See how many words students can make from the phrase the prophet hosea e. Hosea did for gomer what the lord does for all of his covenant people who turn to him through repentance. Because they were all contemporary with hosea, he mentions them all. Recently, i was working through hosea again for a future gospel project session for adults, and once again i discovered how this book wrecks my soul. The book of hosea has at least two perplexing problems. A friend of mine shared with me that her pastor taught on hosea and gomer and that she was hoping this was not going to be her situation with her husband. As with the other women i have read about so far, there is so much to learn from gomer s story, but i will just share with you what touched me the most about her life and the life of her husband. The words of hoseas prophecy concern the wrath of a spurned husband and the forgiveness of true love. This week i learned about the life of gomer in my devotional. The word of the lord that came to hosea son of beeri during the reigns of uzziah, jotham, ahaz and hezekiah, kings of judah, and during the reign of jeroboam son of jehoash king of israel. Hosea and gomers story is the story of god and israel.
Following the command of god, hosea married gomer, a bride god described as a wife of harlotry hosea 1. And the lord said to hosea, go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms. While some interpreters have thought the story to be merely an allegory of the relation between god and israel, others claim. The first concerns the nature of the story told inchs. The story of the prophet hoseas troubled marriage is a powerful testimony to two things. Throughout the book, hosea will show us that salvation is found in turning to. Briefly, the story is that hosea married gomer and she bore three childrenjezreel, loruhamah, and loammi. The book of hosea is one of the most beautiful and confusing books you will.
Highlighting gods unending faithfulness to an undeserving people, the book of the prophet hosea exposes israels cycle of sin, judgment, and restoration. I shall let it serve as the introduction to this marvelous prophecy of hosea. Join us for this 3week study of hosea and his unfaithful wife, gomer, to learn about the character of god. Gomer leaves hosea for other men plural and even bears the illegitimate children of her lovers 3. We do well to recall the story, especially given the great debate among some in the church today over the question of divorce and remarriage. There is no way of knowing whether gomer was already a common prostitute, a temple prostitute, or if she became a prostitute after they were married. Jeremiah and hosea have a great many things in common. The eventual reconciliation of hosea and gomer is treated as a hopeful metaphor.
Account of hoseas marriage with gomer biographically which is a metaphor for the relationship with yhwh and israel. We are not told anything else on hoseas life and death. Their life is a love story, but not the fairy tale kind. Just as she turned away from hoseas love and care, so.
That is the lesson of hosea and gomer, the lesson of forgiveness. The story of the unfailing redemptive love of god sam a. A brief outline of the concepts presented in the book of hosea exist below. Study guide for hosea 1 by david guzik blue letter bible. Because of gomers unfaithfulness, the prophet divorced his wife and lived apart from her. Hosea questions and answers mary janes drops of grace blog. The incredible scandal of gods perfect love hosea and gomers story is the story of god and israel.
We also know that he had a wife named gomer, and two sons and a daughter hosea 1. But of course the real story of this book isnt the story of hosea and gomer, its the story of god and israel. In case you missed the first announcement we begin monday, april th in the book of hosea the hosea journal is available now exclusively on amazon order it now to receive it in time for the start of our study. How is the good news illustrated in hosea s marriage. For this very reason, the biblical book of hosea has frustrated and intrigued scholars for over two millennia.
By casting this book as a lesson in wisdom, hosea makes it applicable to gods people for all time. God told hosea to marry gomer, who became a prostitute. The first part of hosea records the tragic story of the prophets unhappy marital experiences. Then for some unaccountable reason, gomer went bad. Hosea mentions the four kings of judah first, and then he mentions the king of israel, the northern kingdom. You will discover that the book of hosea is the story of god and israel, hosea and gomer, and the story of you this is your love story but, for all its beauty. Hosea was a man, but he was a man god used to speak through. Hosea redeems his unfaithful wife, paying the price for her freedom. Hosea obeyed, buying his wife back with fifteen shekels of silver and some barley verse 2. The theme of this book is a plea to return unto the lord.
Gods like that what my kids got from studying hosea. I have a message entitled, the greatest sin in all the world, which emphasizes the great theme of this book. Were excited youve joined us again this week as we continue to study this amazing story of gods unfailing love. Throughout the book, hosea will show us that salvation is found in turning to the lord and away from our sin. The first concerns the nature of the story told in chs. While chapters describe gomers unfaithfulness to hosea, chapters 414 describes israels unfaithfulness to god. The book of hosea stands first in the division of the bible called the book of the twelve in the apocrypha cf. Gomer is a prostitute and hosea is a godly man told to marry her. Hosea 1 3 hosea was a young prophet in the northern kingdom of israel, which had been ruled by.
Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bibles book of hosea. This week, we read the entire book of hosea and took a deeper look at the context and back story of this book. His eyes lit up and he just kept saying how he got it now, he understands. The book of hosea is one of the books of the hebrew bible.
Invite students as they study the book of hosea to look for principles that can help us turn to the lord when we have sinned. Hosea the man lived in israel, not judah, which is seen in hosea 7. Hosea and gomeran adulterous marriage made in heaven. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or personal study.
The book of hosea is a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet its a difficult story. This study will explore the various applications of hoseas message to gods people. Gomer conceived two sons by the name of jezreel and loammi and a daughter by the name of lo ruhamah see section on peculiarities. An introduction to the book of hosea the verse of the day each day a summary of the chapter and a reflection question for each day blank space for soaking each chapter of the book of hosea. While the book begins with direct reference to gomer, hosea 2 has so strongly shifted to the allegory that you mentioned that it is hard for me to connect it directly to gomer. This loyal love, undeterred by gomers unfaithfulness, god meant as a picture of his own love for his wayward, idolatrous people. Hosea therefore must have been a contemporary of isaiah, micah and amos. In this book, hosea accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god and warns them of the tragic consequences to follow.
It comes from the same hebrew root hoshea as the names joshua and jesus. Gomer was unfaithful, and in spite of this, hosea sought her in great love, and. Gomer was the daughter of diblaim, of whom nothing is known other than that the name is possibly of foreign origin. Hosea cliffsnotes study guides book summaries, test. Gods and love to a faithless people a study in hosea by. Hanke reconsidering the date and provenance of the book of hosea by.
The marriage of hosea the prophet and gomer the wayward woman. Three children were born to her, but they were not hoseas. Hoseas love for gomer is only a picture of gods love for israel, because all the while that israel was unfaithful to god, he was providing for them. The book of hosea may feel complex, but interpretative help is found. Adapted from the book of hosea in the bible, we journey with gomer, a harlot lost in her sin until hosea, a prophet of god, offers to. The book of hoseaits a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet its a difficult story. Discover practical insights into the book of hosea. Join us for this 3week study of hosea and his unfaithful wife, gomer. Youll find david jeremiahs introduction to the book of hosea on page 11451147 of the jeremiah study bible. Explain that the book of hosea begins with the lord giving hosea an unusual command. As an account full of harsh judgment unfolds, we find in its midst a rare and pure gem. Gods love and forgiveness pervade hosea s entire prophecy. Hoseas wife and children when the lord began to speak through hosea, the lord said to him, go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty.
And i think jesus felt sad on the cross the way that hosea felt about what gomer was doing to him. Hoseas wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. Hosea was a contemporary of amos, another prophet to israel. At jehovahs bidding hosea married gomer the daughter of diblaim a prostitute. Good morning girls resources for the book of hosea women. As with the other women i have read about so far, there is so much to learn from gomers story, but i will just share with you what touched me the most about her life and the life of her husband. We can assume that hosea would never marry a prostitute except by the commandment of the lord. I got a lot more than i bargained for as i knew the story about god telling him to marry a promiscuous woman but not all that it entailed.
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. Amazon says the hosea journal will not ship until april 22nd. Book of hosea overview insight for living ministries. This book is based off the love story from the bible of hosea and gomer. Hosea was instructed by god to marry a certain woman and experience with her a domestic life which was a dramatization of the sin and unfaithfulness of israel. The marital life of hosea and his wife, gomer, provide the rich metaphor which clarifies the themes of the book. Book of hosea read, study bible verses online bible study tools. The questions contain minimal human commentary, but instead urge students to study to understand scripture.
Some due to length, have been shortened into continued sections. And, god uses the story of hosea and gomers marriage to show that gods people have done the same to him. The book of hoseaits a deeply personal and passionate lo. We are currently reading from the book of the prophet hosea at daily mass. Gomer is restored in full capacity as the bride of hosea. Intro to hosea biblica the international bible society.
The children are told to drive the unfaithful mother. For he desires love over sacrifice, and faithfulness over offerings. I went back and read the book of hosea again, paying more attention to the threats of violence. The incredible scandal of gods perfect love found in hosea. Hosea, an oldtestament prophet, preached his own life message using his marriage as the sermon illustration. He was a prophet to the northern kingdom of israel, as the content of the book reveals. The metaphor of marriage in hosea leif fredheim go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the lord hosea 1. Hosea himself was the author of this book, and he ministered to the people of israel for about 50 years. Unfailing love changes everything video rent by jennifer rothschild includes 7 individual, rent sessions from the womens bible study. Hosea was called to the ministry of a prophet early in his life, and the book of the bible devoted to his name spans almost the duration of his lifetime. This book tells about the prophet hosea and his unfaithful wife gomer which he was to love unconditionally as a sign of gods unconditional love to the nation of israel. The story of gomer has been performed across the nation, reaching thousands of people with the message of gods faithfulness and love. Demonstrate how god stays in one place and we either walk with him or walk on our own. Hosea prophesied during the reigns of uzziah, jotham, ahaz, and hezkiah in judah and the last six kings in israel.
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