Single lesson
Hosea and His Family
Hosea 1:1–11; Hosea 3:1–5
This lesson guides students through Hosea 1:1–11 and 3:1–5 in order, helping them notice the choices, the announced outcomes, and the passage’s movement from turning to other gods toward a future return to seek Yahweh.
Before you teach
Hosea 1:1 introduces Yahweh’s word coming to Hosea in the days of named kings. In Hosea 1, Yahweh tells Hosea what to do and what to call the children, and he explains what each name is associated with in his message. In Hosea 3, Yahweh tells Hosea to love again, then explains what this says about Israel.
Students will be able to sequence Hosea 1:1–11 and 3:1–5 and explain from the text that Israel turns away, faces many days without key national and religious markers, and afterward returns to seek Yahweh.
Welcome: Hearing a serious message story
5 minIntroduce the passage as a serious story in which Yahweh speaks through Hosea’s family life. Explain that students will follow the sequence carefully and notice what Yahweh says is associated with each child’s name. Keep discussion respectful and close to the words of the passage.
Hosea 1:1, Hosea 1:2, Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:6, Hosea 1:9
Read and explain: The order in Hosea 1 and 3
10 minRead the passage aloud. Trace the order: Yahweh speaks to Hosea, Hosea takes Gomer, children are born and named, then the passage turns to future hope. In chapter 3, Yahweh says, “Go again, love”, Hosea buys the woman, and tells her to stay with him many days.
Hosea 1:2, Hosea 1:3, Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:6, Hosea 1:9, Hosea 1:10, Hosea 1:11, Hosea 3:1, Hosea 3:2, Hosea 3:3
Discuss the children: What is each name linked with?
8 minLook at what Yahweh says in connection with each child. Jezreel is linked with Yahweh’s words about avenging blood and causing the kingdom of Israel to cease. Lo-Ruhamah is linked with no longer having mercy on Israel, while Judah is spoken of differently. Lo-Ammi is linked with, “You are not my people.”
Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:5, Hosea 1:6, Hosea 1:7, Hosea 1:9
Trace the turn: From “not my people” to gathering
7 minDo not stop at the hard words. Hosea 1:10–11 begins with “Yet” and speaks of the children of Israel being beyond counting, being called “sons of the living God”, and Judah and Israel being gathered together. Help students see that the passage itself moves from judgement language to hope language.
Hosea 1:9, Hosea 1:10, Hosea 1:11
Make and respond: Sequence the turning, loss and return
10 minStudents create and order ten cards for the main steps. After ordering them, ask them to mark which cards show Hosea’s actions and which cards announce what will happen to Israel. Finish by identifying the movement in chapter 3 from turning to other gods, through many days without, to returning and seeking Yahweh.
Hosea 1:2, Hosea 1:3, Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:6, Hosea 1:9, Hosea 3:1, Hosea 3:2, Hosea 3:3, Hosea 3:4, Hosea 3:5
Questions to explore
What does Yahweh say in connection with Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah and Lo-Ammi?
Read the words after each name and list the outcomes or statements Yahweh attaches to them in the passage.
Hosea 1:4, Hosea 1:6, Hosea 1:9
How does Hosea 3 move from command to action to explanation?
Follow the order in the text: Yahweh tells Hosea to go again and love, Hosea buys the woman, Hosea speaks to her, then Yahweh explains what will happen to Israel.
Hosea 3:1, Hosea 3:2, Hosea 3:3, Hosea 3:4
What change do you see between Hosea 3:4 and Hosea 3:5?
Verse 4 describes many days without key leaders and religious items, while verse 5 begins, “Afterward”, and speaks of returning and seeking Yahweh.
Hosea 3:4, Hosea 3:5
Make, think or respond
Hosea Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- Plain paper or card
- Pens or pencils
- Markers
- Scissors
- Bible text
Try it together
- Make ten small cards with these steps: Yahweh speaks, Hosea takes Gomer, Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi, yet they will be called sons of the living God, go again love, Hosea buys her, many days without, afterward return and seek Yahweh.
- Write the exact verse reference on each card and add a short phrase from that verse.
- Place the cards in order from Hosea 1 to Hosea 3.
- Sort the cards into two groups: actions in the account and words announcing what will happen to Israel.
- Share how the sequence shows turning to other gods, many days without, and afterward returning to seek Yahweh.
This activity helps students follow the passage in order and connect Hosea’s actions with Yahweh’s explanation about Israel.
Adapt for your group
- For students who need support, write the ten card titles on the board first so they can copy and order them before adding phrases from the verses.
- For stronger readers, ask them to label each card with words such as command, action, judgement, mercy or hope and justify each choice from the text.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, thank you for speaking in this passage. Help us understand what it says about turning away, loss, mercy and returning to seek you. Help us listen carefully to your word. Amen.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Hosea 1
1 Yahweh’s word that came to 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.
2 When Yahweh spoke at first by Hosea, Yahweh said to Hosea, “Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking Yahweh.”
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and bore him a son.
4 Yahweh said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.
5 It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”
6 She conceived again, and bore a daughter. Then he said to him, “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, that I should in any way pardon them.
7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Yahweh their God, and will not save them by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.”
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived, and bore a son.
9 He said, “Call his name Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I will not be yours.
10 Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can’t be measured or counted; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’
11 The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.
Hosea 3
1 Yahweh said to me, “Go again, love a woman loved by another, and an adulteress, even as Yahweh loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love cakes of raisins.”
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen pieces of silver and a homer and a half of barley.
3 I said to her, “You shall stay with me many days. You shall not play the prostitute, and you shall not be with any other man. I will also be so toward you.”
4 For the children of Israel shall live many days without king, without prince, without sacrifice, without sacred stone, and without ephod or idols.
5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek Yahweh their God, and David their king, and shall come with trembling to Yahweh and to his blessings in the last days.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.