Daily Devotions
Hosea
"The land has committed great harlotry"
Text: Hosea 1:2
DEPARTURE FROM THE LORD TO IDOLS
Israel’s departure from the Lord God was very grave and severe! King David remained faithful to the Lord. The future kings of Israel dallied with idolatry. When the Kingdom was split into two, idolatry in the Northern Kingdom of Israel grew from bad to worse!
“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.'”
Hosea 1:2
1. “When the LORD began to speak by Hosea”
a) The LORD would first speak “to” His servant the prophet.
i) This is indicated in the phrase “The LORD said to Hosea”.
ii) The prophet must be attentive to what the LORD has to say to His servant.
b) He would then speak “by” His servant the prophet.
i) The Book of Hosea contains what God had said to him.
ii) Hosea wrote in a book what he had preached to Israel.
2. “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry”
a) This does not mean that his wife was already a harlot.
b) The word “harlot” was used proleptically.
c) God knew that Hosea’s wife would become like a harlot in the future.
d) This marriage was going to be a painful and difficult one.
3. “And children of harlotry”
a) The children would be idolatrously inclined.
b) They would not be inclined to the Lord naturally.
4. “For the land has committed great harlotry”
a) From the time of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, idolatrous worship was promoted by the king of Israel.
b) “Great harlotry” describes the severity of the problem of worshipping idols.
5. “By departing from the LORD”
a) Harlotry is defined as “departing from the LORD”.
b) Idolatry is compared to “prostitution!”
This was a very harsh but correct definition of how God saw the practice of idolatry!