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Enough of the history, now to Hosea. The LORD began to speak to him and told him to take a wife who was a prostitute (v2). Really! One would have thought The LORD’s word was better than that. I’m sure Hosea would have thought that The LORD’s word would have been different, and even for someone else, but this was to him and no-one else. It does seem strange, but God had a plan. The nation was in idolatry, they had gone away from The LORD, and it led, inevitably to great sin, the sin of harlotry.

These are hard words for Hosea. Some commentators suggest that Gomer was not a prostitute when he met her, but we don’t know that. It seems that harlotry was rife, and maybe there was no-one exempt or that Gomer was, in fact, taken from among the prostitutes. Whatever the situation, Hosea obeyed God and took Gomer, and she became his wife, and they had a son (v3-5). The LORD told him to name him Jezreel. No doubt, Hosea, thought that their marriage would change Gomer, and they would be committed to each other and their son. However, she did succumb to the nature of the women around her. We don’t know why she did but, it goes to show that if we mix with sinful people, we can soon be drawn into their ways. I hasten to say that we are all sinners, but if we have been drawn out of the sinful practices, we must be very careful that we are not enticed back into them. We must choose our friends wisely- “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” (I Corinthians 15:33 KJV) “Evil company corrupts good habits” (NKJV).

Jezreel was to avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and bring an end to the house of Israel. Jehu had killed the descendants of Ahab in the Valley of Jezreel and put Jeroboam II on the throne (2 Kings 10:11). This was clearly not pleasing to God and God would avenge Jehu and the house of Israel. It would not be good news for Jeroboam as it would mean his days were numbered and when, after his death, his son Zechariah was assassinated within six months, things went from bad to worse (see 2 Kings 15). Likewise, Israel would be defeated and taken captive by the Assyrians (See 2 Kings 17).

Gomer conceived again and bore a daughter and God told Hosea to name her Lo-Ruhamah, which means ‘no mercy’. What an unfortunate name! A reminder to all that The LORD would have no mercy on Israel (v6,7). Perhaps amazingly, The LORD said that He would have mercy on Judah. We see in 2 Kings 19, that The LORD fought for Judah, in fact the angel of The LORD killed 185,000 Assyrians in one night. It was not by their might but by the power of God.  It showed that the kings of Judah were more faithful to God at that time. (See King Hezekiah 2 Kings 18)

After Gomer had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore another son, and God told them to call him Lo-Ammi which means ‘not my people’. This was another poignant name showing that Israel would be no longer His people. It is thought that this daughter and son were not Hosea’s children. The people of Israel had rejected God and God simply said that He would not be their God (v8,9), nor they, His people.

However, the prophecy does not end there. There would be restoration (10-2:1) – the number of the children of Israel would be, as promised to Abraham many years before, ‘as the sand on the seashore which cannot be numbered’. Judgment would come, but it would not last forever, they will be ‘sons of the living God’. The division of the nations would be healed. In the far distant future this would be even when Jews and Gentiles would be one in the church of Jesus Christ, as we come in repentance and faith to trust in The Lord Jesus Christ.

The significant names of the three children would be seen – ‘great will be the day of Jezreel; Lo-Ruhamah (no mercy) would be shown mercy; and Lo-Ammi (not my people) they would become His people once again’. Yes, the judgment would come but, The Lord would restore them.

We are blessed to receive the same restoration. As sinners, we deserve nothing but God’s wrath, but that was poured out on His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, but His resurrection brings new life to us. We receive His mercy and grace and become a new creation in Christ Jesus.

There is often confusion in that we say we are all children of God, but that is not true. Yes, we are all God’s creatures, but we only become children of God when we come in repentance, by faith, receive His grace and mercy.

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About this site

I am not a qualified theologian; I am an ordinary guy who just loves reading and studying the Bible. I recognise the importance of preaching and teaching what the Bible says because it is God’s inspired message to our world. In my lifetime of around seven decades, I have listened to the some of the finest Bible teachers and preachers and learned a lot from them. I have used the New King James Version of the Bible. Please pray that God will help you to understand it. Make your own notes if that helps you. This is not meant to be a commentary or a paraphrase. I simply want to share a few thoughts which I hope will be a help to you. Make sure that you have a bible open alongside. You may not agree with my comments. If you don’t, please read the Bible and study it for yourself and ask The LORD to guide you into all truth.

One thing has come home to me that the more I read the Bible is how it all fits together. There may be up to forty different writers/speakers but there is only ONE AUTHOR, God Himself.

A bit about me –

I was born into a Christian home but my father had a mining accident and died three months before I was born. I was brought up by a godly mother and grandparents with a largely wider Christian family around us.

I have been a member of only two churches in my lifetime, both of which faithfully teach the Bible, the Word of God. I was raised at Cave Browne Evangelical Church, Ashton-in-Makerfield near Wigan (Now Hope Church, Ashton). I realised at a young age that I was a sinner and received Jesus Christ as my Saviour at the age of eight.

I was a member there until 1970 by which time I had married Dorothy, my wonderful wife, and we had two sons. We moved to Warrington, Lancashire (now Cheshire since 1974) and quickly became members of Bethesda Evangelical Church, Stockton Heath, where we remain. (See below for our Statement of Faith)

I held leadership positions in both churches and was an elder for twenty-eight years at my present church, as well as musical director, organist, pianist at each church for over fifty years in total.

Over the last sixty years I have served the Lord in one way or another. I started work at the age of sixteen and was employed in the Magistrates’ Courts for the next forty-three years, taking early retirement in 2005. After meeting a former alcoholic who had become a Christian, and whose life had been changed by The Lord Jesus Christ beyond recognition, we wrote a book, published in 2007, which we entitled Alcohol Thriller or Killer. Having gathered sponsorship we supplied copies to every prison in the UK and some elsewhere.

As a result, we were invited to tell our story at around twenty prisons throughout the UK. We completed this ministry in 2010 after which I became involved with Christian Prison Resourcing going to prisons leading Bible Studies, which I continue to do. Our passion is to see prisoners’ lives transformed, their relationships restored and their communities rebuilt as they understand the good news of Jesus Christ. I have seen many prisoners find a personal faith in Jesus Christ and witnessed the change this brings in their lives.

During all this I have had the ever-present support of my wife, Dorothy. Our sons are both married, and we have six grandchildren.

JOHN HAYES

Bethesda’s Statement of Faith

We Believe:

 In the Divine inspiration, authority and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures. 

 That God exists eternally in three Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit to whom equal honour is due.

 That Jesus Christ, unique Son of God, became man, being begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. 

 That He died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification. 

 That He ascended to the right hand of God and is now the all-sufficient High Priest of His people.

 That He will return personally to receive His people and judge the world in righteousness.

 That humanity has fallen and needs the Holy Spirit’s work of regeneration and sanctification.

 That fellowship with God may be restored by repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 That at death a person’s soul does not cease to exist or become unconscious.

 That the dead will be raised either to life or condemnation and that the blessedness of the forgiven and the    punishment of the unforgiven will be alike eternal.  

Our practices:

We baptise believers by immersion on their personal confession of faith, and we commemorate the Lord’s death in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper (Communion) every Sunday.  

Our Goal – Is to honour and worship the Lord Jesus Christ by: 

  • Proclaiming God’s good news of forgiveness and new life through the Lord Jesus.
  • Promoting faithful Christian living.
  • Preserving pure Christian truth through the teaching of the Bible.
  • Providing for God’s people.

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