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Episode 648: In this episode, we dive into the serious and profound narrative of Hosea. We discuss how Hosea's marriage to Gomer serves as a powerful metaphor for God's relationship with Israel. God commands Hosea to marry Gomer to illustrate the unfaithfulness of His people, who have turned away from Him to worship other gods. This command is shocking and raises questions about obedience and the nature of God's love.
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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in practical ways. Hey everybody, good morning. Yes, we are the Bible guys man. We are so excited to be here. Yes, it's gonna be the best day ever, best day ever because we have a new we have a new segment to kick the day out. Oh yeah, fun, and it's right in your wheelhouse. Your skill sets are magnificent. Yes, you are a tremendous singer. We've already proven that twice this week. You have you have jeopardy knowledge about everything. You're the Bible scholar and I'm let me think I'm the. Movie guy, the jingle. That they that wait a minute and the guy who gets mad. Well, this is a good one though. The skills that it takes to do the things you do are really phenomenal. They really are so great, they really are. Okay, it's why people love you. So here's the thing. It's a movie buff quiz. Yeah, okay, everybody's like, oh, we've seen this before. Yeah, except for here's the question. Can Chris figure out these movies based on their Shakespeareified plot description? So the plot description I'm going to give you a plot description as if Shakespeare wrote the plot description, which is sore. Then from that Shakespearean so type Shakespearean esque pot description, you have to figure out a modern movie. Okay, just so all of our listeners know, we don't prep for any of this. I've never read any of these, by the way, just just the first sentence. I just found out that this is what we're doing. I'm so excited about this one ten seconds ago. And uh, and I have no idea. What to expect. Okay, here you go. Are you read? And by the way, just to clarify, these are not Shakespearean movies, which I thought at first. These are just regular movies that are. Being described as Let me finish the whole description. Let me finish the whole description, because these are great. What if I decide to get it before the description. Is done, well, I need to finish it anyway. But yes, okay, sure you can guess as soon as you want to. But then I'm going to finish the discription. Okay, here we go. A maiden, a maid new to the land of learned halls, doth win favor with the trio most fair yet fierce yet low her heart. Straya it is it's me girls, yet low her heart strays toward a young swain erstwhile consort of the queen of this gilded band. Oh my goodness, so learned halls favor with trio. It's it's a young maiden. Who Yeah, it's gottay. Okay, here's another one, number two, so very good? One point. Yes, isn't this clever? It's very This is fabulous, It's actually very clever. In a land most wondrous, a maiden marked by Verdant, Hugh befriends one of a charm and renown, Yet after a fateful meeting with a ruler, most revered paths diverge in a shadow of destiny. I'm not sure I understood anything you said. In a land most wondrous, wondrous, a maiden mark by Verdant Hugh. Verdant. Wicked, that's great, that's green bring you Okay, Yes, it's wicked. She be friends one of charm and renowned. I missed, Verdant Hugh. Yes, I didn't understand what you said. Okay, I love this one. This one is great. A young knave, But what a young knave? But eight summers aged is left to guard his father's house by cruel mischance on the eve of Christmas tide. That's so good. On the eve of Christmas tide, he must outwit roguish thieves with cunning schemes and merry mischief. Oh, my word. Is great. I love Shakespearean language. I love it. Although he he what did you say? He was left to guard his father's house. Yes, by cruel mischance. That's what he's doing, is he's protecting them. That's right, that's right. I guess that's trut. Okay, here's another good one. A bold maiden of boundless hope joineth forces with a hearty mountaineer and his steadfast beast to seek her kin. A sorceress whose cold sorcery hath cast the frost a frozen. I was, I was like, I thought to myself, this could be anybody. Yeah, a sorceress of cold is definitely frozen. Okay, wait, finish a sorceress one. A sorceress whose cold sorcery hath cast the kingdom into a frost. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's definitely frozen. Okay. I love these, man. Okay, here's the last one. So you're four for four, big guy. That's Chris is great, good guy. Here we go. A maiden of noble birth does find her heart stirred by a man no humble craft. So royalty falls in love with a peasant. Their paths cross upon a vessel of unmatched grandeur, whose fate is sealed by the capricious hand of destiny. Their paths cross upon a vessel of unmatched grandeur. Oh, unmatched grand you're is it Titanic? Yes? But she wasn't of noble birth. Well, she was rich, she was first class. She was first class, but that is not nobility. Well I didn't say she was nobility, she was just noble. But noble birth is a common phrase for you still got it like a count or a duke. Yeah, well that was a good pay. I'm mad at myself because I was thinking princess. But you got you got Titanic. Well, because unmatched grandeur right. On a vessel? Yes, yes, immediately is a ship? Yes? Yeah, and so yeah, unmatched grandeur can only be the Titanic. They even say that in the film. What a great segment. It was great, don't you think. I mean? I barely stumbled on reading Shakespearean language, right there. Yeah, I would be great. I would be an incredible ship. It is all about you to be or not to wow? Is that the only Shakespeare phrase that you know? No? I know a few, but I don't A rose color of. Sweet? Yes? Okay, Well, well I don't even know how to transition this one. Uh, speaking of a maiden of noble birth. The maiden we're speaking of here is neither a maiden nor of noble birth. No, not at all, not at all. Oh no, that's terrible. It's it's actually a great transition. It's phenomenal because we're talking about Hoseaiah marrying a prostitute. That's correct. She she is neither noble nor fair maiden. We don't really know. If she was fair enough, but you know I pictured her as not fair because her name is Gomer. Well, we're getting into this right, So here's a very surprising story if you've never read. Girl could be pretty named Gombert. I don't know, I don't know, But don't. You picture like buck teeth? Yeah? What's your name, Goomer? What was it? Gomer Pyle's he's only going right now? Surprise, surprise, surprise. Okay, So there's a surprise, the surprise for people. If you've never read the story of Hooseah, it's one of the most beautiful stories in the Bible, particularly when you realize the whole thing is just a picture of God's love for us, for his people. So it's this is a picture of God's love for the people of Israel. That's right. And God is saying, what what Joseiah is about to go through? God says, this is exactly how I feel all day every. Day, which, by the way, is first of all, it's an unbelievable picture. Is it is something that puts it in a way where once we read the whole story of Hoseiah, we're like, oh, now I understand in a way that I've never understood before. And then also you have to give it up for Joseiah, Yeah, for obeying God, because I would not want to obey God. I would be like, God, why are you asking this of me? Right? Yes? And yet sometimes God asks us to do something we don't want to do, and in this case give it to Hoaiah probeying. So we're going to read a few of these chapters over the next few days. I'm going to alter because I just looked at our the next couple of days, and we're pivoting into a different section. I think I want to We're not going to We're not going to read. I want to figure out. Yeah, finish out jose if we can. It's it's a long book. I'm not I don't want to read everything, but there are some pieces in here that we really do need to cover in order for our listeners to understand the whole thing. So I hope I don't get in trouble. With Oh, it does, right. So you're announcing, you're pre announcing that we're going to have. Trext three days. We're going to hang on to Joseah. That's great. Is that okay? Yeah? I like it. Okay, I like it. So here's what it says. In Hoseiah chapter one. The Lord gave this message to Hoseiah, a son of Berri, during the years when Usiah, Jotham, AHAs, and Hezekiah were kings of Judah, and Jereboam, the son of Jehoash, was king of Israel. Remember we've already talked about how Usiah was mostly good king, Jotham was mostly a good king. Ajas was a very bad king. Very bad. And then a has his son comes in Hezekiah, and he turns out to be a good king. So but we haven't talked about Hezekiah yet. Anyways, when the Lord first began speaking to Israel through Joseiah, he said to him, go and marry a prostitute, so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. This will illustrate how Israel has acted like a prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods. Gee, that's a pretty clear picture of how God feels about us when we are are flirting with other gods and priorities. Huh. Yeah. And by the way, so many times in the Old Testament there are things that happen like to Jeremiah, for instance, or to Jonah, and we don't necessarily we aren't like it's not given to us, like this is going to be a picture of what's to come, or this is a picture of God's love like it doesn't say that. But God gives him instructions at the very beginning and then says, here's the purpose. Why he literally lays it out and says, go do this, because. This will illustrate how Israel has acted. It's inane prostitute by turning against the Lord and worshiping other gods. And by the way, I sometimes that's what we long for. We long for the why. Yeah, we say, God, if you just tell me why, I'll do it. Yeah. And in this case, Joseiah got the why. So Hoseiah married Gohmer, the daughter of Diblium, and she became pregnant and gave Joseah a son. And the Lord said, name the child Jezreel, for I am about to punish King Jay whose dynasty to avenge the murders he committed it at Jezreel. In fact, I will bring an end to Israel's independence, and I will break his military power in the Jezreel valley, when Gohmer became pregnant again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to Hooseiah, name your daughter. Lo Ruhama means not loved. For I will no longer show love to the people of Israel, or forgive them what a sad name. But I will show love to the people of Judah. I will free them from their enemies, not with weapons and armies or horses and chartiers, but by my power as the Lord their god. After Gomer had weaned lo Ruhamah, she again became pregnant and gave birth to a second son. And the Lord said, name him lo Ami, not my people, for Israel is not my people, and I am not their God. Yet the time will come when Israel's 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 children of the Living God. Then the people of Judah and Israel will unite together, and they will choose one leader for themselves, 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 carry your brothers ami my people, and you will, oh, I'm sorry. In that day you will call your brothers Ami my people, and you will call your sisters Ruhama, the ones I love. But now bring charges against Israel your mother, for she is no longer my wife and I am no longer her husband. Ooh, tell her to remove the prostitutes make up from her face and the clothing that exposes her breasts. Otherwise I will strip her as naked as she was on the day she was born, and I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a dry and barren wilderness. I will not love her children, for they were conceived in prostitution. Their mother is a shameless prostitute and became pregnant and shameful way she said. I will run after other lovers and sell myself to them for food and water, for clothing of wool and linen, and for olive oil and drinks. For this reason, I will fence her in with thorn bushes. I will block her path with a wall to make her lose her way. When she runs after her lovers, she won't be able to catch them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now out. She doesn't realize it was I who gave her everything she has, the gray and the new wine, the olive oil. I even gave her silver and gold, but she gave all my gifts to bail. Now I will take back the ripened grain and new wine I generously provided each harvest season. I will take away the wool and the linen clothing I gave her to cover her nakedness. I will strip her naked in public, whilst all her lovers look on. No one will be able to rescue her from my hands. Is that where we end? It looks like it. Yeah, so that's a rough one. There's a rough one. So think about just the picture here. So Isaiah Mary's. What did I say, Isaiah? Oh, that's funny, Hoaseiah Mary's Gomer and then he says, God says, go Mary prostitutes so that some of her children will be conceived in prostitution. So then the implication seems to be here that the first one, the son, was actually the son of a Hoseia. But then the next two it just says, then she became pregnant again, right, so think about it. At the beginning says some of your children will be conceived through prostitution. Right, So now she's still the wife, so she has a son with Gomer, But then the next two children seem to be through prostitution. And the reason why is because in chapter two, verse four, it says, I will not love her children for they were conceived in prostitution. Their mother is a shameless prostitute. And they became pregnant in a shameful way. So it is a believe by most scholars that Gomer had a son with Hoseia and then had the next two children described here through prostitution through other lovers. Right, So, and so, think about the pain of a marriage. Think about just the practiceical you know, love relationship where you want your wife to love you and you want her to be faithful to you, and you know you're having a child with this person, which you know that obviously is a whole new level of intimacy when you you know, have a child and you start to raise them, and then all of a sudden she becomes pregnant with another man's child. And then it happens again. I mean, and then and then runs off, and then and then pursues them and then says, oh, I'll go back to the safety of my husband's uh uh, you know, provision, and then I'm going to take all the gifts I'm going to offer them to to bail is what God says. That is she does, right. So it's just an incredible picture because now we can understand We're like, oh, it's the same thing with have you ever seen the movie most ever seen that movie where the guy pulls the train level. Yeah, so it's a it's a it's an eighteen minute movie, uh, that that was made about this man who ran supposed supposedly true true who ran this train station where his son falls into the gears of this bridge of a bridge, and he had a choice to make because here comes this train, and so he could either put the bridge down and his son will get who's caught in the gears, dies, but then he saves the lives of everybody on this train, which was like hundreds and hundreds of people, or he leaves the bridge up. Uh, the train crashes, hundreds and hundreds of people die, maybe thousands, and then and then and then he saves his son, and then, uh, he didn't know what to do and and it's just this agonizing moment and he eventually just makes the decision to uh, save the people and sacrifices on son. And then and of course it's a picture of the gospel, right and so and and and. You sort of you sort. Of have a brand new uh understanding of like, oh, that's what it was like because the words for God so loved the world that he gave his only son. You know, we can't experience the weight of that, you know, but this movie allowed us to go, Oh, that's what it was like, right, And so all it is is application, isn't it right. It's a real application of like what does this really truly mean? And some of us can go there, but most of us can't. But you know, just and that's what this does for me. Right, This reminds me that movie most because it's like, it's like, no matter how many times God says you're unfaithful, you've betrayed me, You're like a lover who's unfaithful, You're like, okay, And then all of a sudden, it's like, hey, let's let's create a picture of a life of a man named a man named Hoseiah. And he goes through this and you're like, wow, that's what it's like for God. It's unbelievable. So we've already positioned this story in the lives of these kings, these five kings, right, jos A, has Hazekaya and Jeroboam. Right, that's that's this is the group. Yep, this is the time slot and this is a real man Iaiah. And so it breaks my heart even more knowing this isn't just a story. This is a guy serving God. He's a prophet, right, and God says, listen, Joseah, I've got a really tough job for you. Yeah, and but this is going to send the clearest picture to the people of Israel. He's the last prophet before Israel gets wiped out, the last one. Yeah. So that's why this story is so stark and so shocking is God has done everything he can. He's allowed armies to come in, he's allowed famines, he's allowed all kinds of stuff, and the people just won't change. Remember this has been hundreds of years now since Solomon, right, and God's just shaking them over and over and over again, shaking them, and he can't get their attention. So He's like, Okay, Josea, this is going to be a rough one, but go Mary prostitute, and it's going to be brutal. Now, anybody not to open up an old wound. But for anybody that's listening that has been cheated on, you understand Joseah better than just about any of the rest of us. For any of us that have ever had family members or friends that were cheated on, Yep, you know the agony that Josea is going through in this and God is saying, listen, this is my agony. This is how I've been feeling for hundreds and hundreds of years, multiplied by he says, at this point, almost innumerable number of people, millions of times, for hundreds of years. This devastating. You think about the time you heard about somebody cheating on somebody else and how angry that made you, or how disappointed you were, all these things. So what does God do? This is God's thing, God says, So you understand, this is a love story that's coming apart. Right. I've done everything. We went to counseling, we we changed all the past words, we did all the stuff we could do. We moved to a new neighborhood, we did everything we could do, and you still keep cheating on me. And the devastation in God's hearts. It's one of those times, you know, where I just feel so bad for God. And it's weird to me because the mechanism that makes me feel bad for God is that I'm feeling bad for Hoseiah. Right, But again it's the human experience. Yeah, yeah, yeah, And and. So you know, God is God. And sometimes sometimes it's hard to understand when he says I'm a jealous God, and you're like, you're a jealous God. Sometimes it's hard to you know, relate, and and I think that it's also a beautiful picture of Jesus coming. Into the world. Right, So, Jesus has to become man. We learned that in our series that our church didn't we you know, Jesus literally had to become men and a man because that's the only way that he could die otherwise he's you know, anyway, all that to say, it's like that human experience that says this is the way. And so yeah, that's what this is. This is a incarnation of an illustration, isn't it. Yeah, yeah, it's literally it's a living illustration because God can't get their attention the other way. So then this is really amazing. In too, chapter two, verse two, he says, but now bring charges against Israel, your mother, for she's no longer my wife. God's divorcing Israel in this moment, right, So in this courtroom kind of moment, God says, I am divorcing Israel. She's no longer my wife. I am no longer her husband, and. Let's be clear, we're talking about the Northern Kingdom. Yeah, Israel. Yeah, she's getting ready to get hauled off. I mean almost immediately after Hosea's story. Yeah, So tell her to remove the prostitute's makeup from her face and the clothing that exposes her breast, for I will strip her naked as she was on the day she was born. I will leave her to die of thirst, as in a dry and barren wilderness. You ever hear people getting divorced and how rough those negotiations can be. This isn't. This isn't an amicable divorce at this point, right, and it is. It is very, very rough. So the clothing she's wearing, she's dressed like a prostitute. The makeup she's wearing, she looks like she's behaving in this way. And God says, fine, she's out on the street. Now, that's what's going to happen. Right, Israel is going to suffer. If you're gonna cheat with me with other gods, I'm going to let those gods come in and wipe you out. That's what's going to happen. And he's all done, and he says, I'm not gonna love her children. That's why he named the one daughter lo Ruhama. Right, she's not loved. Yeah, what a sad thing. Yeah, it's really sad. And the other one not my people. You know, he's saying, this isn't my child, this isn't my son. That's that's what he's naming these people. And he says, I will not love them because she's cheated on me all everything she's produced lately, that's what he's saying, right, So talking about Israel. So it's not about these children here in this situation. It's not that these children were not actually loved. It's what their name means. Right. But he's saying about Israel. Everything Israel has produced lately isn't from me. Right, It's completely and totally from the other gods. It's completely and totally from the other nations. It's completely and totally from them cheating on me, not my benefit. I've given you all these good things, that's what he says, right, he said, she doesn't realize that I was one who gave her the grain and the new wine, and the olive oil, and the silver and the gold. But she went and gave all these gifts to bail and gots it fine, then we're done. Nothing else I can do, We're done. And then you find not long after this, the enemies come in and wipe out Israel. She really is left on the street and there's nothing more for him. So that's this part of the story, and it's a devastating part of the story. Now let you off the hook a little bit. It doesn't end this way, right right. God does everything necessary to win Israel back. He sends Joseiah to go and rescue this one who had heard him so bad. We'll tell that story. I can't ever tell it without tearing up about it. By the way, it's just such a powerful thing. But just understand, even in God's anger on this day when he divorces Israel, on another day, He's going to do whatever it takes to rescue her. We need to do a series on jose I'd love to. Yeah, we need to do powerful, to be really powerful. Well, hey, that is our time, and so we will pick up the story tomorrow and hopefully we'll see that on the Bible. Guys,