#DailyDevotion Do You Trust God’s Promises Alone?
Hos. 1 2When the LORD first spoke to Hosea, the LORD told Hosea, “Go, marry a prostitute with children born by prostitution, because the country has left the LORD to live as a prostitute.” 3So he went and married Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she became pregnant, and they had a son. 4“Call him Jezreel,” the LORD told him, “because in a little while I will punish Jehu’s family for the murders in Jezreel and put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5At that time I will break Israel’s bow in the valley of Jezreel.”
I can’t imagine what my first call would have been like if the LORD told me to go and marry a prostitute. I would have to think Hosea may have been a little shaken by this. I imagine Gomer perhaps might have been surprised by the proposal herself. The LORD sometimes has the prophets engage in prophetic action (cf. Ezek. 4 et al). This is one of those times. Thankfully for us, the LORD tells them why they are doing what they are doing.
Now I guess there is some debate as to what Gomer actually is. The word in the Hebrew could be prostitute or whore. It could also be adulteress. I tend to favor adulteress because that is what Israel really is. Something in favor of prostitutes would be Israel is serving other gods and those gods have temple prostitutes. What sends me in the direction of adulteress is there are going to be the children born by adultery. In other words, the children born to Gomer in the marriage to Hosea will not be his but of her adulteress’ lovers.
The LORD has Hosea marry her because Israel, the bride of the LORD, is committing spiritual adultery by worshiping other gods. They have the two abominations in the north and the south of Israel set up by Jeroboam in which they worship the LORD. They have left monotheism and are worshiping the gods of their neighbors as well. The children of these Israelites follow in the religion of their parents. So too, Hosea’s children will be like the Israelites and follow after the ways of their mother.
The first child of her adultery would be a son called Jezreel. The LORD explains He will soon punish Jehu’s family for the murders in Jezreel. Now when you read 2 Kings 9 and 10, you see the LORD anoints Jehu to wipe out the family of Ahab, which he does. However, the king of Judah and his retinue who came up to see the wounded son of Ahab. When Jehu sees the king of Judah, he kills him along with his retinue. The LORD never told him to do that. No doubt, the LORD sees this action as not trusting His word to make him king of Israel. Because of this, Jehu’s line would only have 4 kings after him. The LORD is not planning on carrying out what He told Jehu back in the day. Hosea’s son is a witness to it.
How shall we take this? First I guess we should look for idolatry in our own lives. Who or what are we trusting for every good? Are we trusting politicians, the government, our jobs, the standard sex, drugs, and alcohol for the good the LORD has promised us. We may trust the LORD for some but do we also go to the Baals for other things in life. Secondly, when the LORD Jesus Christ has made us promises as in the providence of the Father taught in the Sermon on the Mount, do we act on that but we also take out insurance policies? Do we act in ways that show we don’t totally trust His promises?
Heavenly Father, may Your Holy Spirit route out of hearts every idol and increase our faith so we act faithfully in Your promises. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.