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| 1 The word of Jehovah that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. |
Word of the LORD – First came to Hosea in connection with his own domestic trials. R2491:1
Hosea – His name signifies "salvation," corresponding well with his prophecy. R5809:2
A prophet to the ten tribes of Israel during part of the period in which Isaiah was prophesying to the two-tribe kingdom of Judah. R2490:3
In the days – Hosea prophesied in Israel at the time of their depravity, just before their captivity. R2491:1, R5809:2
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| 2 The beginning of the word of Jehovah through Hosea. And Jehovah said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms; for the land is entirely given up to whoredom, away from Jehovah. |
Go, take unto thee – Hosea's own experiences in life in some degree pictured the Lord's experiences with Israel. R5809:2
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| 3 And he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived and bore him a son.
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And took Gomer – Picturing Israel, as a false wife, and God himself as a merciful husband. R2491:1
An attractive girl who, at the time of their marriage, was quite possibly true and worthy of his affection. R2491:1
And bare him a son – Only her first child was recognized by the prophet. R2491:1
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| 4 And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jizreel; for yet a little, and I will visit the blood of Jizreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. |
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| 5 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jizreel. |
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| 6 And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And he said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, so that I should pardon them. |
Lo-ruhamah – Meaning, "she that never knew a father's love"; an orphan, not by death, but by her mother's sin. Not claimed by Hosea as his child. R2491:1*
House of Israel – The ten tribes. C296; R1341:5
Utterly take them away – The ten tribes; but he would have mercy on Judah, the two tribes (see verse 7). C296; R1341:5
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| 7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by bow, or by sword, or by battle, or by horses, or by horsemen. |
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| 8 And she weaned Lo-ruhamah; and she conceived and bore a son; |
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| 9 and he said, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and I will not be for you. |
Lo-ammi – Meaning, "not my people" or "no kin of mine"; disowned by Hosea. R2491:1*
Not my people – Rejection, for a time, of all Israel. C296; R1341:5
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| 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured or numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shall be said unto them, Sons of the living *God. |
Israel shall be – As all nations, during the Millennium, gradually flow to Israel and come under obedience to the New covenant regulations, thus becoming Israelites indeed on the earthly plane. R4575:6
Sand of the sea – At the close of the Mediatorial Kingdom, our Lord will deliver over only Israelites--the seed of Abraham. R4575:6
Sons of the living God – Those from among the Gentiles who had formerly not been recognized by the Lord. R1341:5; C296
Applied to Gentile Christians by the Apostle Paul in Rom. 9:23-26. C296; R1341:5
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| 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and shall go up out of the land: for great is the day of Jizreel. |
Then – At the time of the rejection of fleshly Israel and the recognition of spiritual Israel. C296; R1341:5
Gathered together – As one nation. The distinction between Israel and Judah ended with the restoration from Babylon. R1364:6
One head – Be reunited under one head. C296; R1341:5
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