Hosea

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Hosea 1 – Skeptic's Annotated Bible answered

A response and reply to the notes on Hosea 1 in the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB).

King James Version

SAB comment

My comment

1 The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

2 The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

(1:2-3) God tells Hosea to commit adultery, saying "take ... a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms" because the land has "committed great whoredom." So Hosea did as God commanded and "took" a wife named Gomer.
Is it wrong to commit adultery?

I cannot follow the logic of the author of the SAB. He seems to assert that once a woman has become a whore, she will forever be one. It is impossible for her to stop being a whore, and marrying someone, as that will still be committing adultery.
But that is nonsense of course. Hosea did not go awhoring, but married a whore, which by definition is not adultery. She should have remained his faithful wife, however it appears she did not. But that does not mean that Hosea committed adultery.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

"I will avenge the blood of Jezreel."
Did God commend or condemn Jehu for the killings at Jezreel?

John Gill comments on the avenging of blood as follows:

the blood of Joram the son of Ahab, and seventy other sons of his, and all his great men, kinsfolks and priests, shed by Jehu in this place; and though this was done according to the will of God, and for which he received the kingdom, and it was continued in his family to the fourth generation; yet, inasmuch as this was not done by him from a pure and hearty zeal for the Lord and his worship, and with a sincere view to his glory, but in order to gain the kingdom, increase his power, and satiate his tyranny and lust; and because, though he destroyed one species of idolatry, the worship of Baal, yet he continued another, the worshipping of the calves at Dan and Bethel, and regarded not the law of the Lord, and so his successors after him; and were the means of causing many to sin, and so consequently of the ruin of many souls, whose blood would be required of them, which some take to be the meaning here; this is threatened; see 2 Kg. 9:24-25, 2 Kg. 10.
It may be observed, that God sometimes punishes the instruments he makes use of in doing his work; they either over doing it, exercising too much cruelty; and not doing it upon right principles, and with right views, as the kings of Assyria and Babylon, Is. 10:5-7, Zech. 1:15. It is here said to be but a little while ere this vengeance would be taken, it being at the latter end of Jeroboam's reign when this prophecy was delivered out; and his son Zachariah, in whom the kingdom as in his family ceased, reigned but six months, being conspired against and slain by Shallum, who reigned in his stead, 2 Kg. 15:8-10.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9 Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

"Ye are not my people, and I will not be your God."
Martin Luther interpreted this verse to mean that God had rejected the Jews and that Christians should do likewise.
On the Jews and Their Lies (Part 1)

Martin Luther did indeed interpret this verse as the author of the SAB writes. But protestants have pope nor Martin Luther as their infallible guide as their explanation of the Bible. Protestants only take the Bible to explain the Bible. And Rom. 11 tells us that:

I say then, Hath God cast away his people? ... God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. ... 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:

There have always been Jews who believed in Christ, and there are still Jews who believe in Christ today. Not many, and not as a nation. But that will happen. As we can already see in the verse immediately following.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.