The first calling

A prophet begins his ministry through a calling from God. Hosea also stood as a prophet by the word of the Lord’s calling, but in his case, at the very beginning, he received an unprecedented and extraordinary command. (1) “Go, take to yourself a wife inclined to infidelity and have children of infidelity.” The term “wife inclined to infidelity” is thought to refer to a prostitute. Some argue, based on Leviticus 21:7, 14, that “Hosea would never marry a prostitute, because that would violate the Law of Moses.” However, that regulation in Leviticus concerns the priestly class. Hosea was not a priest. (2) “Children of infidelity” refers to the children that the woman bore during her time as a prostitute. They are children whose fathers are unknown. (3) From these points, we can see that Hosea’s marriage was a deeply unhappy one. Through that painful experience, Hosea spoke forth the prophetic word from God. (4) Furthermore, the word of the Lord continues: “For the land commits flagrant infidelity, abandoning the Lord.” Through this word, it becomes clear that Hosea’s married life served as visual and experiential instruction for the people of Israel. The “wife inclined to infidelity” represents the people of Israel, and the “children of infidelity” gradually become understood as the individual members within the nation.

Gomer the wife

(1) Hosea, in obedience to God’s command, took for himself a “wife inclined to infidelity.” With what feelings did he step into this marriage? Just imagining it causes the heart to ache. (2) The woman was “Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim.” “Diblaim” refers to a cake of dried figs, but it is also a word that symbolizes “sensual desire.” “Gomer” means “completion” or “perfection.” In other words, “Gomer, daughter of Diblaim,” is a phrase symbolizing “the height of sensual desire.” (3) Gomer conceived and bore a son to Hosea. Hosea gave the child a name, and that name became prophetic (we will study its meaning next time). Let us meditate on devotion and pain in the life of faith. There are trials and pains that we experience precisely because we are following the will of God. Such trials and pains are not meant to destroy us, but to draw us closer to God. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you” (1 Peter 4:14).