Hosea and His Family

In the days of several kings of Judah and of Jeroboam king of Israel, the word of Yahweh came to Hosea son of Beeri. Yahweh told Hosea to take a wife marked by sexual unfaithfulness and to have a family that would become a sign, because the land had turned away from Yahweh.

Hosea took Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she bore a son. Yahweh told Hosea to name the boy Jezreel. The name pointed to coming judgement on the house of Jehu and to a time when the kingdom of Israel would be brought to an end and its bow broken in the valley of Jezreel.

Gomer later bore a daughter. Yahweh said to name her Lo-Ruhamah, because he would no longer show mercy to the house of Israel so as to pardon them. Yet Yahweh said he would have mercy on Judah and save them by Yahweh their God, not by bow, sword, battle, horses, or horsemen.

After Lo-Ruhamah was weaned, another son was born. Yahweh said to name him Lo-Ammi, because, 'you are not my people, and I will not be yours.' Even so, judgement would not be the end. Israel would become too many to count, and those once called not God's people would be called sons of the living God.

Yahweh then told Hosea to love a woman loved by another and guilty of adultery, as a picture of Yahweh's love for Israel though they turned to other gods. Hosea bought her and told her to stay with him and not be with another man for many days.

This also pointed to Israel's future. The people would live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice, sacred stone, ephod, or idols. Afterwards the children of Israel would return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king. Hosea had also said that Judah and Israel would be gathered together under one head, and the day of Jezreel would become great.