What Is God Going to Do with Israel? –
According to Hosea
Hosea begins with the time of his writing.
(Hosea 1:1 NKJV) The word of the LORD that came to 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.
By comparison of the records, we find that the ten tribes of Israel went into captivity (in 722 B.C.) during the days of Hezekiah. Jeroboam was not the king of Israel when it went into captivity, but Hosea lived through the time that Israel went into captivity. – Israel was warned, but did not heed the warning.
(Hosea 1:2 NKJV) When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:
"Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the LORD."
This is interesting! God normally would not have had anyone marry a harlot. This is an exception because this is an “object lesson.” Hosea is to experience with his wife what God is experiencing with the children of Israel.
(Hosea 1:3 NKJV) So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
Not only was his wife symbolic, all of his children were given names with special meanings:
(Hosea 1:4 NKJV) Then the LORD said to him: "Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
The story of Jehu and the bloodshed of Jezreel is found II King 10:11. We will not read now for sake of time. God chose an unrighteous man to carry out the prophesied destruction of the 70 sons of Ahab, but vengeance was taken for this act.
(Hosea 1:6 NKJV) And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, [means “no mercy”] For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away.
God makes a Distinction in how He treats people. He looks down, and makes judgments depending upon how we respond to Him.
(Hosea 1:7 NKJV) Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen."
When Judah was allowed to return to their home-land, it was by decree of King Cyrus, not by war. As we studied in an earlier lesson:
(2 Chr 36:22 NKJV) Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, (23) Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the LORD God of heaven has given me. And He has commanded me to build Him a house at Jerusalem which is in Judah. Who is among you of all His people? May the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!
(Hosea 1:8-9 NKJV) Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. {9} Then God said: "Call his name Lo-Ammi, [means “not my people”] For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.
(Hosea 5:14-15 NKJV) For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. {15} I will return again to My place Till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
This may have been fulfilled, at least in part, with the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity. But I believe a greater fulfillment is coming.
And so, what will further happen to Israel?
For 2,000 years, since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. they have not been looked upon by God, or men, as the children of God. It has been the time of the Gentiles.
(Luke 21:24 NKJV) "And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
(Rom 11:25-26 NKJV) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,1 lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. {26} And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
1(from Thayer:) “mystery: a hidden purpose or counsel of God: the secret counsels which govern God in dealing with the righteous, which are hidden from ungodly and wicked men but plain to the godly.”
(Hosea 6:1-2 NKJV) 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. {2} After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight.
(2 Pet 3:8 NKJV) But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Accordingly, 2 days = 2,000 years.
In other words, we are close to the third day when God says He will raise up Israel. This is an approximate date, not an exact day or hour.
(Hosea 1:10 NKJV) "Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There it shall be said to them, 'You are sons of the living God.'
Again, it is stated, the divided kingdom will be united.
(Hosea 1:11 NKJV) Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel [God will sow]!
(Hosea 2:1) Say to your brethren, 'My people,' And to your sisters, 'Mercy is shown.'
(Hosea 2:23 NKJV) Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they shall say, 'You are my God!'"
(Hosea 3:4-5 NKJV) For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
As of today, this has been true for almost 2,000 years – “many days” The temple and Jerusalem were destroyed in A.D. 70, and all this ceased to be.
{5} Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
These are latter days that haven’t gotten here yet! Israel is still in rebellion against God.
Why Did God’s People turn out so bad?
(Hosea 4:6 NKJV) 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 your God, I also will forget your children.
How will God go about restoring Israel?
Apparently in Phases: He has, in part at least, restored them to their land as promised.
(Isa 66:8 NKJV) Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, She gave birth to her children.
From World Book, 1966 edition:
“On May 15, 1948, their dream came true when the independent State of Israel was established in Palestine. The Arab countries invaded Israel that same day, but the Israelis defeated the Arabs.”
Restoring Israel must consist of at least two elements: The physical and the spiritual. At the moment, only the physical has begun. What does the Bible say about how the spiritual will be accomplished? Again, only in part, but we have this statement:
(Zec 12:10) "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. {11} "In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo.
What was special about Megiddo?
1. The mourning that took place with the death of King Josiah who was a great, godly king.
2. There is a future reference to this area: (Rev 16:16 NASB) And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon. [meaning Mt. Megiddo]
What Happened to King Josiah?
(2 Chr 35:22-25 NKJV) Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo. {23} And the archers shot King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am severely wounded." {24} His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem. So he died, and was buried in one of the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. {25} Jeremiah also lamented for Josiah. And to this day all the singing men and the singing women speak of Josiah in their lamentations. They made it a custom in Israel; and indeed they are written in the Laments.
According to Zechariah, God will provide a fountain for Israel, based on their repentance.
(Zec 13:1 NKJV) "In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.
What Are We to Learn from All of This?
(Rom 11:17-21 NKJV) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, {18} do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. {19} You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." {20} Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. {21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
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