Lesson # 1

Hosea

Scripture Readings:

Day 1: Hosea 1-3

Day 2: Hosea 4-6

Day 3: Hosea 7-10

Day 4: Hosea 11-12

Day 5: Hosea 13-14

What woman doesn’t love a good love story? My husband knows that if our daughter and I go to the video store, we will probably return with a “chick flick.” It doesn’t matter if we’ve seen it already, it doesn’t always have to have a happy ending, as long as somebody loves somebody purely, we will probably like it. If the movie requires the watcher to go through half a box of Kleenex, even better!

This love story starts out like no other. Right from the get-go, we know that there will be problems with this relationship. Major problems! The Lord instructs His prophet, Hosea, to take a wife of whoredom.

1. The beginning of the word of the _____ ___ _______. And the _____ said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of ___________ and __________ of __________: for the ______ _____ ___________great whoredom, __________ from the _____.

Can you imagine? Oh, the heartache Hosea will have to endure! Why would God do this? The answer is in the latter part of verse 2- for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. Hosea’s life would now serve as an object lesson to an adulterous Israel.

Hosea obeys God’s command and takes Gomer to be his wife. Gomer conceives and gives Hosea a son. Can you picture the happy couple? “A boy! How wonderful! What shall we call him? Hosea is a good strong name. It means salvation. What about naming him Diblaim, after your Father, Gomer? What does his name mean anyway? Oh. Double layers of grape cake, as in one given to sensuality? No. That wouldn’t be appropriate.” Not to worry, Hosea. God will name your son.

2. And the LORD said unto him, Call his name __________; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of ___________ upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. Hosea 1:4

3. Look up Jezreel in your Strong’s. What does the name mean and/or what is the idea behind it?________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Another child! This time they are having a girl.

4. What was this child’s name and what did it mean?__________________________

________________________________________________________________vs. 6

5. God named a third child. What was it and what did it mean?___________________

________________________________________________________________vs. 9 Surprise! Surprise! Gomer is unfaithful to Hosea.

6. Plead with your ________, plead: for she is not my ______, neither am I her _________: let her therefore put away her ___________ out of her sight, and her ____________ from between her breasts; Hosea 2:2

We read of Gomer’s infidelities and might want to tell Hosea, “Put her away, she will keep on breaking your heart!” We must remember that God was married to Israel.

7. And I will _________ thee unto me ____ _____; yea, I will _________ thee unto me in _______________, and in ___________, and in ________________, and in ________. Hosea 2:19

8. For as a young man __________ a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the ____________ rejoiceth over the _______, so shall thy _____ rejoice over _____. Isaiah 62:5

9. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the _____; for I am _________ unto _____: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: Jeremiah 3:14

The church is the bride of Christ.

10. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the _________ is the head of the ______, even as ________ is the head of the _______: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the ________ is subject unto ______, so let the wives be to their own ___________ in every thing. _________, love your ________, even as _________ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. Ephesians 5:22-26

11. Let us rejoice and be exceeding glad, and let us give the glory unto him: for the __________ of the ______is come, and his ______ hath made herself ready. And it was given unto her that she should array herself in fine linen, bright and pure: for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the _________. Revelation 19:7-8

Knowing that God was married to Israel and Christ is married to the church, and we like sheep have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6) we might have different advice for Hosea. “Stick with her Hosea! Go after her! Give her another chance!”

Israel was unfaithful to God. (Chapter 2) God sought to be reconciled to His cheating wife!

12. How did Israel cheat on God? Provide scriptures.__________________________ ____________________________ ________________________________________

13. Why will Israel/Gomer choose to return to her first husband? 2:7______________

____________________________________________________________________

14. Did Gomer’s blessings come from her lovers or from Hosea?_________________

15. Where did Israel’s blessings come from?_________________________________

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. 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. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. Hosea 2:14-17 This section of scripture is what makes this a true love story rather than a tragedy! The Lord was not willing to give up on his unfaithful bride. …that thou shalt call me Ishi means, You will call me husband!

16. What would happen to the divorce rate in our country if everyone was as dedicated to their spouse as God was to Israel?_______________________________ Or as Christ is to the church?_____________________________________________

What might happen to the numbers of the local congregation if we sought to reconcile the erring brethren and those outside the body of Christ with the same zeal and devotion? _________________________________________________________

The Lord instructs Hosea to go, love the woman, even though she commits adultery, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods. Hosea 3:1 Hosea bought Gomer back for 15 shekels of silver and some barley. She must’ve been discarded by her lovers to end up being sold as a piece of property. Gomer was bought back for half the price of a slave! (Exodus 21:32) Yet, Hosea did not redeem Gomer to be a slave, he took her home to love her. Hosea instructed Gomer, “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.” It seems as if Hosea places Gomer on probation. “I still love you Gomer, but you will have to do a few things for me.”

Chapter 3 concludes our love story of a prophet and a prostitute. We are not told if Gomer becomes faithful to Hosea. The next 11 chapters continues with narrative of a faithful God and an adulterous people.

Chapter 4 begins with the accusations of the Lord against Israel.

17. By __________, and _______, and _________, and _________, and committing ________, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Whew! I am so glad these things are not going on today! Of course, I kidding. We might ask, “why did/does this kind of behavior take place?” I believe the answer is found in verse 1b. nor knowledge of God in the land.

18. As a way to close this lesson, write down something you have learned from studying Hosea. Write as much or as little as you like!

jennivalencia@comcast.net