Hosea 1:1-2:1

1:1-9 | Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel from approximately 753 BC to 715 BC, during or shortly after the prophet Amos. With the birth of each of Hosea and Gomer’s children, God’s warnings to His people grew more pronounced: (1) the Lord would withdraw His protection and Israel would suffer military defeat, symbolized by the name Jezreel; (2) the Lord would show the people no pity, symbolized by the name Lo-Ruhamah; (3) the Lord would temporarily reject His covenant people, symbolized by the name Lo-Ammi.

1:5 | The Valley of Jezreel was where Israel’s King Jehu had slaughtered king Ahab’s family (2 Kgs. 10:1-7). The bloodshed of Jezreel would “reoccur” in the house of Jehu, and his dynasty would come to a violent end, just as Ahab’s did. This happened in 752 BC (2 Kgs. 15:10).

1:10-2:1 | The promise that Israel would someday be as the sand on the seashore recalls God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 22:17) – the basis for His continuing faithfulness to Israel. Just as the names of Gomer’s children changed, God would change Israel’s fate – from destruction and abandonment to restoration and acceptance. Paul applied this principle to Jewish and Gentile believers in Romans 9-11.