Presents
Pamphlet #8063
Hosea chapter 3
The Book of Hosea, which means "salvation", was written to reveal God's plan of salvation for His children, Israel (who today are the people of the Christian nations in North-Western Europe, the Isles of Britain, and the Americas), the woman in the wilderness He took to wife on the Mountain where He promised (vowed) to be the provider of all her needs if she would just remain faithful to Him. But she did not remain faithful and she forsook Him and went whoring after Baalim and became another man's wife, even the "ish" ("man" in Hebrew) who deceives the whole world (Isa. 14:16). The question is, "Should God take His adulterous wife back?"
The good news and the answer is, yes, God will take back His wife when she returns to Him and, as we learned in the last study, at that time she will call Him "Ishi", her husband. Meanwhile she is estranged from Him for He divorced her.Jeremiah 3:1
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
It was prophesied long ago and written in the scriptures that because of Israel's backsliding and her adultery (idolatry) that God would remove her from the land He gave to her and "scatter" her among the nations and "re-sow" her in the west, as Jezreel. In other words, she would lose her identity as "Israel" and history documents how those "Lost Tribes" went north over the Caucasus Mountains, became known as the Cimmerians, Scythians, Celts, Saxons, etc., and were re-sown in the west where they settled in north-west Europe and Great Britain and later many made their pilgrimage to the Americas.Jeremiah 3:8
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
We also learned in our last study that God would give Israel the "Valley of Achor" as a "Door of Hope". It was Achan, of the tribe of Judah, who brought the "accursed thing", the mantle of Baal, into the House of Israel which angered our Father and caused Israel to lose her battle against Ai (Josh. 6-7). The point is that the valley of Achor was a type, for there shall be a time of trouble for the house of Israel, even Jacob's trouble, when the accursed one himself, the abomination of desolation, Satan as the false messiah, will enter in. Even now Satan's own children, the kenites, the offspring of Cain, cause much affliction and trouble among our people because we have allowed them and their accursed doctrines to enter in (Amos 6:14, Mk. 8:15).
Then too, we also learned that following that time of trouble, just as God saved Israel with a mighty hand when he drew her out of Egypt, so shall He save and deliver His people in these last days.
Daniel spoke of that time and delivery.
But before that time of trouble, as it is written in both the Old and the New Testaments, God would send teachers who would understand the visions of the prophets and instruct and warn His people and bring all those who will have their eyes and ears opened into the marvelous truth of His Word and His plan and help to prepare them as chaste virgins for the wedding of the Bridegroom. Here is the promise of those teachers from both the Old and New Testaments, for it is direct quote by Peter (in the New) from the Book of Joel (in the Old):Daniel 12:1
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
To "see" visions means to "understand" visions, even the visions of the prophets, and "to prophesy" simply means to teach, i.e. to teach what the prophets said. These sons and daughters are God's elect, His "faithful" servants who will not partake of Baal worship and will not whore after the little "ish", Satan, the false messiah. You see, it is written that our Father has always had a remnant of His elect present down through the ages, even from "the first earth age unto this very day". Paul documents it for us Romans chapter 11:Acts 2:17
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:[18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Paul was not a "Jew", i.e. from the tribe of Judah, but rather a Benjamite. He documents it again in Philip. 3:5.Romans 11:1
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
These words were spoken long ago to the great prophet Elijah.[2] God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,[3] Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.
[4] But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.
Even so in these last days God's faithful elect are present, and that brings us to the third chapter of Hosea which concerns those elect who help bring about the return of Israel to her true husband.[5] Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
Hosea is told to go again and "love" (not take) a "woman" (not Gomer) who is an adulteress, i.e. from the idolatrous House of Israel. The word "friend" used here means "husband" and "flagons of wine" means "cakes of figs" which are representative of sensuality.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.
Note: Some scholars claim that Gomer must have died which may or may not be true for it isn't written. However, it is immaterial because Gomer's adultery made void her marriage vows anyway.
Fifteen pieces of silver and an homer and a half of barley is the price for redeeming a slave. An homer is about 8 bushels, so an homer and a half would be 12 bushels. Isn't that interesting? The point is that this woman was redeemed and paid for before she became Hosea's wife. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear will refer to Romans chapter 8.[2] So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
This "wife" will remain true and faithful and shall "abide" with him, even in sense of "sequestered". In other words, when God's elect are brought into the truth they will thenceforth remain true and faithful and "abide in His Word" but they shall also be sequestered as His "servants in bondage". Paul spoke of this on several occasions as in Col. 4:3 for example: "Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:" (See also Philip. 1:13)[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.
The children of Israel spoken of in this verse are those represented by the "faithful woman" Hosea was to love, i.e. God's elect. All the items listed that they would be "without" while they abided with Him, refer to idolatry! Remember she would not "play the harlot" and not "be for another man". She would not take on a false king of kings, or a false prince of peace, or sacrifice to Baal or his "bow down to his image", or wear a false priests garment (ephod) or place any other gods (idols, i.e. teraphim) before the true God. She would remain His faithful, sequestered "wife" who would serve Him according to His will in these last days.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:
"After that", after God's elect have fulfilled their appointed destinies, some of whom will be delivered up to the false messiah to give testimony and witness against him (Mat. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), then the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God.
Are you among those who fear (revere) the Lord and love Him for His "goodness" to us in these latter days? Are you faithful to Him and do you serve Him according to His will (His Word)? It is written in Matthew chapter 5 that out of the 10 virgins, as in out of the 10 tribes of Israel, only 5 remained faithful and made it to the wedding of the true Bridegroom. The other 5 played the role of the harlot and became the wife of another man, the little "ish" (Satan), the false king, the false prince of peace.[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.