Hosea 1

Hosea lived before the Assyrian captivity. He was the only native to Israel who wrote a Bible prophecy book. The others were all from Judah.
Hosea’s story is an object lesson for God’s relationship with Israel. God “married” Israel, but due to her unfaithfulness, He divorced her.
Israel was the nation God chose to carry His Word and the lineage to Christ. She split into two halves; Judah and Israel. Though Judah came closer to serving God, neither one really dedicated themselves to Him. Both nations were carried into captivity as punishment; Israel in 740-721BC (it took them twenty years to capture every tribe) and Judah in 563BC.
Hosea prophesied just before the captivity of Israel. His prophecy was not accepted.

Chapter 1
1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Hosea had a long-term career. It covered four kings of Judah and one, long ruling king of Israel, the second Jeroboam to rule Israel.
2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, ‘Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.’
God is our Father and the church is our mother. At this time, “the church” was the nation Israel (with Judah). God is comparing His relationship with Israel to Hosea’s relationship with his wife. Most believe Gomer was a prostitute before Hosea chose her as his wife.
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
What are the chances that this child was not actually the child of Hosea? There is the chance he was illegitimate, though it appears he was conceived after the marriage. Would God have had Hosea write this differently if this wasn’t Hosea’s; maybe “and she bare a son”?
4 And the LORD said unto him, ‘Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
Jezreel means “God Sows.” It was a city in Israel.
Israel’s king Ahab was very wicked, and his wife was worse, so God placed a curse on them. Jehu eliminated all the sons of Ahab to fulfill that curse. Unfortunately he went too far and killed every relative, friend and advisor of Ahab, also. God promised him that his fourth generation would rule in Israel, but He tells Hosea here that God will also judge Jehu’s descendants for his bloodthirstiness.
God says here that Israel will cease to be a kingdom. They will be eliminated. This is exactly what happened after the Assyrian captivity. Though many from all twelve tribes settled in Palestine, they settled in the territory of Judah. Israel as a kingdom never again existed.
5 ‘And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.’
Jezreel was between Assyria and Israel’s capital city of Samaria. She was a major strategic point of defense. Assyria took her out on the way to Samaria.
6 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.
Loruhamah means “she is not pitied.”
Again, Israel is to be totally destroyed. God is done with her. He won’t show her any pity.
7 ‘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.’
Conventional means of war will not be used to save Judah Assyria did try to conquer Judah, even laying siege to Jerusalem. But God, at the prayers of Hezekiah, caused the king of Assyria to hear of a rebellion elsewhere in his kingdom and leave Jerusalem. He was later murdered and never returned to Judah.
8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.
9 Then said God, ‘Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
Loammi means “Not My People.”
This is the third time in just this chapter God says Israel will no longer be his people.
10 ‘Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that 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.’
It is not a political people that will be numbered as the sea. It is a spiritual kingdom; the Christian church. “Sons of God” is a New Testament term that applies to the Christian. “Israel” in the New Testament is the Church. Romans 11 tells us that God broke off the unprofitable branches (unbelieving Israelites) of the Olive Tree (the church) and grafted in wild branches (gentile believers). So those who believe and follow God are now Israel no matter what their genetic heritage. They are part of the innumerable multitude that is called “The sons of the Living God.”
11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.’
Jezreel is about where the village of Nazareth was at the time of Christ’s birth. The appointed Head is Jesus. Those that will return from the captivity from all twelve tribes choose Him as their Head.