The prophet Hosea forecasts the dispersion of the northern 10 tribes of Israel less than 100 years after his prophecy. To warn Israel against their spiritual adultery via idolatry, God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a harlot. Gomer represented Israel spiritually, and her husband, God the father. Their first child, Jezreel (God scatters), also bears the name of the city in Israel where Jezebel, mother of spiritual harlotry, met her death. In the same city, the dynasty of idolatrous king Ahab had its end, and the dynasty of Jehu would also have its end (Hosea 1.4).
Gomer's last child, Lo-Ammi (not my people), was likely not fathered by Hosea. The northern tribes would be disowned by God while the two tribes in Judah would be spared from the destruction by Assyria in 722 BC. Hosea 1 ends with the amazing and gracious long range prophecy that all "not my peoples" would become God's people and joined to one Head, our Lord Jesus in the great day of Jezreel. Jezreel can also mean "God scatters seed". Since that day, the church has gone up from the land promised to Abraham and scattered the seed of the gospel to nations "not my people" that they might be called the sons of the living God (Romans 9.26). |
