Hosea 2:8-13 [The Lesson Given by Hosea’s Wife]

[Things to Meditate On]

1. The prophet Hosea was a prophet who ministered during the time of Jeroboam II, the thirteenth king of the northern kingdom of Israel (Hosea 1:1). For reference, the prophet Amos also ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel during the same period, and the prophets Isaiah and Micah ministered in the southern kingdom of Judah (Isaiah 1:1, Micah 1:1). Thus, we can see that God, through many prophets, sought to turn the people of Israel, who had departed from the word of God, back to Himself so that they would not perish (Ezekiel 33:11).

God told Hosea to take a wife of whoredoms and marry her (Hosea 1:2). This also was to teach the children of Israel, who had forsaken God, through Hosea’s wife, who forsook her husband and went away. May the words of Hosea 2 above become a lesson for us today as well, so that we also may be careful not to depart from the word of God and be rebuked by Him.

2. In Hosea 2:8 above, God said, “I gave her... and multiplied her,” yet “she did not know.” Through this word, we can know that the things we currently think of as ours have come from God (1 Chronicles 29:10-16). Among people, there are some who exalt themselves because they currently possess something good or enjoy something good. However, what we must know is that unless God allows it, we can neither obtain nor enjoy anything (Ecclesiastes 5:19, Ecclesiastes 6:2). If we know this fact, we will always seek to humbly rely on God alone. But if we do not know this fact, then like Hosea’s wife, we will become proud, depart from God, and join ourselves to other things.

1 Chronicles 29:10-16 “10Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. 11Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 12Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. 13Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. 14But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 15For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. 16O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.”

Deuteronomy 32:15-18 “15But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with abominations provoked they him to anger... 18Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.”

Deuteronomy 8:17-18 “17And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth...”

3. As these passages teach us, we must always remember God and not forget Him. This is because we do not obtain things by our own ability and strength; rather, we can obtain and enjoy them only when God gives them to us. If we forget this, we will turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 1:4) and commit the sin of worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator.

Romans 1:21-25 “21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. 24Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 25Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”

[Decision and Application]

In Hosea 2:9 above, the reason God could take everything back from the people of Israel is that He was the One who had given it to them (verses 8-9, Job 1:21). Therefore, because all sovereignty belongs not to us but to God (1 Chronicles 29:11), God can make the things we thought were our possessions become food for the beasts of the field overnight (verse 12, Proverbs 5:10). He can also cause us to be put to shame before the eyes of our lovers, that is, before the very things we liked and relied on (verse 10). He can also cause all mirth, feast days, new moons, sabbaths, and solemn feasts to cease (verse 11, Ezekiel 33:31, Isaiah 1:11-14). In other words, He can cause the people of Israel to lose all the joy, peace, and blessings that they could have received by keeping the feasts of God. Since God is the One who repays us according to what we have done (verse 13, Matthew 16:27, Revelation 22:10-12), through these words we must learn to fear God (Deuteronomy 31:12-13). This is because all things in this world are done according to the will of God, that is, according to His word. Therefore, we must now humbly fear God, keep His commandments, understand the great love of God that He has bestowed upon us, and abide in that love.

John 15:9-11 “9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”

Jesus is our husband (2 Corinthians 11:2). This word means that the only One who will truly love us is Jesus (Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:8-9). Therefore, now is not the time for our hearts to be stolen away by the vain things of the world—for friendship with the world is called adultery (James 4:4)—but the time to become one with Jesus, our husband, in love (Ephesians 5:31-32, 1 Corinthians 6:17), and to strive to bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). This is because when the time comes, God will soon seek “good fruit” from us (Luke 3:9, Matthew 21:18-19, Luke 13:6-9). At that time, the branch without fruit will be taken away, but the branch that bears fruit will be cleansed so that it may bring forth more fruit (John 15:1-8).

Luke 13:6-9 “6He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

Ephesians 5:11, 9 “11And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. 9For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.”

Galatians 5:22-23 “22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Amen.