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One-sentence summary: The Lord tells the prophet Hosea to take a prostitute as his wife and have her children, representing the Lord's relationship with unfaithful Israel.
The word of the Lord comes to Hosea in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah, and Jeroboam of Israel. The Lord tells Hosea to take a prostitute as a wife and "children of harlotry," so he marries a woman named Gomer and has children her. The Lord says to call the first son Jezreel because the Lord says he will avenge the blood of Jezreel on Jehu and bring an end to the house of Israel. In that day, the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel will be broken. Next, Gomer has a daughter, and the Lord tells Hosea to name her Lo-ruhamah, "For I will no longer have mercy on Israel but will take them away." But He says He will have mercy on Judah and save them "by the Lord their God," not by bow or arrow, or horse or horsemen. Then, Gomer has another son, and the Lord tells Hosea to name him Lo-ammi, "For you are not My people, and I will not be your God," says the Lord. Yet, he says the number of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, and "Where it was said, 'You are not My people,' there it will be said, 'You are sons of the living God.'" Then, Judah and Israel will be gathered together and will appoint one Head, and come up out of the land, "for great will be the day of Jezreel."
The Lord tells Hosea to say to his brethren, "My people!" and to speak mercy to his sisters. However, He tells him to bring charges against his mother for she is not God's wife, nor He her husband. The Lord says to let her put away her harlotries and adulteries, lest He strip her and expose her and "make her like a wilderness" just as in the days she came from Egypt; He will also "slay her with thirst." He will not have mercy on her children because they are t"he children of harlotry," because their mother behaved shamefully, saying she will go after her lovers who feed her and clothe her. The Lord says to them, "I will hedge up your way with thorns and wall her in so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers but not overtake them.. seek them but not find them. Then she will say, I' will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.'" Israel did not know that the Lord was the One who blessed her, even with silver and gold that she prepared for Baal. So the Lord will take back His blessings and uncover her nakedness before her lovers and no one will deliver her from His hand. He will also cause all her "joy" to cease, all the festivals, and destroy her vines and fig trees, since she said that the other gods (her lovers) have paid her with them. They will be a forest for the beasts of the field. He will punish her for burning incense to Baal, "[going] after her lovers" and forgetting the Lord, her true Husband. The Lord says that He will "allure her... bring her into the wilderness and speak comfort to her... give her her vineyards from there and the Valley of Achor as a door of hope. She will sing there as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. And it will be in that day that you will call Me, 'My Husband!' and no longer call Me, 'My master!'" He says He will take her lovers' names from her mouth, and He will make a covenant with them and with all living things. He will destroy all weapons from the earth. They will lie down safely, and He will "betroth [them] to [Himself] forever..." "in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy... in faithfulness. And [they] will know the Lord." It will come to pass in that day that the Lord will "answer the heavens, and they will answer the earth." They will answer Jezreel. The Lord will sow them for Himself in the earth, and she "will receive mercy who had not obtained mercy." Then, the Lord will say to those that were not His people, "You are My people," and they will say, "You are my God."
The Lord says to Hosea to go and love Gomer again- who now has a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the Lord for Israel, who looks to other gods. Hosea actually buys his own wife back, and he tells her to stay with him and not "play the harlot," and that he will be her husband. The Lord says Israel will be without king or prince many days, and that afterward, they will return to the Lord and to David and fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.
Hosea tells Israel to hear the word of the Lord. "There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land," only sin. So the land will mourn, and the people will waste away with the beasts of the land and birds of the air. Even the fish of the sea will be taken away. The Lord says let no man rebuke another. They will stumble, along with the prophet, in the night, and He will destroy Israel. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me. Because you have forgotten the law of the Lord your God, I also will forget your children." He says the more Israel increased, the more they sinned against Him. He will change their glory into shame. They set their hearts only on their iniquity. It will be "like people, like priest," so He will punish them for their ways. They will eat but not have enough and commit prostitution but not increase, because they have disobeyed God. He says wine and prostitution have enslaved their hearts. They have a spirit of harlotry that has caused them to stray, and they inquire after wooden idols. The Lord says He will not punish their daughters and wives for committing adultery, because the men, too, go with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with a "ritual harlot." He says let Judah not offend. "Israel is stubborn, like a stubborn calf." They will forage for food in a foreign country. "Their drink is rebellion; they commit harlotry continually." Their rulers love dishonor. They will be ashamed.
The Lord through Hosea tells the priests that they will receive judgement because they have snared Mizpah and Tabor. Ephraim commits harlotry; Israel is defiled. They don't attempt to turn back to the Lord. So they stumble together, and Judah stumbles with them. They will go to seek the Lord but not find Him, because He will withdraw Himself from Him. They have dealt treacherously with Him and "begotten pagan children." Ephraim will be desolate because He walked in human precepts. The princes of Judah will receive God's wrath. When Ephraim saw his sickness, he went to the king of Assyria, who could not cure him or heal his wound; the Lord will be like a lion to them, tearing them to pieces. He will take take them away, and no one will rescue. Then, He will return to His place until they acknowledge their offense. Then, they will seek His face in their affliction, earnestly.
"Come, and let us return to the Lord, for He has torn, but He will heal us. He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days, He will revive us. On the third day, He will raise us up that we may live in His sight. Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord... He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth." The Lord asks what He will do with Ephraim and Judah, whose faithfulness is like a cloud. He sent them prophets and slain them by the words of His mouth. The Lord says He desires mercy, not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But Israel is defiled. The Lord will return the captives of His people, and there will be a harvest for Judah.
When the Lord wanted to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim and wickedness of Samaria was uncovered and came before God's face. They are all adulterers. No one calls on the Lord. Ephraim has mixed himself among the people, like leavened bread. He doesn't realize his strength has been devoured. Yet, they still do not return to the Lord or seek him. They are like silly doves, calling to Egypt and Assyria. But the Lord will spread His net and bring them down like birds of the air and chastise them. Woe to them, because they have fled from the Lord, and they will be destroyed. They even lied against Him. They did not cry out to Him with their hearts but rebelled and feasted. They did not listen to His discipline. Their princes will fall by the sword, in the land of Egypt.
Thoughts/discussion questions:
Ignorance is definitely not bliss. Innocence is, however, coming from a pure heart and constantly allowing the Lord to cleanse us. People are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
When the Lord sends circumstances to get our attention, we had better listen, return to Him, and repent!
No human love compares to God's. The only kind that comes close is the love between a husband and wife.