The naming of the son

In the previous passage, Hosea took a wife inclined to infidelity and had a son. Giving prophetic names to children was something Isaiah had already practiced. In Isaiah chapter 7, we find the following account. Ahaz, king of the southern kingdom of Judah, went out to the end of the conduit of the upper pool to inspect the water source in preparation for an enemy siege. Isaiah went to that place accompanied by his son named Shear-Jashub (meaning “a remnant will return”). The name of this son showed that it is God who would save the people of Israel from destruction and continue to sustain “the remnant” (the true believers). There at that location, Isaiah proclaimed to King Ahaz that the Lord alone is sovereign. Hosea, in his case, was commanded to name his son Jezreel. Jezreel carries both the meaning “God scatters” and “God sows.” The name of this child thus became a prophetic name that foretold both “God’s judgment” and “God’s restoration.”

What the name Jezreel symbolizes

Let us look at what the name Jezreel symbolizes. (1) Jezreel was a town located at the eastern edge of the Jezreel Valley (plain), at the foot of Mount Gilboa, within the territory of the tribe of Issachar. It was also a town that preserved memories of massacre. In 841 BC, Jehu slaughtered the entire family belonging to the dynasty of Ahab at that location (this event is recorded in 2 Kings 9-10). (2) The dynasty that Jehu established after massacring the household of Ahab was the fifth dynasty of the Northern Kingdom. This dynasty continued for four generations after Jehu (Jehoahaz, Joash, Jeroboam II, and Zechariah). (3) Hosea prophesied that the sin Jehu committed would certainly be punished and that the house (dynasty) of Jehu would come to an end. “On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel” (v 5) carries this meaning. Just as this prophecy declared, the dynasty of Jehu perished in the fourth generation after Jehu (details are recorded in 2 Kings 15:8-12). Hosea’s son Jezreel became a prophetic name declaring that judgment would fall upon the dynasty of Jehu. Jehu was a man who became king through God’s anointing, but where lay the problem? (1) Him becoming king was indeed the will of God. (2) However, he carried out the will of God with a wrong motive. In other words, he staged a coup in pursuit of political power. It is only natural that God would judge Jehu’s selfish attitude and cruelty. Even among Christians, there are times when a person while doing the will of God, having the wrong motives. We, too, are people who possess such weaknesses. Let us examine ourselves to see whether we are walking in a way that is pleasing to God.