HOSEA #2
(Before reading this sermon be sure to read Hosea #1

     In our first lesson we learned that Gomer represented Israel, America, and each individual that has turned his back on God.  Hosea represents God.  We saw the pain of unrequited love.  God loves his people but so often there is no love for God.  We noticed that Israel, in the days of Hosea, was very similar to America in our day.  Great wealth and great sin.  We saw that God minces no words when it comes to sin.  He called the person that departs from Him, a whore, and he used this graphic term 15 times in this tiny book.  We saw that there is strong evidence to show that Gomer was not a prostitute when Hosea married her.  That Hosea's love for God, made it possible that he could have a greater love for his wife, and that a mate can make your life on earth either heaven or hell.  We ended our story last time with Gomer loosing her love for Hosea and turning her attention toward the pleasures of the world.

Now something happens that gives the prophet renewed hope.  He learns that his wife is going to have a baby (Hosea 1:3, 4).  I'm sure he prayed for a boy and a boy is born.  God says, "Call the boy Jezreel."  The names of the children tell the story.  Jezreel is a valley that runs from Mount Caramel to below the Sea of Galilee.  It's the same valley as Megiddo. More people have died in that valley than has in any other battle field in the world.  Yet it was a place of victory.  It's where the people of God went to battle against the enemy time and time again, most generally they were greatly out numbered, remember Deborah and Barrack, and Gideon.  Gideon fought with the odds of 450/1 but as long as the people were living for God, God always intervened and they always won.  God will do the same thing for us today if we will live for him.  So when God said, "Call his name Jezreel."  Hosea's heart no doubt jumped for joy, because he probably thought, "Victory!"  This child from God will put one hand on Gomer and one hand on me and he will bring us together again.  A lot of women think this way today when their marriage is not going right, they often think, "If I only had a baby, a baby will draw us back together."  It hardly ever works.  The only cement strong enough to bond a couple permanently together is the love that they both have for God.  A baby and a good marriage was a beautiful dream for Hosea but it didn't work out the way he dreamed.  The name Jezreel actually means Jehovah scatters.  And rather than bringing Hosea and Gomer closer together the boy really drove them further apart.  As I said, this often happens today.

Rough years went by and during this time while the prophet is still preaching; two other children were born to that troubled home,  (Hosea 1:6). The next child was a daughter and God said, "Call her name Lo-Ru'ham'ah.  Ru'ham'ah is a beautiful name in Hebrew.  It is filled with tenderness and love.  It means pity, mercy, or love.  But "Lo" in Hebrew means no or not.  Lo-Ru'ham'ah, No pity, no mercy, no love.  What a slap in the face God here gives to Gomer.  God never quits trying to awaken us to our sin.  Every time she calls her little daughter to her side, she is reminded of her lack of love and mercy to Hosea.  Every time the Israelites read this story in the future, they are reminded of the fact that they have no pity for the one who loves them most.  No love, no mercy, no pity, this is the way the prophet feels.  We see here the progression into sin. 

Hosea is still the man of God but Gomer is saying I've had about all of this marriage I can stand.  The party life, the wild kind of living was calling to her.  Rumors were beginning to reach Hosea's ears about his wife.  The evidence was stacking up and he knew that that which he refused to believe, was really the truth, so when the daughter was born he named her "No more mercy".  God was saying to Israel, "As Israel continues to sin my mercy is going to be pulled back.  What is God saying to America today?  Hosea was seeing in his married life that things were going from bad to worse and it sure showed up at the very bottom when the last son is born, this son caused a perplexing doubt to become a damning certainty.  (Hosea 1:8) God said, "Call that boy Lo-Ammi = not mine -- Born in his house but not of his body.  The prophet now knows that his wife has given birth to another man's son.  Perhaps all three children were other men's children, notice 2:5 "...conceived THEM in disgrace."  How often this story is repeated in America today.  A father looks down at his new born son or daughter and says, with a broken hearth, "He's not mine."  How often the story of unrequited love is repeated today. 

The mystery of mysteries is that Hosea didn't divorce Gomer.  No doubt some of his friends advised him get rid of that woman.  "I wouldn't put up with what you put up with."  I once advised a very close friend of mine that way.  He was constantly being verbally abused by his wife and her mother.  I told him I wouldn't put up with it.  He moved out, and his life seemed to get a little worse every day after that.  I was wrong.  We are all too quick to say to people, "If you’re the innocent one, get rid of him."  This is the cry of the hour.  Hosea did not divorce Gomer.  And isn't it wonderful that God has not divorced us?  Think about it.  If Hosea could have found a judge that was righteous, he could have delivered her to him, and she would have been stoned to death.  For that is what the law said could be done.  God has every right to throw us all in to hell for ever.  We have all played the prostitute against him.  The people that did not like Hosea said, "The prophet's a fool" (Hosea 9:7).  But the worst is yet to come.  One day after preaching the prophet comes home.  (Now this is not in the book but it is inferred.)  He comes home and says, "Gomer, I'm home!" ---No answer.  He smells no dinner being cooking in the kitchen.  He hears no wifely duty being performed.  But instead he hears crying from the nursery.  He goes in and there is little Jezreel and Lo-Ru'ham'ah and Lo-Ammi alone.  On the table is a note.  ---Now the Bible doesn't say there was a note but what woman ever left with out leaving a note? --- (Hosea 2:5). The note reads something like this.  "Hosea, I haven't loved you for years, I'm leaving you today.  I'm going to live with my lovers who give me my wine, my oil and my flax."  Don't follow me, I don't love you.  Don't look for me.  I don't love the children.  Don't speak to me if we happen to meet on the street.  I'm sorry.  Sincerely, but no longer yours, Gomer.”  He puts the children to bed that night for the first night alone, but not the last night alone.  He looks out the window into a starless night and he lives days without sunshine, and nights without light.  Until finally it dawns on his great loving heart, she has indeed gone and she is not coming home. 

Let the words of this song make the application to your life. (692) Softly and tenderly.

Next turn to, Hosea #3.

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