Gomer's wife in the book of hosea

Maybe she had responded to the spiritfilled ministry of hosea himself, and he found his heart drawn to her in deep and unselfish love. Hoseas wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. This hebrew term indicates illicit sexual behavior. The book of hosea stands first in the order of the socalled minor prophets in common english bibles, as well as in the ancient hebrew and septuagint texts. Possibly, hosea was the father of only the first son, or none of the children. Israel had been chosen and loved by god yet had been unfaithful to him by way of idolatry. Hosea s marriage was extraordinary in that he was called to marry an unfaithful woman ho 1. Hosea s wife was a woman lacking any sense of fidelity. Just as hosea redeemed his estranged wife and sought to continue his relationship with her, god promised to redeem israel and. Hoseas name means deliverance or salvation and is connected on a basic level with the names joshua and jesus hosea was a prophet at the time of king jeroboam ii, who died in 746 bc. The book of hosea is a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet it s a difficult story. For this very reason, the biblical book of hosea has frustrated and intrigued scholars for over two millennia. This workbook was designed for bible class study, family study, or personal study. The lord used hosea and gomers relationship as an object lesson to show how israel had sinned against him by following other gods and how god remains faithful even when his people dont.

Most of hoseas messages are announcements of gods anger with israel the northern of the two israelite kingdoms and gods impending judgment on this people. The unfaithful wife and the faithful husband hosea. God came to the prophet hosea and told him to marry a woman of whoredom. In fact the name of her children implies that as well. It is difficult, however, to separate historical facts about the couples domestic problems from the. Two of gomers children, loruhamah and loammi, are symbols of god disregarding the northern kingdom of israel as being his people or his children at the time they were born and living. Thus hoseas shame rests not only in his wifes actions but also in the fact that he has no sons ofhis own tocarryon his family name. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bible s book of hosea 1. The story of the prophet hoseas troubled marriage is a powerful testimony to two things. We do well to recall the story, especially given the great debate among some in the church today over the question of. Hence the name implies a lineage of unfaithfulness. First, god told hosea to marry a woman known to be a wife of whoredom hosea 1.

Hosea married the harlot and had children with her. The second main portion of the book is often viewed as an unstructured or loosely structured succession of repetitive discourses, with law and gospel alternating. According to the books narrative, the relationship between hosea and his unfaithful wife gomer is comparable to the relationship between yahweh and his. The prophet hosea has great courage and in spite of the humiliation he suffered because of his wife gomer s adultery. Hoseas wife was a woman lacking any sense of fidelity. Why did god tell hosea to marry gomer the prostitute. Hosea is one of those books that some people throw out, like jonah, because its just too hard to swallow. Take yourself a wife of harlotry hosea february 27. In the office of readings of the liturgy of the hours last week we read from the book of the prophet hosea. Hoseaprophet of a broken heartlowell johnson precept austin. The book of hosea is a collection of prophetic messages delivered by the prophet hosea and narrative descriptions of hosea s marriage and the birth of his children 1. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of. Hoseas story teaches us to find hope in the midst of doom.

When we, like gomer, were enslaved, god bought us back. It is difficult, however, to separate historical facts about the couples domestic problems from the theological message expressed through them. The metaphor of marriage in hosea leif fredheim go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the lord hosea 1. Gomer wife of hosea from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Because of gomer s unfaithfulness, the prophet divorced his wife and lived apart from her. Hosea married gomer as commanded and she bore a son, named jezreel hosea 1.

Verse 3 clearly states that the first son was hoseas. Oct 04, 2012 so, i believe that there really was a man named hosea, whom god called to do something that the majority of people would shy away from. Three children were born to her, but they were not hoseas. When god ordered hosea to marry an adulterous woman, he married gomer. Given these realities ofculture and society, hoseas. And likewise, the book surely does begin with a marriage. He went to god and god told him to do a strange thing. What hosea went through serves as a powerful object lesson of what god has gone through with his covenant people. In many ways, hoseas marriage to gomer prefigures christ s marriage to his church. Hosea was commanded by god to marry her, and when she committed fornication, to.

Gomer in the bible was the unfaithful wife of hosea the prophet. Hosea s response to his wife s unfaithfulness is all the more. Apr 07, 2018 hoseas love for a sinful woman was to be a picture of gods love for sinners. Hosea refers to the northern kingdom as ephraim constantly. Gomers husband, hosea, was among the last of the prophets who spoke the word of the lord.

Hosea married gomer according to divine appointment, and this was the beginning of gods word to him hosea 1. Gomer was the daughter of diblaim, and an immoral woman. Aug 12, 2019 hosea receives an unusual instruction from god. The book of hosea is a collection of prophetic messages delivered by the prophet hosea and narrative descriptions of hoseas marriage and the birth of his children 1. After bearing hosea three children, she left him to live with another man. Because of gomers unfaithfulness, the prophet divorced his wife and lived apart from her.

Why did god tell hosea to marry a prostitute hosea 1. Gomer, wife of the prophet hosea hosea idiom ingenuity. When the lord first spoke through hosea, the lord said to hosea, go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry. From the book of hosea kindle edition by campbell, geri. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the story of gomer. We dont know about gomers past, but we know that it was against all worldly logic that hosea, a prophet, a man of god, would take her to be his wife. The book of hosea is divided into two major sections.

Nov 01, 20 hoseas marriage is symbolic of gods covenant relationship with israel. That is, hosea refer to an actual marriage involving the prophet. The prophet hosea was commanded to marry an unfaithful wife, and this set up a model of israels broken relationship with god. Adapted from the book of hosea in the bible, we journey with gomer, a harlot lost in her sin until hosea, a prophet of god, offers to marry her and redeem her life from darkness. Most of hosea s messages are announcements of god s anger with israel the northern of the two israelite kingdoms and god s impending judgment on this people. In the bible, god called this man named hosea to do something that most people believe is absurd. Illustration of hosea and gomer from the bible historiale, 72.

According to the book of hosea, god had him marry a harlot. Alternatively she is mentioned as a promiscuous woman niv, a harlot nasb, and a whore whoredoms kjv. Throughout the book you will see that he refers to israel and ephraim. While the entire second chapter of hoseas prophecy describes jehovahs relationship with his unfaithful wife israel, it is difficult to escape the feeling that it grows out of hoseas relationship with gomer, sandwiched as it is between two chapters that clearly describe that sad and sordid story. In her sexual activity, gomer is condemned as being like a whore, although she is not a prostitute by profession. Hosea we are currently reading from the book of the prophet hosea at. Hoseas marriage is a parable of the lords relationship with his people, whose spiritual unfaithfulness is mirrored by gomers marital infidelity. According to the traditional order of most hebrew bibles, it is the first of the twelve minor prophets set around the fall of the northern kingdom of israel, the book of hosea denounces the worship of gods other than yahweh, metaphorically comparing israels abandonment of. So hosea is rather discouraged and in the opening chapter of this little book of prophecy we read a personal note about him. And this is our story, along with all of gods people throughout history. The first part of hosea records the tragic story of the prophets unhappy marital experiences.

Hoseas wife, gomer, leaves him for anotherjust like israel has left god to worship idols. Gomers mother also engaged in the same profession and both were commonly the subject of slander and gossip. The bible recorded that gomers children were children of adultery and conceived in disgrace. Some suggest that gomer was a prostitute perhaps cultic prior to her marriage to hosea. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bible s book of hosea. Oct 12, 2018 yahweh commands hosea to marry a wife of whoredom zenunim 1. The tragedy of hoseas home life chapters hoseas personal sorrows. Jerome specified that one of the divisions of the jews sacred books was the book of the twelve prophets, which evidently included the book of hosea to fill out the number 12. God chose us, adopted us as sons and daughters, despite our sin.

Hosea was called to marry a woman of adultery and produce children of adultery. Through hosea, the lord tells the story of israels disobedience, his discipline, and his steadfast, faithful love. She became the wife of hosea, the godly prophet, and symbolized gods grace in taking out of a world which had whorishly departed from him a church to be. Hoseas wife, gomer, bears this label, not necessarily because she is a. The book of hosea contains an unforgettable message of what not just israels but our waywardness, our readiness to give our hearts to other things instead of to god, does to him. Hosea is quoted in the new testament some thirty times. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bibles book of hosea 1. She was to be a wife of whoredom and they were to have children of whoredom.

God directed him to take her as his wife, and so it was that gomer, the daughter of diblaim, became the unlikely wife of the budding young preacher. This naming of the children is similar to what we read in isaiah where isaiahs children have prophetic names. This is particularly important today as there has been so much discussion about divorce. Hosea s wife gomer conceives and has two other children and it conspicuously does not say that hosea is the father. As an account full of harsh judgment unfolds, we find in its midst a rare and pure gem. We are currently reading from the book of the prophet hosea at daily mass. Hosea was a prophet during the reign of four different kings spanning approximately 38 years in the 8 th century b. The comparison between gomers behavior and the israelites seems to be what is at issue in this text. The questions contain minimal human commentary, but instead urge students to study to understand scripture.

The prophet hosea has great courage and in spite of the humiliation he suffered because of his wife gomers adultery. Two of gomer s children, loruhamah and loammi, are symbols of god disregarding the northern kingdom of israel as being his people or his children at the time they were born and living. The story of hosea and what it teaches about god and holy. The book of hosea is a deeply personal and passionate love story, yet its a difficult story. To the marriage of gomer and hosea to love and truth. The story of gomer has been performed across the nation, reaching thousands of people with the message of gods faithfulness and love. I think hosea brightened up at that, because he was a bachelor, and god said, i have a girl picked out for you.

Hoseas marriage was extraordinary in that he was called to marry an unfaithful woman ho 1. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. And gomer was a promiscuous woman the lord told hosea to marry. Hosea s wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. Gomer would be unfaithful, leaving hosea for her former lovers, yet hosea would take her back.

Hoseaprophet of a broken heartlowell johnson precept. The tragedy of hosea s home life chapters hosea s personal sorrows. Hosea and gomers story is the story of god and israel. Gomer was a harlot with many lovers, yet the prophet hosea married her at gods request. Gomer was an unfaithful wife and mother of three children.

Diblaim is derived from the word develah figcake, since she was as sweet in everyones mouth as a fig. God directed him to take her as his wife, and so it was that gomer, the. Ephraim was the largest tribe in israel and sometimes the whole nation was referred to as ephraim. At the request of his father, christ wedded us sinners through his passion and death. God then commands hosea in chapter 3 verse 1 to, go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Background it all began with a marriage, begins david hubbard in his commentary on the book of hosea p. This led to another midrashic position, that the name diblaim is a plural form of the word dibah slander, ill repute. Mar 07, 2008 gomer s husband, hosea, was among the last of the prophets who spoke the word of the lord. For hosea, gomer is a wife of whoredom, not because she is a prostitute, but because, according to the mores of israel, she is blatantly licentious and wanton. According to the rabbis, god commanded hosea to marry gomer, the daughter of diblaim, to teach him proper conduct for one who was to prophesy to israel. The new living translations introduction to the book of hosea calls it a tragic love story with a happy ending. So god spoke again, this time through the prophet hosea whose name meant. Three children were born to her, but they were not hosea s. The first part of hosea records the tragic story of the prophet s unhappy marital experiences.

Hosea married gomer according to divine appointment, and this was the beginning of god s word to him hosea 1. So, i believe that there really was a man named hosea, whom god called to do something that the majority of people would shy away from. Their life together was an enacted prophecy pointing to the pain god experiences over our sin and the love he feels for us despite it. Ephraim was the first of the twelve tribes of israel to backslide. My view of the bible is that, aside from the parables jesus told, if the bible says something happened, it happened. The incredible scandal of gods perfect love found in hosea. Go, take a harlot wife and harlots children, for the land gives itself to harlotry, turning away from the lord. The new living translation s introduction to the book of hosea calls it a tragic love story with a happy ending. Hoseas wife, gomer, bears this label, not necessarily because she is a prostitute but because she is. Hosea, an oldtestament prophet, preached his own life message using his marriage as the sermon illustration. Hoseas wife gomer conceives and has two other children and it conspicuously does not say that hosea is the father.