1 And Jehovah said unto me, Go again, love a woman beloved of a friend, and an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah for the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods, and love raisin-cakes. v.1 She is called no longer thy wife but “a woman”. Yet, because she was impure after marriage, she is justly named an adulteress. hosea is not told to do something unnatural, not even required by the law… to show grace to an adulterous wife. He is told to go again, and love her, “beloved by a friend” – this shows us that Conjugal love is not intended, but friendly love. this would be very difficult to do. But the Lord tells hosea, that this grace is “according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel” despite their sin and rebellion. We christians can take a lesson from this. note: For the connection of cakes with idolatry, see Jer. 7:18, 44:19.

 

2 So I bought her to me for fifteen silver pieces, and for a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley. v.2 The purchase, half in barley, half in money, is that of a female slave. This shows the depths of degradation to which the guilty woman had been reduced. it was the sacrifice of Christ that was required to redeem those who were under the law from its curse (gal. 3:10).

 

Israel’s Present Condition: 2000 Years (3:3-4)

3 And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be another man’s, and I will also be for thee. v.3 Hosea describes exactly Israel’s present state, as it has also been for many centuries. israel, after the return from captivity, would not take up with idols again. and, while Jehovah’s union with israel would not be restored during this time, jehovah pledges not to pick up a new earthly people instead of her. note: However, he has introduced the heavenly calling.

 

4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, and without statue, and without ephod and teraphim. v.4 “many days” – would not convey the idea of ages to early Christians, but as the time lengthened out, it can be seen that the great heavenly parenthesis has been all foreseen and predicted. during this time, Israel has continued without a royal family, without an approach to god, without idolatry, without a levitical preisthood, without household gods. Israel today is the most unusual spectacle the world has ever seen – a people who go on age after age without any of those elements which are supposed to be essential for keeping a people in existence. this is true of the 400 silent years to an extent, but truer of the last 2000 years, during the calling of the Gentiles. 

 

Israel’s Future Restoration (3:5)

5 Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and shall turn with fear toward Jehovah and toward his goodness, at the end of the days. v.5 It says that they will afterwards not “turn” but “return,” and seek Jehovah their God. This is not a description of becoming members of the body of Christ, or of receiving the new and deeper revelations of the New Testament. They will never as a nation form the heavenly body of Christ, either wholly or in part, but they will return to the place of jewish blessing. note: David here means the Messiah.