19/10/2022 Wednesday1
Hosea
Gomer, as a picture of Israel leaving God, left Hosea and played the harlot.
Chapter 2
OUTLINE OF HOSEA The Ryrie Study Bible
1. The Prodigal Wife, 1:1-3:5
A. Her Unfaithfulness, 1:1-11
B. Her Punishment, 2:1-13
C. Her Restoration and Israel’s 2:14-23
D. Her Redemption, 3:1-5
2. The Prodigal People, 4:1-14:9
A. The Message of Judgment, 4:1-10:15
1. The indictment, 4:1-19
2. The verdict, 5:1-15
3. The plea of Israel, 6:1-3
4. The reply of the Lord, 6:4-11
5. The crimes of Israel, 7:1-16
6. The prophecy of judgment, 8:1-10:15
B. The Message of Restoration, 11:1-14:9
1. God’s love for the prodigal people, 11:1-11
2. God’s chastisement of the prodigal people, 11:12-13:16
3. God’s restoration of the prodigal people, 14:1-9
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Punishment 2:1-13
• Hosea 2:1
• Brethren and sisters refer to individuals in Israel. In v.2, mother refers to the nation. (Ryrie)
• Ammi, you are my people. Ruhamah, mercy, you are tenderly loved.
• Hosea 2:2
• Was Hosea urging the faithful few in Israel to speak out?
• In this chapter, God is speaking of Israel, but Gomer who portrayed Israel was no longer acting the part of a wife. God
urged Israel to stop being unfaithful.
• When we see wrong taking place, we need to speak out.
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Punishment 2:1-13
• Hosea 2:3
• God must judge unfaithfulness
• Hosea 2:4
• God must withhold his mercy on Israel
• Hosea 2:5
• The kings, priests, and leaders led the nation astray into idolatry, but even the common people had to suffer for their sin.
• The people sought to idols instead of God to provide their daily needs.
• Many only see God’s loving side. They fail to realise that those who do not obey God, rely on Him, and
glorify Him will receive discipline and not mercy. We must teach our children this truth.
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Punishment 2:1-13
• Hosea 2:6-7
• Thorn hedges are painful barriers. Walls are impassable. God is hindering Israel from wandering far.
• Repentance is always the goal of God’s chastening.
• Hosea 2:8-10
• God took things away that Israel might see that He is the provider of all that they had.
• God will discover (uncover) her lewdness. He will expose her as the shameful creature she really was.
• If we stray from God, he will do these sort of things to us as well to draw us back to Him.
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Punishment 2:1-13
• Hosea 2:11-13
• God will destroy all of Israel’s festive times (v.11).
• God will ruin her staple pleasant foods (grapes and figs) (v.12).
• God promised judgment on them because of their Baal worship.
• Ryrie states, “Israel’s worship of Baal developed in three states: (1) placing the Canaanite gods in a secondary place to
the LORD… (2) considering Yahweh as a super-Baal; (3) Canaanizing or Baalizing Yahweh worship so that the people
completely forsook Yahweh.”
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Restoration 2:14-23
• Hosea 2:14-15, God will restore abundance and joy to Israel.
• Spurgeon on I will allure her: “This is a singular kind of power: ‘I will allure her;’ not, ‘I will drive her’ not even, ‘I will draw
her,’ or, ‘I will drag her;’ or, ‘I will force her.’ No, ‘I will allure her.’ It is a very remarkable word, and it teaches us that the
allurement of love surpasses in power all other forces. …This is a wonderfully precious word: ‘I will allure her.'”
• Speak comfortably unto her = speak to her heart.
• The valley of Achor near Jericho (where Achan died). “Only through trouble would Israel have hope of restoration.”
(Ryrie)
• Joyful singing will return to God’s people as they sang after leaving Egypt.
• God’s chastening always focusses on restoration!
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Restoration 2:14-23
• Hosea 2:16-20, Relationship with God will be restored.
• Ishi = my husband. He [God] wants an intimate love-relationship with His people, and longs for the day when His people
will have a marriage-like love and commitment to their God. (Guzik)
• Baali = my master. God was not satisfied with a fear-based, obedience-focused relationship with His people where they
thought of Him primarily as Master. He wanted a relationship where they thought of Him primarily as Husband. (Guzik)
• Verse 18 speaks of the Millennium.
• Betroth is a marriage engagement. Note that God will bind himself to Israel in righteousness, judgment, lovingkindness,
mercies, and faithfulness.
• They then will know the LORD. That is what each of us needs!
Gomer’s (Israel’s) Restoration 2:14-23
• Hosea 2:21-23
• The King James Bible Commentary states, “These verses elaborate upon the details of the national restoration. It will be
accompanied by an abundant response on the part of the heavens and the earth, portrayed in verse 21 and 22 as having
asked Jehovah for permission to bless the earth with bounty.”
• The name Lo-ruhamah “no mercy” (Ho 1:6-8) will be changed to Ruhamah (Ho 2:1) “mercy”, as expressed here in verse
23.
• Praise God, He is a God of mercy!
(Psalms 86:5) “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that
call upon thee.”
Note similes and metaphors in this chapter
• As in the day she was born (v.3) – having nothing
• As a wilderness (v.3) – without necessities
• Like a dry land (v.3) – spiritually thirsty
• As in the days of her youth (v.15) – a new nation
• As in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt (v.15) – after the Exodus
• Metaphors are numerous: Brothers, sisters, husband, wife, played the harlot, lovers, betroth, sowing, etc.
Applications for Us Today
• When we sin or stray from God, He chastens us because He loves us.
• God’s chastening always is restorative.
• When we do wrong, we must not be stubborn as Gomer and Israel, but we must quickly humble ourselves
and seek God’s mercy.