Hosea 1:7-11

Hosea 1:7 (KJB)

But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

 

At this time God is going to have mercy on the southern kingdom when Assyria comes to take Samaria captive.  God had made promises to David according to the flesh.  Acts 2:29-30 (KJV) Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  {30} Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  The Lord Jesus Christ was to come from the tribe of Judah as we read in Acts 2:30.  Judah would not be saved by any type of military intervention but God himself was going to protect Judah and set the boundaries of what Assyria could attack and they would not touch Judah.  In 115 years Babylon would eventually begin their attack upon Judah in three different campaigns: 606 B.C., 597 B.C. and 586 B.C. but unlike the northern kingdom, Judah would return to the land and the Lord Jesus Christ would eventually come through Judah and when he completed God’s salvation plan, he would return to Heaven and then in 70 A.D. Judah would be destroyed for their rebellious acts against the LORD.

 

Hosea 1:8 (KJB)

Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

 

Weaning could take place 18 months, and maybe a little bit longer, after the birth of a child.  So during the time Gomer was weaning Lo-ruhamah, she had conceived a son.  This third child was to be the third sign to a recalcitrant Israel.

 

Hosea 1:9 (KJB)

Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

 

This boy’s name was to be called Lo-ammi which means “not my people.”  Here God is plainly telling Israel that if they continue playing the harlot with other gods then the true God will no longer consider Israel as his people anymore.  On top of that God tells them that he will no longer be their God anymore.  This means that there will be no protection and no blessings which means they are on their own.  Psalm 81:11-12 (KJV) But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.  {12} So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.  Walking in their own counsels had led them to go further into idolatry which caused them to go into captivity with Assyria and never returning to their land.

 

Hosea 1:10 (KJB)

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

 

Here Hosea brings a promise of the coming gospel dissemination throughout all the world.  God is speaking not of national Israel because they could be easily numbered as David did in 1 Chronicles 21.  What is in view here is the coming fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham back in Genesis. 

 

Genesis 15:5 (KJV)   And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

 

Genesis 22:17 (KJV)   That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

 

Jeremiah 33:22 (KJV)   As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

 

These three verses teach us plainly that what is in view here is the coming of the gospel of grace.  The true gospel will go forth around the world and the believers would not be able to be counted since people will become saved every day and as people we would not be able to know how many there are in other countries.  The Christian will now be named as sons of God.  Romans 8:14 (KJV) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.  Many say the Old Testament does not have grace in it but we can see many passages where God talks about the covenant of grace in the Old Testament and Hosea 1:10 & 11 are two great verses which are dripping with salvation language.  Jeremiah 33:22 is foretelling the position of the believer who will be fulfilling the office of New Testament priest just as the Levites fulfilled their duties in the Tabernacle and Temples.  1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 

 

Romans 9:26-27 (KJV)   And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.  {27} Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

 

In Romans 9:26-27, we read a quote from Isaiah 10:22.  Isaiah 10:22 (KJV) For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.  Here God is stating that if the physical nation of Israel had as many as the body of believers which is being compared to the sand of the sea that only a remnant will become saved and return to the Lord. 

 

Hosea 1:11 (KJB)

Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

 

Then we have another promise of salvation that both Judah and Israel will be gathered together and appoint themselves one head.  Ezekiel 37:24 (KJV) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.  The one shepherd will be the Lord Jesus Christ himself.  John 10:11 (KJV) I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  Then in the next part of the verse it states that they shall come up out of the land.  This would not be alluding to the northern kingdom because they never returned to the land.  This would be an allusion to Judah which was taken back up out of the land of Babylon and returned to their own land so the Messiah could be born in Bethlehem.  The name “Jezreel” means “God sows” as we previously saw and that day of sowing will come after the Lord Jesus Christ goes back to Heaven after his sacrifice.  2 Corinthians 9:10 (KJV) Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)  God will be supplying the seed to the sower which means that seed goes all over the world.  Matthew 13:37 (KJV) He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;  Those who are the Elect will be those whom the Lord Jesus Christ will sow the seed in.   Now going back to the phrase “and they shall come up out of the land” we find in verse 11, coming up out of the land may be referencing the fact that when we become saved we are no longer tied to this earth but are raised up and seated in the heavenly places even while we still walk this earth.  Ephesians 2:6 (KJV) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

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