hosealesson3

NOT LEFT WITHOUT HOPE ~ Lesson 3

A traveller tells of the concern he felt as he sensed the hopelessness of so many of the young people he met.[1] He writes for example, of their fear of the unknown. So many were “full of confusion, not knowing for sure if they had much of a future ahead.” He tells of their growing despair “about the endless cycles of birth and death they must go through.” He quotes from the results of a survey he conducted among university students.

Many were afraid they would not have enough money to obtain the basics of life. One girl said she was afraid because there was no true love in the world. Insecurity, fear of losing friends and loved ones, fear of dying, and not being able to find the value of life were all listed.

So many people are just like those young people. Paul described them as being “... in this world without God and without hope.” (Ephesians 2:12).

Because of the pressures he was experiencing in his life at this time Hosea may also have thought that the situation was hopeless. He may have felt like those Collins[2] speaks of when writing about the marriage problems some couples experience.

Caught in the middle of conflict and watching one’s marriage disintegrate, the husband and/or wife often feels overwhelmed and confused about what to do next. Sometimes there are frantic, frequently futile, attempts to make amends. Sometimes there is despair and a resigned attitude that says, ‘things will never get better so why try.’ Every marriage is built on hope, suggests one Christian marriage counsellor ... one goal of counselling therefore, must be the recovery of hope.

And this is just what the Lord did for Hosea. He gave him hope. Like David before him, Hosea had a Divine Counsellor he could turn to. Like David, he could pray,

Keep me safe O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the LORD, “You are my LORD. Apart from you I have no good thing.” ... I will praise the LORD who counsels me. (Psalm 16:1,2,7).

Hosea’s name comes from the same Hebrew word as the name Joshua. The word is ‘yasha’ meaning ‘to save, to deliver.’ It is interesting to note in this connection that the name Jesus, Ϊησουs (Iēsous), is the Greek language form of the name Joshua. When announcing the coming birth of Jesus, the heavenly messenger said, “You are to name him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.’ (Matthew 1;21). Hosea’s name would have encouraged him to hope that something would come out of his present seemingly hopeless situation to put his fractured family and nation on the road to recovery.

Hosea glimpsed hope for the future well being of his family in the meaning of his wife’s name. The meaning of her name Gomer is ‘completion. From this meaning, Hosea could find assurance that the Lord would not cast her away. He would not let her go. He would draw her back into a right relationship with himself. In him Gomer will eventually find fulfilment, completion. The Lord gave this message of hope to Hosea. It speaks of God’s gracious dealings with the people of Israel in their spiritual adultery but the word picture is drawn from the redemption of Gomer that is to come.

“But then I will win her back again. I will lead her out into the desert and speak tenderly to her there. I will return her vineyards to her and transform the Valley of Trouble into a gateway of hope. She will give herself to me there, as she did long ago when she was young, when I freed her from her captivity in Egypt. In that coming day,” says the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’ instead of ‘my master.’ ” (Hosea 2:14-16).

Hosea would have understood from this very specific promise that even in her sinful life style the Lord would show kindness to Gomer. He will rebuke and discipline her with tender love. He will carefully watch over her in the troubled years ahead. And what is promised for Gomer extends also to the people of Israel. For both, the ‘valley of trouble’ will become a ‘gateway of hope.’ Hosea now finds a further source of hope in ...

In the name Jezreel there came first of all, a warning that before the mending of the fracture would take place, troubled times lay ahead for the family. The name Jezreel was associated with the religious fanaticism of Jehu and the trickery and butchery he carried out in the town of Jezreel some years before.[3] From this association of the name, Hosea was warned of the trouble that was around the corner for his family and also for the nation of Israel. The Lord explained to Hosea what was to come.

And the LORD said, “Name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jehu’s dynasty to avenge the murders he committed at Jezreel. In fact, I will put an end to Israel’s independence by breaking its military power in the Jezreel valley.” (Hosea 1:4-5).

But there is also a message of hope to be found in the meaning. The name Jezreel means ‘God plants.’ The hope for Hosea’s family and for the nation is expressed in the form of a beautiful play of meaning on the name Jezreel. Speaking of his people, the Lord gives this promise …

“In that day,” says the LORD, “I will answer the pleading of the sky for clouds, which will pour down water on the earth in answer to its cries for rain. Then the earth will answer the thirsty cries for the grain, the grapes, and the olive trees for moisture. And the whole grand chorus will sing together, ‘Jezreel’ - ‘God plants!’ At that time I will plant a crop of Israelites and raise them for myself!” (Hosea 2:21-23a).

Tucked away in these words is also a promise concerning the restoration of the environment which has suffered much as a result of the sins of the people. Once again the rains will come and new vegetation cover the ground. Hope rises in the heart of Hosea as he realises that his family and nation are like seedlings planted by the Lord. Under the care of the Divine Gardener the plants will survive the fierce storms and drought which lie ahead.

The meaning of the name Lo-Ruhamah is ‘no longer loved.’ The name indicated to Hosea that his people would, for a time, be denied the Lord’s blessing. It would be a time when it would seem that his family and nation had been forgotten by God. It would seem that God no longer loved them.

And the LORD said to Hosea, “Name your daughter Lo-Ruhamah – ‘Not loved’ - for I will no longer show love to the people of Israel or forgive them.” (Hosea 1:6).

But as Hosea was soon to learn, the loss of an awareness of God’s love would only be temporary. It was to be a time of discipline designed to bring his family and nation into a deeper understanding of God’s love for them. The same message was conveyed to Hosea in the meaning of the name of Gomer’s second son.

And the LORD said, “Name him Lo-Ammi - ‘Not my people’ - for Israel is not my people and I am not their God.” (Hosea 1:9).

But this would be only a temporary rejection. God’s disciplining of his people would prepare them for greater usefulness. As Paul would write later,

For since the Jews’ rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, how much more wonderful their acceptance will be. It will be life for those who were dead. (Romans 11:15).

My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children ... But God’s discipline is always good for us because it means we will share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening - it is painful! But afterward there will be a quiet harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but become strong. (Hebrews 12:5-6, 10-13).

In each case the negative indicator ‘Lo’ is removed. And so the daughter’s name is changed from ‘not loved’ to ‘loved’ and the second son’s name is changed from ‘not my people’ to ‘my people,’ when the Lord says to Hosea …

“Yet the time will come when Israel will prosper and become a great nation. In that day its people will be like the sands of the sea shore - too many to count! Then at the place where they were told, ‘You are not my people,’ it will be said, ‘You are the children of the living God.’ Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite under one leader, and they will return from exile together. What a day that will be - the day of Jezreel - when God will again plant his people in his land. In that day you will call your brothers Ammi - ‘My people.’ And you will call your sisters Ruhamah - ‘The ones I love.’ ”(Hosea 1:10 - 2:1).

Hosea’s outlook turns from negative to positive in the hope he gains from these changes in the names of the two children. The promises are repeated at the end of the section.

“I will show love to those I called ‘Not loved.’ And to those I called ‘Not my people,’ I will say, ‘Now you are my people.’ Then they will reply, ‘You are our God.’ ” (Hosea 2:23b).

The Lord is always there to give us hope. The experience that David writes of can be ours today.

I wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honour come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. (Psalm 62:5-7).

Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him while he is near. Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Isaiah 55:6-7).

The great hope the Christian has is of the return of Christ to planet earth in person. John writes about this in one of his letters.

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NIV).

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:11-14 NIV).

This is an inheritance which Christians begin to receive now in the gift of salvation and the forgiveness of sins made possible by the sacrificial death of Christ. But it is an inheritance which remains to be fully realised. Both the present and future nature of the inheritance is made clear in letters by Paul and Peter. Paul writes,

At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7).

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” (1 Peter 1:3-6 NIV).

It was this hope which Paul shared in a letter to the Christian church in Corinth.

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-11 NIV).

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV).

This too, was the assurance which the Lord gave to Hosea as he faced the future. Based on the promises made personal to him by the Lord he knows that his current situation is not final. He does not ask to be taken out of it but trusts the Lord to take him through it. He accepts his present experiences as those the Lord will use for the ultimate good of his family and nation. Filled with fresh hope, he does not run away but gets on with his life. Before looking at how it all turned out for Hosea and his family we will, in our next lesson, start thinking about the state of the nation.

[1] Asian Report. Volume 28. Number 5. p.8.

[2] Collins, Gary R. CHRISTIAN COUNSELLING. Australia: Word Australia. 1989. (p. 414)

[3] The story is told in 2 Kings 10.