Reading Hosea

God loves to make things difficult (in a sense). He tries to not make things super clear, or easy to understand, in order to see who will make an effort to try to learn from His words. Jesus' ministry was trademarked by parables and stories. Much of Israel's history is told through prophecies. Through all of these recordings, much research, interpretation and exegesis has to be poured into the Bible in order to fully grasp what is being said. I believe there are two reasons for this. First, it helps us remember the lessons more so. Second, it helps show where our passion levels are at, or what our dedication to God truly is like.

Hosea is the first minor prophetic book that requires some interpretation right off the bat. Interestingly, the book is much like an autobiography. It tells the story of the author Hosea. While the ending does include some prophecies regarding the future of the nation of Israel, it really focuses on a narrative involving Hosea and his wife.

Hosea's wife was actually a prostitute. He married her on the command of God, and when she left him to continue being a prostitute, he remarried her. This is incredibly symbolical, of the nation Israel and God. Every time God's people return to their sinful ways, He seeks them out to bring them back into a right relationship.

Hosea also had two kids with his wife, Gomer. The first son Jezreel symbolizes the valley where much blood would be shed, especially by the Northern Kingdom. The daughter Lo-ruhamah symbolizes that God will have pity on the Southern Kingdom, but not on the Northern Kingdom.

Now, another kid is mentioned, but the father is not mentioned. It is believed that this is Gomer's kid, which she had with another lover. This child is named Lo-ammi, symbolizing the shame of the Northern Kingdom.

Now this is only scratching the surface of the symbolism in this book, let alone the whole series of prophetic books. You can't just read these books without pouring some research in. Even with a small commentary, everything can become so much clearer. Learning more about the author, the context, the symbolism, can really change how you interpret the writings, and therefore how you apply them to your life. To take it even a step farther, investing in a course in biblical interpretation can reap dividends. It's definitely worth the cost.