Scriptures for Today
Hosea 1:1-7
The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD. 3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. 6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 7 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.
When Love Feels Like Judgment
Have you ever loved someone who broke your heart over and over again… and still couldn’t stop loving them? That’s the story of Hosea. It’s not just about a prophet and his wife — it’s about God and His people.
If Daniel showed us faith in Babylon, Hosea shows us betrayal before Babylon. Before the chains ever came, the covenant was already broken. But here’s the surprise — this isn’t a story about God giving up on His people. It’s about a God who stays faithful even when His people act unfaithful.
What kind of love keeps holding on when it has every reason to let go? That’s what this book is about.
Introduction – The Prophet with a Broken Heart
Hosea preached to the northern kingdom of Israel around 755 B.C., during the reign of Jeroboam II. Outwardly, the nation was rich and powerful — armies were strong, the economy was booming, and people felt secure.
But inwardly, the nation was rotting from idolatry, pride, and hypocrisy.
They worshiped golden calves, mixed Baal worship with God’s name, and lived in luxury while forgetting the Lord who gave it all.
Now, to understand where we are in Bible history:
- Hosea comes before Isaiah but lived around the same approximate time. He comes before Jeremiah, and Daniel.
- He prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel while Isaiah was preaching to the southern kingdom of Judah.
- This was roughly 150 years before Jerusalem fell in Jeremiah’s day.
- When Hosea began, Assyria was rising — and within a generation, they would destroy Israel and scatter the ten tribes.
- So while Jeremiah would later weep over Judah’s fall, Hosea warned Israel before their fall.
You could say: Hosea lived before the fire; Jeremiah lived after it.
So God raised up Hosea — not just to speak His message, but to live it. He told him to marry a woman who would be unfaithful, so that Israel could see themselves through the prophet’s pain. Every time Hosea’s wife walked away, it was a mirror of how God’s people had treated Him.
Sometimes God lets your personal life preach a message your mouth never could. (Hold up a wedding ring.) This is what God wore — a ring of covenant — and His people took it off.
Verse 1 – The Setting of Sorrow
Hosea 1:1
The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
This verse tells us Hosea’s ministry lasted decades, overlapping kings in both Judah and Israel. While Judah still had flashes of revival, at times, Israel was sprinting toward destruction. The kings of Israel were all evil and SPRINTED toward destruction. We can do the same. We can choose to sprint toward destruction, or we can turn from our sins.
During these years, the Assyrian Empire was rising. God was giving His people final warnings before they fell completely. If you knew your country had only 30 years left, how would you live? Would you make the change now? Or would you wait until the last few days?
That’s what people do around here. They wait until they are kicked out of their house to call me. They wait until they’ve wasted all their money on drugs and alcohol to call me. They sit on the couch and watch TV, in comfort, until the very last day when they are kicked out on the streets.
So, yes, if this country ended in 30 years, and you knew, most people would continue doing what they do until the last day.
Hosea’s message wasn’t to pagans — it was to church people. He preached to God’s people. They still sang. They still sacrificed. They still said “Lord, Lord.” But their hearts were already gone from the Lord. They turned their hearts from the Lord.
Within 24 hours, ask yourself: Do I love God, or just the blessings He gives me? What is it? Is it God you love or do you just love Him when He helps you?
Verse 2 – The Command of the Covenant
Hosea 1:2
The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Imagine hearing that from God. He’s not calling Hosea to comfort — He’s calling him to heartbreak.
God says, “Marry an unfaithful woman,” because Israel had become an unfaithful bride. “Go take thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms.”Look, this is not easy. If my wife didn’t want to be with me but would rather be with other men, while we are married, this would break my heart.
That hurts badly. Don’t do this to people, especially your husband or your wife. Every time Gomer left Hosea for another man, it was a sermon illustration in motion. God commands Hosea to do this so God can show how Israel committed great whoredom against Him in departing from the Lord.
You are God’s child, and every time you leave Him, you can think of the book of Hosea. You’re acting like a whore who goes after another man. That’s whoredom. DON’T DO THIS.
Most people want a calling that promotes them. Hosea got a calling that broke him. God called Hosea to do this. It’s not something anyone would want to do. Why did God call Hosea to do this?
Why? Because the land had “departed from the Lord.” They didn’t just sin — they strayed from a marriage. Sin isn’t just breaking rules — it’s breaking God’s heart. That’s how you need to start thinking of sin. God has done so much for you. Why hurt God with sin? He’s real. You hurt Him. And that should bother you. If it doesn’t, something is wrong.
(Take a piece of paper). Imagine this paper is your wedding photo with your spouse. Tear it apart. This is what sin looks like to God. You’re breaking things. You’re ripping good things apart. You are departing from the Lord when you sin.
Verse 3–5 – The Child of Judgment: Jezreel
Hosea 1:3-5
So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
Hosea did what God asked him to do. He takes Gomer as his wife. She is the daughter of Diblaim who is only mentioned once in the Bible. Hosea and Gomer come together. She conceives and bares a son named Jezreel.
When Gomer gives birth to Hosea’s first child, God doesn’t just give the baby a name — He gives the name a message. “Call his name Jezreel.” The name Jezreel means “God will scatter” — but it can also mean “God will sow.”
It carries both judgment and hope. The same God who scatters His people in discipline can also sow them again in mercy.
That’s how God works — He plows before He plants. He tears down before He rebuilds. He wounds to heal. He scatters to sow.
The Blood of Jezreel
To understand what God means by “I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu,” we have to go back about a century — to the days of Jehu in 2 Kings 9–10.
God had commanded Jehu to destroy Ahab’s wicked dynasty — and Jehu did. He rode into Jezreel, killed Joram, Jezebel, Ahab’s sons, and all the prophets of Baal. It was a bloodbath — and it fulfilled prophecy.
See if you remember this quote from 2 Kings 9: “This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.” Jezreel is that same place and God is naming Hosea’s son as Jezreel.
But what happened with Jehu? Jehu went too far. He killed in zeal, but not in righteousness. He wiped out Baal, but he kept the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. Jehu was a man who obeyed God’s command — but never bowed to God’s heart. He tore down one idol and set up another.
So God said, “I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu.” The sword that Jehu used in the Lord’s name would come back upon his own descendants.
The Fall of Jehu’s Line
By Hosea’s time, Jehu’s dynasty was still on the throne — his great-grandson, Jeroboam II, ruled the land. Israel was rich, powerful, and proud. They thought God’s judgment was long gone — that history had moved on. But God said, “Yet a little while” right there in verse 4.
He doesn’t forget what man forgets. The blood of Jezreel still cried from the ground. And now God’s patience was about to run out.
The Valley of Jezreel
Hosea 1:5
And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
The Valley of Jezreel was one of Israel’s richest and most famous regions — a broad, fertile plain stretching between Galilee and Samaria. It was known for beauty, fruitfulness, and battle. You can look it up on Google Maps today. It’s still there. And it’s still beautiful.
It was where Ahab and Jezebel ruled, where Jehu’s chariots thundered, and where Assyria would one day invade.
So when God said, “I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel,” He meant, “I will shatter your strength in the very place you once triumphed.” The “bow” represents Israel’s military might — their pride, their independence, their security. God said He would snap it in half. “I WILL BREAK THE BOW OF ISRAEL.”
Israel thought their power could protect them, but God can break a nation in one motion.
Prophetic Insight – What I Want You to See Here
Jezreel was once a symbol of victory. Now it becomes a symbol of vengeance. The same valley that once ran red with Ahab’s blood will soon run red with Israel’s blood. The same chariots that chased Jezebel will be chased by Assyria.
That’s how God judges hypocrisy — not immediately, but inevitably. He waits long enough for your pride to grow tall, then cuts it down at the roots. I believe that’s what’s going to happen to this country. Now we elect Muslims as leaders in this country. We’ll pay for that.
Buried inside this judgment, in Hosea, is mercy. Because Jezreel doesn’t only mean “God scatters.” It also means “God sows.” And one day, in Hosea 2:22–23, God says, “I will sow her unto me in the earth.” The same name that marked Israel’s defeat will mark her rebirth.
Jezreel is more than a name — it’s a pattern. The place where God disciplines you can become the place where He redeems you. You may feel scattered right now — but God’s not done. When He scatters, He’s planting something new. When He breaks the bow, He’s making room for a greater strength — His own. He breaks us to show Himself strong. And He is strong.
Ask yourself this week: “Where has God scattered me — and what might He be sowing there?” Don’t despise your valley and your low points. Jezreel began as a battlefield, but it will end as a field of blessing.
Many people come to church here in their low points. They get the help they need. And then what happens? They disappear. They forsake us. They forsake God who helped them. They were in those low points because of sin. They go back out into sin. They will be destroyed if they continue in that sin. Keep in mind that Jezreel is Hosea and Gomer’s first child, a son.
Verse 6 – The Daughter of No Mercy
Hosea 1:6
And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
Lo-Ruhamah means “Not pitied” or “No mercy.” Imagine calling your little girl by that name.
Every time Hosea called her to dinner, the whole neighborhood heard God’s judgment. For example, one man I spoke with who received the Gospel on December 12, 2024, was named Diablo by his parents meaning Devil. He hated his name and was embarrassed to give me his name.
Same thing here. No mercy is named here. Not mercy. NO MERCY. God says, “For I will no more have mercy.” So, look, God has great mercy but it comes to an end here for these people. This was God saying: “My patience has limits. You’ve exhausted My mercy.”
The modern church preaches mercy without holiness — but God says there’s no mercy for rebellion that refuses to repent. We preach the Gospel that says faith alone saves without works. We preach eternal life the moment you believe. It’s over. It’s done. But people accuse us of preaching that it’s now okay to sin. OH, IT’S NOT OKAY TO CONTINUE IN SIN.
This verse proves something that shocks people: You can sin so long that mercy runs out. Not because God stops loving you, but because you stop listening. You continue in sin and think it’s okay because everything is going just fine.
Imagine I have a bottle labeled “Mercy.” I slowly pour it out. “When the bottle’s full, it pours freely. But then it runs out. When it’s empty, you can’t squeeze out a drop of mercy. That’s what it’s like right here. Will God’s mercy for you run out? Keep on in that sin. When the mercy runs out, you’re going to be in big trouble.
The only way to keep God’s mercy flowing is to stay near the fountain of mercy who is God. Get rid of the sin. Don’t test the patience of the One who holds your breath. Return while the door of mercy is still open. Please, I’m begging you to get this right.
Verse 7 – The People of Promise
Hosea 1:7
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.
Here, judgment and mercy stand side by side. Israel will fall — but Judah will be spared for a time. Notice this:
God says He’ll save them “by the LORD their God.” Not by military might, not by political alliances, but by His own hand. When Assyria came for Judah, God sent one angel who destroyed 185,000 soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35). Judah was surrounded by the Assyrians who had already destroyed Israel.
2 Kings 19:35-36
And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.
That’s the mercy Hosea is talking about. That ties directly to that night where God saves Judah from the Assyrians. He didn’t save Israel from them. He could have easily. He has all power and all might. But God let Israel fall because NO MERCY was left. That’s why the child’s name is called Lo-Ruhamah – no mercy on Israel. God still had mercy on Judah. His mercy never runs out but it does run out for people who forsake Him.
What if the mercy that spares you today is meant to prepare you for tomorrow? But what if you just continue to go against God? Will His mercy continue to spare you?
God’s mercy is not permission — it’s preparation. If He spares you, it’s to shape you. Remember that. He’s not saying it’s okay. He’s giving you time to get things right. If you won’t get things right, your time will run out.
This week, thank God not just for what He’s given — but for what He’s spared you from. We thank God for His mercy on us. WE WILL GET THINGS RIGHT.
When God Names Your Pain
Every name in Hosea 1 tells a story:
- Jezreel — Judgment is coming.
- Lo-Ruhamah — Mercy is gone.
- Lo-Ammi (later in this chapter) — You are not My people.
But God doesn’t end there. He always leaves a door open.
Hosea 2:23
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
That’s the gospel before the Gospel — judgment turned into grace, rejection turned into restoration. And that’s for anyone who wants to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s your choice. It’s their choice.
God may rename your pain, but He’ll also rename your purpose.
24-Hour Application: Take one area of your life that’s far from God and give it a new name — like “NO MERCY.” And remember that. Change these things in your life that are sin. And stop doing those things. You know what this is. I don’t know. You know. Get it right. Replace it with a new name that’s far better. Replace it with something far better.
Remember Hosea. Remember these names. When God says “not My people,” He still plans to say, “Welcome home” to those who believe Him.
Next-Sermon – “What the Locust Left:
Joel 1’s Wake-Up Call to a Devastated Nation”
We’ve walked through prophets of captivity and covenant — now we step into the field of devastation. In Joel 1:1-7, you will see a plague like you’ve never heard—a swarm that didn’t just devour crops, it exposed a nation’s heart.
“What the cutting locust left, the swarming locust hath eaten.” (Joel 1:4)
If you think your crisis is too small to matter, this message will show you how fragile everything can vanish. You’ll learn how God uses what you survive to shake what you trust — and how what’s left behind becomes your wake-up call.
Don’t miss it — because when the ground beneath your feet turns to dust, you’ll either discover God or disappear from hope.
Let’s pray.
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