HOSEA LESSON 3


     We will begin this lesson in Hosea 3:1 "Then said the LORD unto
me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of [her] friend, yet an adulteress,
according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who
look to other gods, and love flagons of wine."

     Hosea is instructed to love this unlovable wife of his, as God
loves Israel. God loves with unconditional love. While we were yet in
sin, God sent His Son to save us. Man loves because of some reason, or
the other. God loves in spite of, not because of. His love is the
Agape love. The greatest love shown ever is spoken of in John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life."  Most husbands love their wives, because they are faithful to
them, and because they see them as being beautiful. Israel was
unfaithful to God, and yet, He loved them in spite of their
unfaithfulness. As far as the natural man could look, Israel was
worthless. God loved them anyway. Remember, the prophet experiences in
the physical, the same thing that is happening  in the spirit with his
people. Hosea must love her, in spite of her unfaithfulness and heavy
wine drinking.

     Hosea 3:2 "So I bought her to me for fifteen [pieces] of silver,
and [for] an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:"

     "Silver" means redemption. Fifteen is five time three. 5
symbolizes grace and 3 symbolizes God. This is saying, by the grace of
God, she was redeemed. An homer of barley seed sold for 50 shekels of
silver.  Leviticus 27:16 "And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD
[some part] of a field of his possession, then thy estimation shall be
according to the seed thereof: an homer of barley seed [shall be
valued] at fifty shekels of silver." An Homer was about 8 bushels.
This homer and a 1/2 homer would have been 12 bushels of barley.
Barley was thought of as the peasant's grain, because it was cheaper.
Figuring this out in our money today, she brought less than 100
dollars.  Perhaps, this has something to do with the fact that all who
belong to God are bought and paid for. Christians are bought with the
precious blood of the Lamb {Jesus Christ}.

     Hosea 3:3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days;
thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for [another]
man: so [will] I also [be] for thee.

     This is  a very personal Scripture. "Abide", in this particular
instance, means sit still. This is like a punishment for her
unfaithfulness. He does not take a chance on her being unfaithful with
another man during this time. She is in isolation. He Includes himself
in this, as well. It seems for a period of time, she is totally
separated from all contact with men. This, again, symbolizes the fact
that Israel would be in captivity. She would not be able to play the
harlot with her false gods, and she would be alienated from God at the
same time. God would choose the length of time of her captivity, for
her punishment for spiritual adultery.

     Hosea 3:4 "For the children of Israel shall abide many days
without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and
without an image, and without an ephod, and [without] teraphim:"

     They have been stripped from all privileges of worship, as the
harlot had been stripped of contact with her lovers. In the king and
prince, we see they are stripped of their civil authority. All forms
of religion had been stripped, as well. The image is representing the
worship of false gods. The ephod was worn by the high priest, and was
their connection to God. God spoke to the people through the Urim and
Thummim of the ephod of the high priest. Soothsaying was done through
the teraphim.

     Hosea 3:5 "Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and
seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD
and his goodness in the latter days."

     This is clearly dated to happen in the latter days. When they
seek the LORD, they will find Him. David, their king, is speaking of
the One they call Messiah, and we call Jesus. There will be a day of
repentance. They are bought and paid for with that precious blood. We
see in the following Scripture that God is God of all, not just a few.
I Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach,
because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men,
specially of those that believe."  He provided salvation for everyone.
Some will not accept that salvation. There is much controversy about
these 10 tribes {Israel}, and what happened to them. In the physical,
they would be very hard to trace. In the spiritual sense, they are the
lost world that comes to Christ. Every person, who ever lived, was a
sinner, just like Israel, before they came to Christ. All Christians
have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus, just like these of
Israel were bought by God. Perhaps, this whole chapter has been
speaking of all people who are away from God until, Jesus came and set
them free. It is God's goodness and mercy that saves us, not some act
upon our part. We actually deserve to die for our sins. The wages of
sin is death. Jesus marked our bill Paid In Full.

     I will give a selection of Scriptures that help on this. Romans
11:26 "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall
come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from
Jacob:" Romans 11:27 "For this [is] my covenant unto them, when I
shall take away their sins."  Romans 9:6 "Not as though the word of
God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are
of Israel:" Romans 9:7 "Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham,
[are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called."
Romans 9:8 "That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these
[are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are
counted for the seed."  Galatians 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."



                          Hosea 3 Questions


1.  Who is Hosea instructed to love in verse 1?
2.  How was he to love her?
3.  God loves in ________ of, not _______ of.
4.  Quote John chapter 3 verse 16.
5.  Why do most husbands love their wives?
6.  What was unusual about God's love for Israel?
7.  The prophet experiences in the _________, what is happening to the
    people in the __________.
8.  How much silver did Hosea pay for her?
9.  What were the other items he gave in the purchase?
10. What does the silver, and the number 15, tell us?
11. What did an homer of barley sell for?
12. How large is an homer?
13. The total price paid for her, figured in our money would be less
    than _________ __________.
14. What are Christians bought with?
15. What does "abide", in this particular Scripture, mean?
16. She is in ___________.
17. She is not only separated from her lovers, but from _________.
18. What does this confinement of the woman symbolize of Israel?
19. Israel has been stripped of all form of __________, as the harlot
    had been stripped of contact with her _________.
20. What other things were stripped from Israel?
21. God spoke to His people through the ________ and the ________ of
    the ephod of the high priest.
22. What was done through the teraphim?
23. When is verse 5 clearly dated?
24. Who is spoken of as David, their King?
25. Quote 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 10.
26. Who are these people in the spiritual sense?
27. It is God's __________ and ________ that saves us, not some act
    upon our part.
28. The wages of sin is _________.
29. Quote Romans chapter 11 verse 26.
30. Quote Romans chapter 11 verse 27.
31. The children of the _________ are counted for the seed.
32. Quote Galatians chapter 3 verse 29.