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Divinity for Advanced Secondary Schools

love. Hosea’s prophetic message in his Furthermore, the third child was named
marriage experience is based on the Lo-ammi ‘not my people’, signifying
Sinaitic covenant. that the Israelites were no longer God’s
people (Hos. 1:9).
God commanded Hosea to marry
Gomer (Hos. 1:2), but he was warned Gomer continued in prostitution. Hosea
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of her unfaithfulness in future. This is asked the children to go and plead
illustrated with Yahweh’s relationship with their mother to stop prostitution
with sinful Israel. Hosea’s marriage had (Hos. 2:2). This pointed to how God
a spiritual meaning. Hosea represented sent prophets to tell people to repent
God; the marriage was the covenant and follow the covenant faith. Gomer
that God made with the Israelites, and was believed to practise prostitution
Gomer represented the sinful Israel. for material wealth and prosperity,
Hosea loved and protected his wife illustrating how Israel was attracted to
just as Yahweh protected the people of Baal worship to attain security and high
Israel during the Exodus event. In the yields.
early days of Hosea’s marriage, Gomer
was a prostitute. This situation spoiled If Gomer did not turn away from her
their relationship. This symbolised lovers, Hosea would punish her by
the Israelites when they violated the stripping her naked. This showed how
covenant and turned to syncretism. God would punish Israel for failure to
stop apostasy and syncretism. Hosea
The marriage symbol in Hosea’s intended to stop Gomer’s promiscuity.
relationship changed from husband-wife This signified God’s intentions to stop
to child-father (Hos. 11:1-3). Yahweh Israel’s apostasy and syncretism. Gomer
reminded people that he was their Lord would be fenced as a punishment. This
and they were his children. While in illustrated how Israel would be exiled
marriage, Hosea and Gomer produced and fenced by enemies (Hos. 2:6).
three children who were given symbolic
names. Unfortunately, the children While in the desert, Gomer suffered
followed their mother’s unfaithfulness, isolation and rejection just as the people
just like the descendants of Israel who of Israel would suffer under the bondage
were unfaithful to God. of slavery. After the punishment, Hosea
restored Gomer. This situation is
Gomer produced the son whom Hosea understood as God’s restoration of Israel
gave the name Jezreel, symbolising after undergoing punishment.
God’s coming judgment on Israel (Hos.
1:4). The second child was named Lo- Hosea was forced to buy Gomer back
ruhama ‘not pitied’, signifying that the for 15 pieces of silver, signifying God
Israelites rejected God and in turn God purchasing his chosen nation of Israel.
withdrew his love from them (Hos. 1:6). On winning Gomer back, he was to stay

Form Five Student’s Book 89