.]

This man was called to be a Seer or a prophet. What is a seer? A SEER sees into the future. For this we reference the First Book of Samuel, chapter nine, verse nine:

“(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)” [1 Samuel 9:9]

God reveals himself to a man by the word of God. This is seen in the calling of a prophet in the First Book of Samuel, chapter three, verse twenty-one:

“And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh: for the LORD revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD” [1 Samuel 3:21]

Note here: the revelation of God is by the word of God.

There is something else that is to be seen here. A prophet is a man that has God’s words put into his mouth that he shall speak.

Deuteronomy 18:18: “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

[Note: This particular Prophet spoken of here is none other but Jesus Christ.]

Thus, we have the word of God coming unto Hosea, the son of Beeri.

The SEER has God’s words put his mouth that he shall speak!

The four kings of Judah

Hosea was cotemporary to these four Judean kings.

1. Uzziah

2. Jotham

3. Ahaz

4. Hezekiah

1. Uzziah [the son of Amaziah] was king of Judah in Hosea’s day.

2 Chronicles 26:1: “Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.”

Uzziah did right before the LORD till he was strong:

2 Chronicles 26:16: “But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction: for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.”

2. Next, Jotham [the son of Uzziah] was also king of Judah in Hosea’s day.

2 Chronicles 27:2: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered not into the temple of the LORD. And the people did yet corruptly.”

3. Then next, Ahaz became king of Judah also in Hosea’s day. 2 Kings 15:38: “And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.”

Ahaz did wrong!

2 Kings 16:2: “Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.”

4. The last Judean king during Hosea’s ministry was Hezekiah.

2 Kings 16:20: “And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.”

Hezekiah did right in the sight of the LORD.

2 Chronicles 29:2: “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.”

Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

Hosea was also cotemporary to Jeroboam a king of Israel. [Note: Do not confuse this Jeroboam with the Jeroboam of the son of Nebat.]

2 Kings 13:13: “And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.”

Now, Jeroboam did evil in the sight of the LORD.

2 Kings 14:24: “And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”

Thus, we see here that Hosea’s ministry spanned these five kings.

Before we proceed to verse two, we need to consider something rather heavy: What will it will cost us to love and to obey God.

It is that we will suffer affliction!

· Moses considered the cost, and nevertheless he went ahead, and obeyed God: “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;” [Hebrews 11:25] Moses loved God, and therefore, suffered affliction.

· David considered the cost, and nevertheless he went ahead, and obeyed God: “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” [Psalm 119:67] “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” [Psalm 119:67] David loved God, and therefore, suffered affliction.

· Jesus Christ considered the cost, and nevertheless he went ahead, and obeyed God. It is this way: HE set HIS like a flint, and went forward to the CROSS of Calvary’s hill!

Isaiah 50:7: “For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”

Isaiah 53:3-7:

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Jesus Christ, the SON of GOD loved the FATHER and therefore, suffered affliction.

Now, do we love God?

Then, we will most assuredly suffer affliction.

Thus with Hosea we will see the prophet of God suffering affliction.

Now, we are ready for word of God located in verse two.

Verse two: “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.”

And the LORD said …

Now, it behooves us to keep what the LORD says. Will we obey God, or will we disobey God? This will be in our lives the acid test. Here is the question. Do we love God? To love God is to keep God’s commandments:

John 14:21: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

Go, take unto thee a wife…

In the BOOK [The King James Bible] the first mention of the word “wife” is in [Genesis 2:24].

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

In this verse God establishes a BASIC TRUTH.

A man needs a wife for several reasons:

1. A good woman tied to a good man can together bare the troubles of life. “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” [Job 5:7]

2. As God is to Israel, a man and his wife yoked together will see great deliverance even when up in years as gray-heads. “And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” [Isaiah 46:4]

3. The man and his wife will stay together even after all life’s years for better or worse! “Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.” [Proverbs 5:18]

4. The man and his wife working together will be a TEAM. “I will make him a help meet for him.” [Genesis 2:18b] The man cannot make it without his wife.

For emphasis, let’s put: “I will make him a help meet for him” of Genesis 2:18b back together with the first part of the verse, [verse 18] and read it again to see the context:

“And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.”

Do you believe what GOD said in THE BOOK?

If things are to go good for a man, then a man a man needs to find a wife.

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” [Proverbs 18:22]

Finding a wife is called by the LORD … a good thing. A good thing does not bring evil.

Question: What is a good wife? Well, first off, a good wife is virtuous. This is according to the BOOK!

Proverbs 31:10: “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.” Look at that price!

Only a virtuous woman can provide a safe haven for her husband’s inner most thoughts and aspirations … which haven reposits his very life.

How do we know this? Well, for the answer to this we must read the next two verses, [verses eleven and twelve]:

“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.” [Proverbs 31:11-12]

Bottom-line: A good wife will do her husband GOOD all the days of her life.

And this goodness comes from where?

It comes from her faithfulness to him. She will be faithful to him, and loyal to him, [and only to him] with her whole heart.

Portrayed here is an illustration by the Holy Spirit of God in the word of God the deliberate intention of Jehovah to have an intimate relationship with the nation of Israel that is true, that is faithful, that is beautiful, and that is pure. These four attributes taken together add up to the quality of virtuous.

1. TRUE,

2. FAITHFUL,

3. BEAUTIFUL,

4. PURE.

= VIRTUOUS

Israel [as a type of a wife] was to respond to her God in faithfulness, in loyalty and in trueness as a people [and as a land] to her God. She was to be V-I-R-T-U-O-U-S!

“Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms.”

This is a very strange and a totally bizarre command given by God to the prophet of God, or for that matter to any man on the face of this earth.

Note: this command is not unlike the command that Peter faced in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in chapter ten [Rise, Peter; kill]:

Acts 10:13-14: “And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.”

Now hear this: Obedience to God shows our faith in God!

· Hosea, go find a whore, and then, marry her.

· Hosea, go find a harlot, and then, marry her.

Now, a whore or a harlot is one who is not true to her husband.

· To be not true is to be unfaithful.

· To be unfaithful is to be disloyal, and to be disloyal is to be rebellious.

The land hath committed great whoredom.

The first instance of the word whore in the Bible is found in the third book of Moses called Leviticus, chapter nineteen, verse twenty-nine:

“Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.” [Leviticus 19:29]

Now note: Prostitution produces a whore. The proliferation of whores reduces a land to whoredom.

A land reduced to whoredom is a polluted land … a land that is polluted with BLOOD!

Psalm 106:38: “And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.”

When a land, and a people, go this way, it’s because there is a great underlying and festering problem: The people hate God!

Now, read the book of Romans, chapter one, verse thirty: “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,” [Romans 1:30].

The HATERS of GOD despise God’s words.

In Israel’s case, they were shown over, and over, and over again, to have been guilty of despising God’s words. They repeatedly did evil which thing showed their rebellion to God.

And look at this. This all the while God was so merciful and so loving to them even in [betimes] sending to them HIS prophets to warn them. We can see this is so very true by reading an account of this found in the book of Second Chronicles, chapter thirty-six, verses fifteen and sixteen:

“And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” [2 Chronicles 36:15-16]

Departing from the LORD

Now for the last part of our verse: Notice Israel departed from the LORD their God.

Now, this departure from the LORD occurred in steps through various states. These states are the state of marvel, the state of mediocrity, the state of malaise, and the state of malady.

The states of marvel, mediocrity, malaise, and malady aggregated reveal the downward progression in a relationship due to the unwelcome presence of unchecked sin.

Do you see the regression?

We first, marvel in Jesus Christ with our first love.

Then, we cool to a doctrinal mediocrity.

Then, we descend to a morbid malaise.

Then, in our malady our relationship dies.

We lose our fellowship with Jesus Christ.

Why? Well it is because of unchecked sin.

Let’s review: First sin is in the world because of one man’s sin.

In Adam we died:

Romans 5:14: “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

But in Jesus Christ, we are made alive when we get saved:

1 Corinthians 15:22: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”

We are at first totally amazed with our Savior. We marveled in Him.

Then second, with the passing of time we begin to relax in our knowledge of Him.

Then, the familiarity with Him all puts us to sleep.

Then, soon after in our sleep we have no thought of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This scenario is what had happened to Israel time, and time again [betimes].

Israel went through the states of marvel, of mediocrity, of malaise, and of malady. They had departed from the LORD.

Verse three: “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”

A son born to trouble from an unfaithful wife.

So Hosea, without questioning God, obeys God. Is this not what we should do also? Oh, yes, we should! No matter the consequences OBEY God.

See for this the book of Jeremiah, chapter forty-two, verse six:

“Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.” [Jeremiah 42:6]

Hosea instead of marrying a virtuous woman marries Gomer a whore to his grief.

Obey God and leave the consequences of obeying God with God.

Hosea believed God’s words! His obedience to those words showed he believed them!

For us living today, we see this truth of this played out in the Gospel according to John, in chapter fourteen, verse twenty-one:

“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” [John 14:21]

Verse four: “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.”

Call his name Jezreel.

The LORD tells Hosea, name your son Jezreel.

Let’s look at this name. The name Jezreel first appears in the Authorized Version of the Bible in the book of Joshua, chapter fifteen, verse fifty-six. Look there and read: “And Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah …” [Joshua 15:56].

Now, note: Jezreel was given as part of “the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families.” [Joshua 15:20]

Now Jezreel is a location in Israel. Further, Jezreel is a valley.

[Note: There is also a day of Jezreel as we shall see later. The day of Jezreel is concerning … JUDGMENT and WAR.]

The valley of Jezreel is also known as the valley of Megiddon. In the valley of Megiddon is a city called Megiddo. Megiddo is beneath Jezreel according to the book of First Kings [1 Kings 4:12].

We find that the first mention of Megiddo in the book of Joshua, chapter twelve, verse twenty-one.

Megiddo is part of the tribe of Manasseh on the west side of Jordan, which is among the possessions of the tribes of Issachar and Asher in the northern part of Israel [Joshua 17:11, Judges 1:27, 1 Chronicles 7:29].

I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.

Much blood has been shed in the valley of Jezreel. The LORD will avenge! The house of Jehu has blood on their hands. The LORD will remedy. Though Jehu did right by destroying Baal out of Israel Jehu departed not from the sins of Jeroboam.

See what is recorded about Jehu in the book of Second Kings, chapter ten, starting with verse twenty-eight this:

“Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

And the LORD said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel.

But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.” [2 Kings 10:28-31]

Somehow the blood of Jezreel accrued to Ahab’s household was transferred to the house of Jehu. Remember the house of Jehu departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. Pay back came after the fourth generation to the house of Jehu:

1. The first generation – is Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu.

2. The second generation – is Jehoash [also called Joash], the son of Jehoahaz.

3. The third generation – is Jeroboam, the son of Jehoash.

4. The fourth generation – Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam.

Shallum the son of Jebesh smote Zachariah, and thus, judgment was executed on the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel.

I … will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

This prophecy was fulfilled in the year of B.C. 721. The Kingdom of Israel ceased.

2 Kings 17:6: “In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.”

Verse five: “And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

I will break the bow of Israel.

There is a day of Jezreel. The day of Jezreel is about … JUDGMENT and WAR.

Jeremiah 30:7: “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”

The time of Jacob’s trouble involves more than trouble for Israel. It involves a great controversy between the LORD GOD and the nations of this earth.

Jeremiah 25:31: “A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the LORD.”

It will happen in the valley of Jezreel.

According to the book of The Revelation of Jesus Christ God will gather all the nations together in a great battle at Megiddo in “the valley of Megiddon” “called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.” [Revelation 16:16]

Now, Jezreel [or “the valley of Megiddon”] is set to be the climactic valley of decision for all the nations of the earth.

“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.” [Joel 3:14]

The boy’s name is Jezreel born of an unfaithful wife. Question: Can it get worse? But before we proceed to verse six we need to delve in a certain word called mercy, M-E-R-C-Y.

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines: MER'CY, n. L. Misericordia:

“That benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant. In this sense, there is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. That which comes nearest to it is grace. It implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity or compassion, and clemency, but exercised only towards offenders. Mercy is a distinguishing attribute of the Supreme Being.”

Let’s now read verse six in Hosea chapter one.

Verse six: “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.

A daughter born to trouble from an unfaithful wife.

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.” God’s mercy was intended by God to endure forever. [1 Chronicles 16:34] O how sin messes things up!

The God of Israel signals here to Israel that the mercy of God, which had been flowing to them [for generations] has finally come to an end. It can be said: This was the end of the run. The mercy seat is to be taken away. The mercy seat of pure gold would no longer be found in its place below the two cherubims in the most holy place within the tabernacle of God set amongst the congregation of Israel. [Exodus 25:20].

Ichabod! “The glory is departed from Israel” [1 Samuel 4:21].

Lesson: God will depart from those that depart from HIM. Loruhamah: I will have mercy no more! The girl’s name, Loruhamah, born of a wife of whoredoms means the end of God’s mercy has come to Israel.

Surely now, it cannot get worse? We shall see later. But let it be made known there is still found mercy for others.

Verse seven: “But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and 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.”

Mercy to the house of Judah

Notice that very first word in this verse [seven seven]: BUT. The word but shows an exception by way of a connection to something that precedes to what follows. God’s mercy was to stop flowing to the people of Israel but God’s mercy was to keep on flowing to the people of Judah.

O for us to have God’s mercy. “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

We ought to always turn toward the God of mercy. And again, we ought to always be found in way of the MERCY of God. Amen!

Now hear the promise of MERCY ultimately prevailing in a psalm in a promise of God!

Psalm 136:1-26:

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever:

The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:

The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever:

With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever:

But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever:

Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever:

And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

I will save them!

Now, look back again to verse seven: “…and 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 Chronicles 20:15: “And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.” The battle is God’s! We cannot do it by ourselves! Do you understand this? Only God can do this!

Zechariah 4:6: “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

A new creature by a new birth.

No amount of works derived by the flesh can ever earn a man’s salvation from the fires of Hell [Matthew 9:47].

A man, a woman a child must needs become a new creature [in Jesus Christ] by the operation of God: THE HOLY GHOST. This is a very straight and a very narrow truth from none other than the BOOK of GOD.

See this thing for yourself written in the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Galatians, in chapter six, verse fifteen: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.”

A person becomes a Christian by becoming a new creature which new creature comes by way through a second birth. Warning:

1. This birth is not gained by inheritance.

2. Nor does this birth come by the strength [or the will] of the flesh,

3. Nor furthermore does it come by a man’s sheer will.

It only comes by the power of God:

John 1:13: “Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Ye must be born again! :

John 3:7: “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”

Verse eight: “Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.”

First a son, Jezreel, then a daughter comes, Loruhamah, and now another son is born. Remember, these are the children of whoredoms born of a wife of whoredoms.

Verse nine: “Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”

Another son born to great trouble from this very unfaithful wife.

Loammi is his name. There is a divorce coming into play. It is coming to thee O Israel.

Yet let the divorce be done according to the law.

Ezra 10: “Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.”

The Law

Deuteronomy 24:1: “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.”

The LORD GOD is going to send Israel out of HIS HOUSE.

Loammi I am going to put your mother away for her unfaithfulness to me [for her transgressions].

Isaiah 50:1: “Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.”

For my thoughts are not your thoughts.

Now, we will pause here [in our study in the book of the prophet Hosea] and turn to the prophet Jeremiah for a purpose, and for a reason. This reason is for us to search out some thoughts of the LORD God [so as to properly formulate Bible-believing doctrine].

You say, but where can we learn of these thoughts of God? Well, these thoughts of the LORD God are revealed in a BOOK called the SCRIPTURE [THE BIBLE].

THE SCRIPTURE is THE BIBLE: 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Now, the nation of Israel was given these thoughts of the LORD as oracles of God [Romans 3; 2]. It is in these oracles that we find the things revealed by God to man. Let’s go further into this matter. It is in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter twenty-nine, verse twenty-nine, that we will find who the owners are of the secret things and of the revealed things: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” [Deuteronomy 29:29]

Bottom-line:

· The secret things belong to God.

· The revealed things belong to us.

The worthy goal for one’s life is clearly given:

We need to have our thoughts line out with God’s thoughts!

First, to discern these revealed thoughts, [and in order to be perfect] we need to pray to God that HE would search our hearts, and next, for us to cry out, TRY ME!

Psalm 139:23: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:”

Second, come to terms with God and agree with God that your thoughts are not HIS thoughts:

Isaiah 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”
Realize God’s thoughts are higher than man’s thoughts:

Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Now we are ready to turn to the book of Jeremiah, chapter three, and we will read starting with verse six:

Jeremiah 3:6: “The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.”

As we already have learned in the book of Hosea, Gomer [a type of Israel] was a harlot, and was unfaithful to her husband [a type of God].

Jeremiah 3:7: “And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.”

Israel refused to return to God.

Jeremiah 3:8: “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

Note this: God puts her away! The LORD gives her the bill of divorce.

Jeremiah 3:9: “And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.”

Whoredom destroys: It is what defiles a people and a land!

Jeremiah 3:10: “And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.”

Judah is next. Notice, The LORD God wants your whole heart.

Jeremiah 3:11: “And the LORD said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.”

Summary:

Divorce is a Bible doctrine.

The actual divorce occurs when you leave the love of your life. Israel divorced the LORD her God when she departed from God. God thoughts were not her thoughts, neither were God’s ways her ways!

The one who is left behind therefore, becomes the innocent party.

The innocent party can now give the guilty party the bill of divorcement.

The bill of divorcement is the paper [the legal] dissolution of the bond of the marriage of the husband and the wife granted by a judicial sentence.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts signifies divorce.

The converse is true: My thoughts are your thoughts. Marriage = Agreement: Amos 3:3: “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

At this juncture we need to summarize concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage before we continue our commentary in the book of Hosea.

God’s view of marriage, divorce and remarriage encapsulated.

1. The ideal Biblical pattern for marriage is set in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 … one man - one woman for life.

2. God provided legislation (by the giving of the Law) to Israel, governing multiple wives; i.e., marriage privileges, responsibilities are delineated, including the regulation of divorce and re-marriage.

3. God gives the New Testament order: National Israel set aside, and the institution of the Church established with the Jew and the Gentile in one body, which re-sets Genesis 1-2 for marriage, one man, one woman, for life as ideal.

He reveals only two Biblical reasons for divorce for New Testament Christians, that is, for adultery, and for desertion by the unbeliever. Remarriage is allowed only in these two cases, plus for the reason of the death of the spouse.

Adultery brings the dissolution of the marriage.

The LORD in so many words in the sands of time said betimes: O Israel put away your abominations, and I will not put you away [I will not remove you!] PLEASE HEAR ME!

Jeremiah 4:1: “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.”

God wanted to keep her. He wanted Israel to get right!

Ezekiel 43:9-11:

God’s Plan for the nation of Israel: DO THEM!

“Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.

And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.”

They did not do them!

The exception: Saving for the cause of fornication

Matthew 5:31-32: “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”

The divorce is finalized.

Yet this is not the end! There is hope. There is a promise.

The Promise:

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end [Ecclesiastes 3:11].

Restoration of the Marriage

Verse ten: “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.”

In the putting away of his wife, Hosea represents a type of God casting his wife Israel away.

[Now a type illustrates a showing of something, which represents something else.] Hosea is a type of the God of Israel. And Gomer is a type of unfaithful Israel. Gomer commits adultery which adultery constitutes the actual divorce from her husband. It is Gomer who dissolved her marriage to Hosea.

The responsive action of Hosea only forms the legal divorce [by the putting away of Gomer]. Thus, the thing is shown in type: The nation of Israel dissolved her own marriage to God by her continual transgressions. The LORD God responded by putting her out!

But there is something else her. Israel’s treacheries can be shown to be part of a great mystery.

Now, what is this mystery? This great mystery is now revealed to us living today by way of the illumination of the Holy Ghost in the New Testament Epistle to the Romans, in chapter eleven, which see.

We can see in verse fifteen that the casting away of Israel [which in itself formed a great grief to the LORD GOD of Israel] brought about with the passing of time a most wonderful thing, the reconciling of the world. This unfolding wonderful truth displayed in verse fifteen:

“For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” [Romans 11:15]

This reconciling of the world will conclude with the bringing forth of a restoration of the marriage [that God had with the nation of Israel in the Old Testament] in the beginning of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. This is what we all will see happen in the restitution of all things [Act 3:21].

Restoration = Remarriage

The concluding story located within this mystery is so beautiful and is a story likening the raising of life from the dead. See this thing with your own eyes [your eyes of faith] in verses twenty-five through verse twenty-seven:

“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

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: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” [Romans 11:25-27]

What happened to Israel [[shown here in the book of Hosea] allows the Gentiles to come into the fold. The One forwent [Israel] becomes the opportunity for another {the Gentiles]. The Gentiles were now in line to receive the mercy of God. Go to First Epistle of Peter, chapter two, verse ten: “Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.”

The Gentiles have always been on the outside [with very few exceptions, i.e. Ruth] of “the commonwealth of Israel.” The Gentiles were strangers to the promises of God … “having no hope”. The Epistle to the Ephesians tells us this is so, very plainly. We see in chapter two, verse twelve: “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:” [Ephesians 2:12].

Before Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary, we Gentiles were not the people of God. We were as dogs at the table of Israel. We were all dogs, just like the Siro-Phoenician woman said we were, in the Gospel of Mark, chapter seven, verse twenty-eight:

“And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.” [Mark 7:28]

Now bear with me a little, my friend. I will tell you what has transpired. It was by the precious blood of Jesus Christ that God opened up the Gentiles to the mercies of God … even the GRACE of God. Let’s go back to Ephesians chapter two starting with verse thirteen to see that this is true. Are you ready for this?

“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” [Ephesians 2:13] Before this time we were OUT, but now, we are IN. The mercy of God … towards us … made us part of the family of God. Amen! God brought us into the sure mercies and promises of God … along with Israel … so that we would be made one body. Look at this in verse fourteen and fifteen with me: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;” [Ephesians 2:14-15].

The WALL was taken down! We Gentiles have become the people of God … along with the Jews. The Jews and the Gentiles have been made into one body for the last two thousand years. We see this truly amplified in verse sixteen through nineteen in Ephesians chapter two:

“And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” [Ephesians 2:16-19]

Verse eleven: “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.”

War comes, and judgment arrives, mercy runs out, and finally they are put away, and thus, we find them cast away, and seemingly, they are undone. Jezreel, Loruhamah, and Loammi were the children of whoredoms that were born of a wife of whoredoms. The divorce came. It came to thee, O Israel!

Who can save thee?

The LORD WHO is mighty will save thee, O Israel!

Isaiah 63:1: “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

BUT the promise of the LORD GOD of ISRAEL arrives, and just in time, and interrupts this whole downward process with this which is found in the book of Jeremiah, chapter thirty, verse ten and eleven:

“Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.” [Jeremiah 30:10-11]

There you have it, my friend, ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED!

They will finally obtain the mercy of GOD.

Isaiah 45:17: “But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.”

Israel will appoint for themselves Jesus Christ as their HEAD in that climatic day which is the great day of Jezreel at the end of the GREAT TRIBULATION.

This is a story with a happy ending.

There you have it, my friend.

If you have been saved, you have already obtained the mercy of God. You now belong to God. God is the King of the Hill … in your life. You are no longer offended by Jesus Christ. Instead, the work of grace is in you and makes Jesus Christ precious to you.

Amen! Amen! Amen!

This brings us to a close of Hosea chapter one.

Before we go to chapter two, we will need to consider the Law and its weighty qualities.

The Law of God are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments.

Deuteronomy 4:44-45:

“And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt,”

Deuteronomy 6:17:

“Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.”

The strength of your diligence in the keeping is a measure of the depth of your love to the very one who gave you these testimonies.

Gomer, how much do you love Hosea?

Israel, do you love the Lord THY GOD, and HIM ONLY?

Deuteronomy 6:5: “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

Deuteronomy 10:12: “And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,”

Deuteronomy 11:1: “Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.”

Deuteronomy 30:6: “And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.”

Over and over and over again fidelity, loyalty, and faithfulness, is what God desires of Israel [and of you and me].

Let’s go deeper! The attributes of fidelity, loyalty, and faithfulness are sourced from something else. It is this: TRUTH.

Psalm 51:6: “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”

Our inner most parts need to be deliberately made to be the repository of truth.

John 17:17: “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”

“BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” [Psalm 119:9-11]

Let me focus here on these testimonies and the relationship that these testimonies have to your separation unto Jesus Christ. How much are we only for HIM, and not distracted by an allurement to someone else?

Now, God separated Israel for HIMSELF from all other people on the earth:

Leviticus 20:24: “But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.”

2 Kings 17:15: “And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.”

Psalm 93:5: “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.”

There are 27 instances of the word: testimonies in Psalm 119

Israel was separated out from all the other nations of the earth to be the bearer of God’s testimonies.

These testimonies were to be the rejoicing of the heart. It always comes back to matter of the heart.

Read with me here in Psalm 119:

1. Psalm 119:2: “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

2. Psalm 119:14: “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.”

3. Psalm 119:22: “Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.”

4. Psalm 119:24: “Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellers.”

5. Psalm 119:31: “I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.”

6. Psalm 119:36: “Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.”

7. Psalm 119:46: “I will speak of thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.”

8. Psalm 119:59: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.”

9. Psalm 119:79: “Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.”

10. Psalm 119:95: “The wicked have waited for me to destroy me: but I will consider thy testimonies.”

11. Psalm 119:99: “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation.”

12. Psalm 119:111: “Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever: for they are the rejoicing of my heart.”

13. Psalm 119:119: “Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies.”

14. Psalm 119:125: “I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.”

15. Psalm 119:129: “Thy testimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my soul keep them.”

16. Psalm 119:138: “Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.”

17. Psalm 119:144: “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live.”

18. Psalm 119:146: “I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies.”

19. Psalm 119:152: “Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”

20. Psalm 119:157: “Many are my persecutors and mine enemies; yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.”

21. Psalm 119:167: “My soul hath kept thy testimonies; and I love them exceedingly.”

22. Psalm 119:168: “I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.”

Keeping the LORD’s testimonies proves one’s fidelity to HIM.

The ring on the finger is to show forth your fidelity to your husband, or to your wife in marriage.

Fidelity to Jesus Christ is an indicator of one’s oneness with Jesus Christ. For two shall be one. Oneness with HIM displays the dominant characteristics of a true marriage i.e. fidelity, or loyalty, commitment, and faithfulness.

The statement of the LORD, the God of Israel:

Ezekiel 16:8: “Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.”

God married Israel.

Hosea, chapter two:

Verse one: “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.”

Now, notice something here in this verse, the word brethren is plural, which signifies many brothers. Ammi is the son of Gomer. Notice here also, the word sisters is plural, which signifies many sisters. Ruhamah is the daughter of Gomer. Thus, the prophet Hosea is commanded to speak to the brethren [Ammi], which brethren represent all the men of Israel, and to all the sisters [Ruhamah] which sisters represent all the women of Israel.

Verse two: “Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;”

Marital Status:

Something has happened to both Gomer and to Hosea. What has happened? Why, their marital status has changed. It changed just as the marital status of the married woman the New Testament example [located in the First Epistle to the Corinthians, in chapter seven, verse ten, and eleven] had changed.

Let us read from these verses of Scripture very carefully with believing hearts:

“And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” [1 Corinthians 7:10-11]

Do you see what happens to the wife upon her departure from her husband? Why, it is as clear as a bell! The departure dissolved her marriage to this man! She became unmarried. This is called desertion!

She threw the testimonies of her own husband away! Though he had pleaded with her betimes:

Turn to me! Turn to me! O My wife, behold only me. Stay with me, and be true to me.

But this was all to no avail. She had thrown his testimonies away for another lover!

To the Law of her God, Gomer said, NO I WILL NOT OBEY: further I could care less for my husband’s testimonies, and his statutes, and his judgments.

She plainly just said NO to the God of the BIBLE, and to what it says in the book of Proverbs, chapter thirty-one, verse twelve: “She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Gomer displayed the ultimate treachery that could be brought to a husband that purely loves his wife.

So, Hosea is now not a husband to Gomer, and Gomer is now not the wife to Hosea. Her departure and her adulteries [her whoredoms] effected divorce.

Now, here in this sad story, no one wins, except the Devil, in the destruction of a marriage. Many times when one sins someone else gets hurt. In this situation that we have here, there is an innocent party, who has been badly hurt. And it is Hosea!

Yes, there are hurts in this life. May you not ever be the author of them!

If only Gomer would repent, and put away her whoredoms out of her sight! Oh, that Gomer might experience a restoration of what once was to Hosea [called a remarriage].

Or what?

Verse three: “Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.”

Sin has its awful and very horrible consequences!

Nakedness brings shame by a downward spiral to sad and to tragic end. The Spirit of God graphically lays out the downward sequence of the nation of Israel’s destruction both spiritually and physically through HIS prophet Ezekiel.

Now, go to the book of Ezekiel, chapter sixteen, and we will begin reading starting with verse thirty-six:

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them;

Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords.

And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.” [Ezekiel 16:36-41]

The whoredoms of Israel [in departing from God] brought them to their judgment and to their removal from the LAND of PROMISE.

The divorce, or the putting away of Israel.

Now, we read of these sad chronicles in the Second book of the Kings, in chapter seventeen, starting with verse six:

Verse six: “In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

Verse seven: For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,”

They allowed themselves to be distracted from the One who loved them!

Verse eight: “And walked in the statutes of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.”

Israel lusted after the way of the world!

Verse nine: “And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.”

Warning: Be sure your sin will find you out!

Verse ten: “And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree:”

They did with theirs hands what was already in their heart!

What is in the inside will come out to the outside.

Verse eleven: “And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger:”

She provoked the LORD with her embracing her strange lovers.

Verse twelve: For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing.”

Yet they went ahead, and did this thing, even though GOD straightly commanded them in the second book of Moses not to do this thing! “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:” [Exodus 34:14]

Verse thirteen: Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.

Verse fourteen: Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.

We are at rock-bottom now!

Observation: Unchecked sin produces an increasing and downward slide. “Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.” [Proverbs 30:20]

Verse fifteen: And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them.

Verse sixteen: And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

Verse seventeen: And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Verse eighteen: Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.” [2 Kings 17:6-18]

Summary: The land, with the people of the land, were to be made, as a wilderness, as a desert.

Now, we go back to our text in Hosea chapter two:

Verse four: “And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.”

Loruhamah: I will have mercy no more!

Verse five: “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.”

How did this happen [this declension] to a people who had the oracles of God given them? [Romans 3:2a] “because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.”

Do you remember the order of regression that we found earlier in chapter one, verse two? In the case of Israel we find the very same pattern:

Israel first, marveled in their God as like the freshness found in first love.

Then, they cooled to a doctrinal mediocrity.

Then, they descended to a morbid malaise.

Then, in their malady their relationship died.

In the end, they departed from God.

Why? Well, it is because of unchecked sin.

In the New Testament, the person who has had the word of God sown in their heart can experience this very same downward slide, and become UNFRUITFUL:

Mark 4:19: “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.”

Lesson:

Sometimes what begins well, does not end well.

Remedy:

Maintenance is what is needed in our relationship with Jesus Christ. [Indeed, all our relationships with others will benefit with maintenance.]

Maintenance Instructions:

1. Read God’s word every morning. Ephesians 3:4: “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)”

2. Pray to LORD while you are reading your Bible. 1 Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.”

3. Meditate on God’s word to you. Psalm 119:97: “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.”

The Value of the Hedge

Verse six: “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.”

We see in this verse a peculiar standout. It is the word hedge.

Now a hedge has tremendous worth and is of great value.

Question: Who made the hedge?

Well, the LORD is the inventor of the hedge. God purposed the hedge is for a certain operation. It is for division! It is used to divide, or subdivide, a parcel of ground by acting as a fence or a boundary, and is formed by a dense row of shrubs or low trees.

Now, the most effective hedge is one that contains sharp projections such as with thorns. This describes a physical hedge but others hedges are spiritual in nature, and therefore deal with the supernatural, which deals with things beyond the human senses.

Hedges can hurt those that are hemmed in for safe keeping from escaping, or hedges can be used to keep the enemy from coming into the protected ground.

We need to realize something very important at this point. Are you listening? Something that hurts may actually be a friend.

Example: This was so, as recorded in a far off scene, which can be seen in the book of Job, chapter one, verse ten: “Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.” [Job 1:10]

God used a hedge to protect Job, his wife, and his children. Furthermore, God used this hedge to prosper him with great worldly substance. God’s use of the hedge here was purposed so as to surround Job with a defensive fortification.

For this reason, the Devil, and all his subordinate devils, and all the wicked of the earth hate hedges. Ecclesiastes 10:8: “He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.”

Other times God uses the hedge to enclose [or hem in] or to obstruct one from escaping to their own harm. This is exactly what here in verse six: I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.

One can always tell when God has given up on a person, or a people, or a land. It is when the hedges have been taken away.

Now, the nation of Israel has been likened to a vineyard. Consider what happens to vineyard of the LORD after Israel decides to leave [or depart] from all the commandments of the LORD.

This happening is found in the book of the prophet Isaiah: “And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:

And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.” [Isaiah 5:5-7]

Commentary: For nearly two thousand years, and until A.D. 1948, this nation in the absence of the hedges has only found oppression as they wandered homeless among the nations of the earth.

Verse seven: “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 [Israel] now, hits the road to follow after her lovers. She pursues worldly fulfillment. She is looking for whatever will satisfy her fleshly desires.

But all was to no avail. She was found endlessly, and always, coming up dry with a thirsty mouth in her fruitless pursuit of something she could never really identify, which was her true need. This true need was for her first husband.

She was in some ways like the Samaritan woman at the well [in the Gospel of John, chapter four] who was questioning the veracity of the PERSON WHO claimed to be the source of the water that she would never thirst again, if she would only drink. Go to the Scripture there, and we will read:

John 4:13-19: “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.”

The run with the five previous husbands, and now, presently with another man, has left this woman finally in a condition ready to have her eyes opened to the solution now offered by Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Until Israel, as a nation, perceives that their true Messiah is none other, but Jesus Christ HIMSELF, they will continue to suffer thirst. The perception that it was better with me then, than it is now, will be their turning point. The return of Israel to her first husband will occur in a future noted day, which day is the day of her trouble when she will mourn for HIM and want HIM.

The Great Tribulation = Jacob's trouble

[The Great Tribulation, Matthew 24:21: “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” [Jeremiah 30:7] “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”]

This aforementioned event is prophesied in the book of Zechariah the prophet in chapter twelve, verse ten:

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” [Zechariah 12:10]

Verse eight: “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.”

Gomer just believed in her deceived heart that her first husband contrived to withhold the good things in life from her. Sad, but true, the Devil put that same old tale over on to Eve. Yea, hath God said?

Genesis 3:1: “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Baal is found kin to THE DEVIL.

Sometimes the only way a man, or a woman, ever learns something is through hard way [through the school of hard knocks]. The thorns, brambles, sweat, sickness, hunger, and even death lie in the hard way. See this in the book of Proverbs 13:15: “Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.”

Verse nine: “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.”

Man’s reasoning’s will always come up empty.

Gomer thinks she is in control. She says, I will return. Israel says, I will return.

Gomer presumes she can return [on her own terms]. Israel presumes she can return [on her own terms], but something is very wrong with this thought process.

Analysis: God’s word shows we are a presumptuous lot to think we can map out own plans for our life. This presumptuous reasoning is a telltale sign of the presence of the sin of pride in our life:

Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” [P-R-I-D-E always brings destruction].

Conclusion: It can be said that there is a class of presumptuous men whom age has not made cautious, nor adversity wise.

Gomer has presumed wrong. Israel has presumed wrong.

Remedy: Gomer must return by Hosea’s terms. Israel must return by the Lord’s terms.

What Gomer [or Israel] must receive from her first husband is the form of application of incremental judgments that slowly increases in intensity over the expanse of time [approximately 2500 years] to bring her to the time of Jacob’s trouble [the Great Tribulation] [Jeremiah 30:7].

So she receives:

1. Terror

2. Consumption

3. Burning ague

4. Sorrow of heart

5. Sowing in vain

6. Killed, or slain

7. Enslavement

8. Humiliation

9. Exhaustion

10. Fruitlessness

11. Devouring wild beasts

12. Desolation of the land

13. War

14. Pestilence

15. Famine

16. Cannibalism

17. Faintness of heart

18. Rejection

19. All this and more:

Hosea [as type of the God of Israel] appoints judgment Gomer [as type of Israel].

The proof text for this: Leviticus 26:15-39:

“And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant: I also will do this unto you;

I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me;

Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant: and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.

And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savour of your sweet odours.

And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it.

And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.

Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths.

As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it.

And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee, as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursueth.

And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth: and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.”

After all of this, blindness is then added to the nation of Israel’s maladies.

Blindness is added.

The LORD has added a final judgment for this people, which is revealed through the prophet in the book of Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:9-10: “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.”

Israel was blinded, and they are blinded to this very day as to who Jesus Christ is.

2 Corinthians 3:14: “But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”

A general observation concerning mankind:

When we sin, and sin, and sin, and in our pride, think we can presume to come back to where we were, we will find instead ourselves stuck in place, and in subjection to nothing but abject spiritual darkness. We will find that we are undone. We will found naked without God, and HIS mercy to cover for us. [What a sad lot for any people!]

We will hear with the ears the word of God, but we will not understand with the heart the word of God. [What a sad lot for people!]

Verse ten: “And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.”

Gomer’s sin has been found out. And it is all out in the open for others to see! She has become a spectacle in the sight of all her lovers. And as one might say, one does not wash one's dirty linen in public. The LORD GOD brought the thing out! Gomer, a type of Israel, has been smoked!

Numbers 32:23: “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

“…and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.”

God’s hands are like a vise grip. There is none like the LORD in HIS might! His hand is mighty! See this for yourself in the book of Joshua:

Joshua 4:24: “That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever.”

This fear of the LORD is fearful thing. This nugget of truth is according to word of God, which is found in the book of Hebrews, chapter ten, verse thirty-one:

Notice: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” [Hebrews 10:31]

Verse eleven: “I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.”

Observation: “Hold ‘er, Newt; she’s heading for the rhubarb!”

The vise grip is applied with the sure and the steady hands of the living God. The LORD knows what is in man, in his heart. The thing is true, as the prophet said it is true, in the book Jeremiah, chapter seventeen, verse ten: “I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” [Jeremiah 17:10] The LORD searches their heart, and gets the reading.

God knew the things in the heart of Israel that were most important to them, and HE has determined to crash their party.

There will be no more fun. There will be no more singing in Sing Sing. All the joy is gone…gone…gone. It is so sad that it came to this. It didn’t have to be!

What does God have to do to you and me to get our attention?

Verse twelve: “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.”

Onward it goes. Downward it goes.

God says, I will destroy your infrastructure. I will take it out! Your vines and your fig trees are going to die. I will do all of this to get your attention. [Turn back to me!]

Verse thirteen: “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.”

Problem: Israel forgot her God, and went full bore for Baalim.

This is the problem for all the nations of the world. There is pay day coming according to the BOOK!

Psalm 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

This is what exactly has happened to us, too. We [the United States of America] likewise, have forgotten God. The United States of America has forgotten the God of her forefathers [The God of the Bible]. We have deliberately killed our memory of God by the removal of the Bible and of prayer from all our public schools and colleges in all our land for over four generations. Pay day is here!

We used to know of our connection [as a nation] to the governmental precepts which are located in the word of God.

John Quincy Adams [our sixth President], referred to the "insoluble bond" between Christianity, and our form of government.

The Supreme Court said we must "select and prefer" Christians for our elected rulers (or officials).

Our forefathers believed that religion and morality could not be divorced from politics.

The House Judiciary Committee Report [March 27, 1854] said of the adoption of the Constitution and its amendments that "the universal sentiment [of our founding fathers] was that Christianity should be encouraged."

Two months later, the House Judiciary Committee Report said: “The great and conservative element in our system ... the thing that holds our system together is the belief of our people in the pure doctrines and the divine truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” Our forefathers wanted to keep Christian principles in our government.

Blackstone's Commentaries On Law are Bible based and were used by our Supreme Court for guidance for over 150 years of our nation's history.

The branches of Government: The legislative, the executive, and the judicial branches, have their very roots in the Bible. [Isaiah 33:22]

The 1844 Supreme Court, in Vidal Vs. Girard, affirmed that our public schools will teach that Christianity is our nation's foundation.

The 1892 Supreme Court decision in Church Of The Holy Trinity Vs. United States stated that “We are emphatically a Christian nation.”

So from our nation’s birth right up to the year 1947, our Supreme Court had steadfastly maintained that the intent of our "founding fathers" was for our nation to preserve its Christian principles in order to perpetuate its existence as a nation.

However, the 1947 Supreme Court, in Everson v. Board of Education, totally pulled out of context Thomas Jefferson's reference to a “wall of separation between church and state” which reference was in his letter to the Danbury Baptist Association of January 1, 1802. The letter was to express to the Danbury Baptist Association that there was nothing to fear with respect to the federal government establishing a national church [or a national denomination). The 1947 decision, in essence, declared that we were no longer a Christian nation. And ever since then, the Supreme Court has over and over again, used this phrase “separation of church and state” to remove Jesus Christ out of our government and out of our public schools and colleges in the land.

They did this one step at a time till we forgot God.

Fact: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Here are the steps:

1. The Supreme Court, in Engel versus Vitale, decided to strike out against school prayer [June 25, 1962]. The goal simply was to get God out of our public schools.

2. On June 17, 1963, in Abington versus Schempp and Murray v. Curlett, the Supreme Court outlawed Bible reading in the public schools [without regard to any historical or legal precedent]. In this decision, “Bible reading” was considered psychologically damaging. Downward we went!

3. With DeKalb versus De Spain [1967], the decision was to not allow the “Ten Commandments” to even be posted in the public schools of our land. Children would no longer get to see “The Ten Commandments” posted on the wall of the school telling them not to lie, cheat or steal!

4. And if that was not enough, in 1980, with “Stone v. Graham”, the Supreme Court decided that the word of God could not even be mentioned in a public school.

So, we [as did the nation of Israel before us] will pay the piper. And we all are paying today!

Remember this particular RULE of life: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”

Verse fourteen: “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.”

What is allurement?

Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines it this way:

ALLU'REMENT, n. That which allures; any real or apparent good held forth, or operating; as a motive to action; temptation; enticement; as, the allurements of pleasure, or of honor.

The visitation of judgment comes to the end, just in time.

The great allurement begins.

The dark clouds begin to roll away. The visitation of the days of Baalim passes. The sun begins to shine.

Here shows a marvelous thing, the LORD is taking the initiative to turn the wayward people of Israel [Gomer] back to HIMSELF: “behold, I will allure her”!

In the wilderness

God will allure Israel while she is in the wilderness of Paran in the latter half of the near future Tribulation coming to this earth [this according to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, in chapter twelve, verse six]: “And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.” [Revelation 12:6]

Now, this allurement is called grace, G-R-A-C-E. Gomer deserved harsh speech from Hosea, but she instead receives comforting words from the prophet. Isn’t that something?

Verse fifteen: “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.”

Now, the valley of Achor is the place where Achan, and his family were buried under a very great heap of stones, and thus, this valley became a cursed valley.

We have here [in this verse] a promise from the word of God that during the Tribulation, the valley of Achor will become a door of hope instead of a curse. In the end, the valley of Achor is destined to become a place where great joy comes to the people of Israel in a so great salvation.

What is more, this very valley [of Achor] lies in the path of the return of Jesus Christ to establish the Kingdom of Heaven on this earth.

Verse sixteen: “And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.”

Ishi: an expression of endearment.

In that day they will finally recognize WHO Jesus Christ is: GOD come in the flesh!

Then will this prophesy be fulfilled which is located in the book of Zechariah, chapter twelve, verse ten:

The nation of Israel is destined to cleave to their Messiah in a manner much like the Christian in the body of Christ does today when he cries: Abba Father!!! Here it is, in the epistle to the Galatians, chapter four, verse six: “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” [Galatians 4:6]

Verse seventeen: “For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.”

The cleansing remedy foretold.

When Israel finally receives her Messiah, [WHO is none other than the Son of God, Jesus Christ] Baalim will finally get the boot from the Jewish national scene, and will be cleansed from the hearts and from the thoughts of the Jewish people, for the former things are passed away. Call it the great memory wipeout! What occurs here concerning the names of Baalim reminds me of how God [in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ] is going to wipe away all tears from our eyes after a new heaven and a new earth is established:

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” [Revelation 21:4]

I am looking forward to this! Amen!

Now, let’s read our next verse.

Verse eighteen: “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.”

There is a day coming when God [Jesus Christ] will make a covenant with all mankind, as well as with all the animals [the beasts], with all the birds [the foul], and with all the creeping things of the earth. And within this covenant God promises to convert all the implements of warfare that man has accumulated in the 21^st century in space [above the earth], on the land of the earth, and within the oceans of this earth, and all the creation will live safely together in beautiful harmony. Do you doubt me? Then check it out in THE BOOK for yourself. It will be a world-wide utopia that all men will enjoy living in peace and safety.

It is found in the book of Isaiah, the prophet, chapter eleven, verse one:

We read: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:”

So we see this rod, and we see this Branch.

Verse 2: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;” [This is none other but the same person that was identified in the Gospel of John chapter one, verses twenty-nine through thirty-six.]

Verse 3: “And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:” Who is this person of quick understanding? We shall see!

Verse 4: “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.” Why he is the same person shown in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, chapter nineteen, verse fifteen.

Verse 5: “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.” This is Jesus Christ, the SON of GOD. Amen!

Look what happens when HE comes to this earth, soon. The restitution of all things will occur. The earth will enjoy a one-thousand year Sabbath or REST.

Verse 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.”

Verse 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.”

Verse 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.”

Verse 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.”

The Branch

There is more to consider concerning this Branch. In the Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, in the first part of verse five, we have this: “I am the vine, ye are the branches…”

We, who are in the body of Christ, are the branches.

To understand our heritage as branches on the true vine, we will need to understand WHO the BRANCH is [in the Bible]. In the Bible, it is shown that a righteous Branch will come from the legal line of David [a KING].

This is found in the book of Jeremiah, the prophet, in chapter twenty-three, verse five:

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.” [Jeremiah 23:5]

Note, all of this:

• Jesus Christ will be the KING.

• Jesus Christ is the BRANCH.

Now, let me pause here for a moment, in order to make this acknowledgment.

We are very much indebted to Israel. We owe so much to the Jews! Amen!

Now, why?

Here is the reason why:

• From the Jews we received our Bible:

“Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” [Romans 3:2]

• From the Jews we received our SHILOH [our SAVIOR, and our salvation]:

“The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” [Genesis 49:10]

Now, the BRANCH [Jesus Christ] in the book of Jeremiah came forth from a stem, growing out of the roots of Jesse [Israel], to become the TRUE VINE [Jesus Christ].

In the TRUE VINE, we [the believers in the Son of God Jesus Christ] need to abide as the branches [small case].

There in Psalm eighty is a prophetic picture of this. “And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself.” [Psalm 80:15]

Verse nineteen: “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.”

Twelve times the words betroth or betrothed appears in God’s BOOK – the Bible. Two of these instances are here in the book of Hosea.

Now, what does it mean to BETROTH?

To betroth is to commit to a future marriage [by promise] one to be the future spouse of another.

We certainly can say this much about betrothing. It has its origin in the Holy Bible with the first betrothal being seen in full display in the First Book of Moses called Genesis in the story of Isaac and Rebekah. This practice of betrothing had marriage as its primary goal.

In this view, which is through the eye of faith, is seen a PERSON [WHO is Jesus Christ] WHO will institute a promise of marriage to the nation of Israel that will literally last forever. We read it again: “I will betroth thee unto me for ever”.

The development of the special relationship between two: The LORD GOD, and Israel is to come to an agreement:

“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” [Amos 3:3]

This then, becomes the central pillar to betrothing: The walk of two together as one in a future marriage means: AGREEMENT!

Betrothing is bathed:

1. In righteousness

2. In judgment

3. In lovingkindness

4. In mercies

Commentary: The LORD doesn’t fool with dating Israel. Why? It is because dating is involves a tasting experience, and is something only contrived in the sinful hearts of men.]

Conclusion: This practice of dating has destroyed God’s institution of marriage and family as can be seen by its fruit ever since the 20^thcentury.

Verse twenty: “I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.”

The fruit of the betrothal relationship produces a marriage steeped in faithfulness. Proverbs 20:6: “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” If the LORD is in it [the betrothal] then it shall surely happen!

Verse twenty-one: “And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;”

The very nature of a man is earthly, he hears the earth. Man’s focus is on here and now. The LORD hears all else in all the heavens above.

The phrase “that day” points to the millennial reign of Jesus Christ over the earth.

[See Isaiah 2:11, 17, 20, 3:7, 18, 4:1, 2, 5:30, 7:18, 21, and many more places in the Bible.]

Isaiah 11:10: “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.”

Verse twenty-two: “And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.” Israel will endure the coming tumult in Jezreel [Armageddon], and the day of Jezreel shall surely pass. The earth shall come through and it shall be regenerated. There is life after death. There will be indeed victory after Jacob’s trouble. [Jeremiah 30:7]

Verse twenty-three: “And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.” The promises of God to Israel concern the earth. This is an earthly type of promise which involves an inheritance to a LAND. This is called a LAND GRANT:

“In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” [Genesis 15:18].

Hosea, chapter three:

Verse one: “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.”

God is their friend! Israel is the apple of his eye. [Zechariah 2:8, Deuteronomy 32:10]

Verse two: “So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:” Israel [and Judah here] are a purchased people. They are purchased! See for this truth, Exodus 15:16:

“Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.”

Hosea chapter three:

Verse three: “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.” The LORD commanded the nation to not play the harlot.

Verse four: “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:”

BUT they played the harlot!

Here is the command given to Israel.

Leviticus 17:1-5

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Speak unto Aaron, and unto his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them; This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying,

What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,

And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

To the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices, which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.”

Conclusion: The children of Israel need a tabernacle or a temple for their sacrifices!

NO TABERNACLE – NO TEMPLE then NO SACRIFICE!

Now, we need to pause here and see just what has happened to the nation of Israel as a consequence or their harlotry. For this we must to the turn to the Gospel according to Matthew, to chapter twenty-three, and we will start reading at verse thirty-six:

Verse 36: “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Verse 37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!”

Verse 38: “Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”

Verse 39: “For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Go to chapter twenty-four, and read verse two:

Matthew 24:2: “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

Next we need to turn to the Gospel according to Luke, to chapter twenty-one, verses twenty through twenty-four:

“And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.

And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” [Luke 21:20-24]

Now, this SIN had its consequences! Israel would be found:

1. Without a king

2. Without a prince

3. Without a sacrifice: No sacrifice, because there is no tabernacle or temple.

4. Without an image: Therefore, no images of the idol gods.

5. Without an ephod: There is no ephod for the priest to wear in performing any sacrifice: No sacrifice, because there is no tabernacle or temple.

6. Without teraphim: Therefore, no fashioned with hands, idol gods. Teraphim = IDOL = gods. See what Laban said in: Genesis 31:30:

“And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?”

We find in the BOOK of in the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy the prophecy concerning Israel that they would be plucked from off the land if they played the harlot to another, and not be true to HIM.

The consequences of Israel playing the harlot were already clearly spelt out in the fifth book of Moses called Deuteronomy.

Deuteronomy 28:63: “And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.” They are a plucked people!

Verse 64: “And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.” They are a scattered people! They are dispersed among all the nations.

Verse 65: “And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:”

Turn to the book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 20:23: “I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries”: This is called the diaspora.

DIASPORA = [The dispersion of the Jews among the Gentiles after their captivity.]

The two major dispersions of the Jewish people occurred in [B.C. 610] and [A.D. 70] and this resulted in them having to suffer the following maladies. They were to have:

1. No ease

2. No rest

3. No peace.

Which produced in the people:

1. A trembling heart

2. The failing of eyes

3. A sorrow of mind

Summation: Their unfaithfulness to the God of Israel [in all their harlotry] brought them steadily downhill to all of this. Now, see with me in the book of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 30:5: “For thus saith the LORD; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace.”

Here is the very sobering scene that we can see for Israel in this situation. For this we go the book of Psalms.

Psalm 137:1-4:

“By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?”

There is now found in the people’s hearts a continual sorrow. Harlotry does this. Harlotry, or adultery, destroys a marriage. It dissolves the prior relationship.

Now, hear what the Scripture saith concerning their sorrow:

· Jeremiah 30:15: Why criest thou for thine affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.”

· Jeremiah 45:3: “Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.”

· Lamentations 1:12: “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.”

· Lamentations 1:18: “The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity.”
Lamentations 3:65: “Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.”

There is more than sorrow that is experienced by this people, hear now what the Scripture saith of this people’s [Judah] perpetual state of mourning and of lamentation:

· Lamentations 2:5: “The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.”

· Amos 8:10: “And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.”

There is more, hear now what the Scripture saith of this people’s [Judah] perpetual state of confusion and of their shame:

· Ezra 9:7: “Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.”

· Jeremiah 3:25: “We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

There you have it! It is for Israel to have:

1. Continual sorrow

2. Mourning and lamentation

3. Confusion of face and of shame,

And all of this was to continually dog all this people as seen in the last two thousand years of history.

Hosea chapter three:

Verse four: “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.”

Learn More

The Basic Truths of Life

Everyone that ever walked on this planet must come to terms in this life with some basic TRUTHS.

These will be the basic truths that no one can argue with, if they are sane.

Of course, if you believe what God says in His Own BOOK about you, then you will have no problem with accepting these basic truths.

1. The Brevity Of Life

"For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." (James 4:14b)

Our life is brief! like a vapor, or like smoke.

"Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?" (Job 7:1)

He is born, and then he will die!

This is certain! (The exception being Enoch and Elijah, and also, those believers in Jesus Christ who are alive when He comes for His Church.)

2. The Brevity Of Your Remembrance

You will soon be forgotten.

A man is remembered only a little while, and then he is forgotten.

"He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him anymore. Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little, Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness." (Job 7:10 & 10:20-22)

3. The Sureness Of Trouble

Life is bale full of troubles.

I have also found this very true!!!

"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." (Job 14:1).

4. The Verity Of The White Throne Judgment

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

You will not miss this one unless YOU ARE HID in the CLEFT OF THE ROCK!

5. The Eternality And The Finality Of What You Do With Jesus Christ:

We will all be held accountable over this issue.

It is a hard fact of life, my friend.

Now will you take God's offer of eternal life ... purchased by His Son ... for all those who will put their trust in Him ... a thumbs down?

You will everlastingly suffer the consequences!

6. That Men Never Learn From History

We learn from History That Men Never Learn From History!

It is a heart problem!

Men refuse to learn the "lessons" afforded by the light of HISTORY: the recorded historical events which occurred as fulfillment of Bible prophecy.

Now, these are the basic truths with which we all must deal with one way or another!

7. What Should You Do?

"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved"; [Romans 10:8-13]

A Challenging Quiz for Christians:

by David F. Reagan - Present With The LORD [May, 2007]

Are you a Christian?

Do you know for sure that you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Saviour and that your death would take you immediately into the presence of God?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then we can certainly rejoice with you. But let me ask you some other questions; questions that I hope you will carefully consider:

A hundred years after you are dead, what will it matter that you ever lived?

Does the devil ever get a report on you from his evil spirits about the trouble you are causing him?
How long has it been since you shed a tear for a lost soul?

What would God have to do to break your heart for Him and eternal things?

Is your life empty or filled with frivolous things? (They are one and the same)

Are you closer to God today than you were a year ago?

Make a list of the things you do that are seen as important in heaven.

Go ahead and make the list. Your record is being kept in heaven anyway. Have you considered what your record looks like?

God established His church in order to correct, challenge, encourage, and guide His people.

In church, believers get to know one another, help one another, and work together to accomplish things of eternal importance. Are you ready to serve God with all your heart?

Do you desire to do something really important; to make a difference? ."

The End of Things For A Man

“Mine age is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent: I have cut off like a Weaver my life: he will cut me off with pining sickness: from day even to night wilt thou make an end of me.” [Isaiah 38:12]

Have you arrived at this point?

A man or a woman is filled with wisdom … when he or she comes to the LORD and prays like David did in Psalm thirty-nine verse four:

“Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is: that I may know how frail I am.” [Psalm 39:4]

This is prayer: Make me to know my “end” so that I may have knowledge of how weak I am.

If you know your "end", my friend, then your pride will inevitably be weakened.

Humility will become a friend.

Humility will come to live with you.

Listen to what the Spirit of God [through Job] says in Job chapter six, verse eleven:

“What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?” [Job 6:11]

Do you see what I see?

Job is asking the right question.

You will be wise if you ask the same question.

Job knows that his end is … PEACE.

See this in Job chapter twenty-six in verse ten: “He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.” [Job 26:10]

Next, look at what God gave us [through David] in the book of Psalms. “Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.” [Psalm 37:37-38]

The end of the “perfect man” is very different than the end of the “wicked”.

There is a desired “end” for a man. God desires to give the “perfect man” … “peace.”

Will You Come To Jesus Christ?

Do you believe this scripture, my friend?

Do you sense from within your heart ... the tugging and pulling of the Spirit of God?

The Holy Spirit "will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment."

Are you under tremendous conviction of sin, and are you mulling over within your heart the TWO WAYS in life that lie before you?

You must make a decision.

It is a matter of whether or not to go to THE STRAIT GATE, or to stay on THE BROAD WAY!

Where are you, my friend?

What will you do with Jesus Christ?

Will you flee from the wrath of God, and go to THE DOOR, and Knock?

If you go through this DOOR you will be on location at Mount Calvary which place is where the weight of your sin will drop off your back at the sight of the ONE who died for you, and WHO shed His BLOOD for you.

You ... my friend ... will then ... be on THE NARROW WAY TO HEAVEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

Message or Call: 865.274.8259

... Bible 1611 - King James Bible Study

A.V. 1611

The Book of Hosea

The Prophet

The Book of Hosea

Hosea, chapter one:

The word of the LORD

Hosea, the son of Beeri, (Osee)

The four kings of Judah

Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

And the LORD said …

Go, take unto thee a wife…

In the BOOK [The King James Bible] the first mention of the word “wife” is in [Genesis 2:24].

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

In this verse God establishes a BASIC TRUTH.

A man needs a wife for several reasons:

“Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms.”

The land hath committed great whoredom.

Departing from the LORD

A son born to trouble from an unfaithful wife.

Call his name Jezreel.

I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.

I … will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

I will break the bow of Israel.

It will happen in the valley of Jezreel.

A daughter born to trouble from an unfaithful wife.

Mercy to the house of Judah

I will save them!

A new creature by a new birth.

Another son born to great trouble from this very unfaithful wife.

The Law

For my thoughts are not your thoughts.

The worthy goal for one’s life is clearly given:

Summary:

God’s view of marriage, divorce and remarriage encapsulated.

1. The ideal Biblical pattern for marriage is set in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 … one man - one woman for life.

2. God provided legislation (by the giving of the Law) to Israel, governing multiple wives; i.e., marriage privileges, responsibilities are delineated, including the regulation of divorce and re-marriage.

3. God gives the New Testament order: National Israel set aside, and the institution of the Church established with the Jew and the Gentile in one body, which re-sets Genesis 1-2 for marriage, one man, one woman, for life as ideal.

Adultery brings the dissolution of the marriage.

God’s Plan for the nation of Israel: DO THEM!

The Promise:

Restoration of the Marriage

Restoration = Remarriage

The Law of God are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments.

The statement of the LORD, the God of Israel:

Hosea, chapter two:

Marital Status:

Or what?

Sin has its awful and very horrible consequences!

The divorce, or the putting away of Israel.

Maintenance Instructions:

The Value of the Hedge

The Great Tribulation = Jacob's trouble

Baal is found kin to THE DEVIL.

Man’s reasoning’s will always come up empty.

Hosea [as type of the God of Israel] appoints judgment Gomer [as type of Israel].

Blindness is added.

A general observation concerning mankind:

Observation: “Hold ‘er, Newt; she’s heading for the rhubarb!”

The great allurement begins.

In the wilderness

Ishi: an expression of endearment.

The cleansing remedy foretold.

The Branch

Hosea, chapter three:

... Bible 1611 - King James Bible Study

... Bible 1611 - King James Bible Study