Sin Separates, Mercy Saves

Hosea 1:1 - 2:1

1 The word of the LORD that came to 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.

2 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:
"Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For the land has committed great harlotry
By departing from the LORD."

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to him:
"Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."

6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:
"Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,
For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
But I will utterly take them away.

7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the LORD their God,
And will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen."

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said:
"Call his name Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.

10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,

'You are not My people,'
There it shall be said to them,
'You are sons of the living God.'

11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!

2:1 Say to your brethren, 'My people,'
And to your sisters, 'Mercy is shown.'

Hosea’s name means “Salvation,” but the name Jesus includes salvation is from God, “Yahweh Is Salvation.”  Hosea as God’s messenger offers the possibility of salvation if only the nation will turn from idolatry back to Him.  We see here how sin separated God’s chosen people because of the harlotry of idolatry and subsequent physical and spiritual immorality, yet how God’s mercy offered salvation as a possibility if they turned from sin to Him in real repentance by trusting Him according to His Word.  When the LORD began speaking through Hosea as a prophet, He also called him to do something seemingly against His word, to marry a harlot and have children of harlotry as a sign of warning to Israel.  This act visually told the harsh reality of Israel’s unfaithfulness with Him as a man paying for sexual services; they went through motions of sacrifices in the sanctuary as they flirted with idols and had spiritual relations with them in their hearts and in blasphemous acts of worship.  This broke their covenant as of marriage with their LORD as they did also in the flesh and left Him.  Hosea was told to do the same outward act but with a heart for God to be a sign of impending judgment as well as a call to turn from those idolatrous and immoral spiritual relationships.  They were married to God and committed spiritual adultery against Him as a way of despising the gracious covenant He had made with them as His own special people.  Hosea had a son named Jezreel, meaning “God sows,” as He would reap the immortality of His people in recompense for their sins.  He also had a daughter named Lo-Ruhamah, meaning “No-Mercy,” because they deserved only judgment for constantly rejecting Him and His word of the covenant.  This judgment was specifically aimed at the house of Israel, while Judah was to find mercy in God’s salvation.  This would be done by God’s power alone; no army or other tool of man would be necessary, a picture of God’s salvation in Jesus the Christ proving God is salvation as his name implies.  After these two children, a third was born named Lo-Ammi, which means “Not-My-People,” showing that the rejection and sin of Israel had taken them from God’s favor.  In spite of the rejection and spiritual adultery, God then brought up the promise to Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 22:17-18) that the LORD Himself would yet prosper and multiply His called and chosen people like sand and stars in number and as commanded in the Garden with Adam (Genesis 1:22, 28).  Those who sinned had were seen as “lo-ammi,” not God’s people, would be reconciled as sons of the living God (1 Peter 2:10), having yet obtained mercy in the grace of God’s love as their Father and ours now in Him as our salvation!  Just as the houses of Israel and Judah were united under one head, so now we from all nations are united with them under Christ (Ephesians 2:13-14) as head over all (Ephesians 1:22-23) His chosen children.  This is the grace and mystery of the gospel revealed in Jesus Christ who lives in us (Colossians 1:26-27) and who He calls His own by mercy and reconciling grace.  We are His people.  Mercy has been shown.  Sin separates, mercy saves.  God is our salvation!