Faithfulness and Restoration Amidst Spiritual Adultery

This morning, we entered into the book of Hosea, the first of the Minor Prophets, and considered the weighty reality of our sin and the astonishing faithfulness of God. The context of Hosea’s ministry is crucial: he prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel during a time of great prosperity under Jeroboam II, a period marked by both affluence and deepening depravity. The people had turned from the Lord, embracing Baal worship—a religion that not only replaced the worship of Yahweh but also encouraged the most base desires of the flesh under the guise of worship. This spiritual and physical adultery is the backdrop for Hosea’s prophetic calling.

God commands Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who would become unfaithful, and to have children with her—children who would themselves be marked by the same unfaithfulness. This family becomes a living parable, a visual demonstration of Israel’s relationship with God: a people loved and chosen, yet persistently unfaithful. The names of Hosea’s children—Jezreel, No Mercy, and Not My People—each serve as portents, signs of coming judgment and the consequences of covenantal infidelity. Jezreel points to God’s judgment on the house of Jehu for overreaching violence; No Mercy signals the coming end of God’s forbearance with Israel; Not My People marks the annulment of the covenant relationship itself.

Yet, even as God pronounces judgment, he immediately promises restoration. The same people who are told, “You are not my people,” will one day be called “children of the living God.” This is rooted not in Israel’s faithfulness, but in God’s unbreakable promise to Abraham—a promise that transcends Israel’s failures and extends mercy to all who come to him in faith. The New Testament reveals that this mercy is available to Jew and Gentile alike, through faith in Jesus Christ. The call, then, is to recognize the seriousness of our sin, to confess and turn from it, and to rest in the mercy and faithfulness of God, who forgives and restores all who come to him.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Sin as Spiritual Adultery God’s relationship with his people is likened to a marriage, and every act of sin is an act of spiritual infidelity. This is not merely a metaphor; it is a sobering reality that our waywardness wounds the heart of God, who has covenanted himself to us in love. Recognizing sin as adultery against God should drive us to humility and repentance, not indifference or complacency. [37:14]
• 2. The Certainty of Divine Judgment God’s warnings are not empty threats. Just as he judged the house of Jehu and the kingdom of Israel for their unfaithfulness, so too will he call all sin to account. The faithfulness of God in judgment is a call to sober self-examination and urgent repentance, knowing that a day is appointed when Christ will judge the world in righteousness. [41:58]
• 3. The Pain and Purpose of God’s Discipline The names given to Hosea’s children—especially “No Mercy” and “Not My People”—reflect the deep pain of separation from God that sin brings. Yet, even in discipline, God’s purpose is not destruction but restoration. His judgments are always mingled with the hope of mercy for those who return to him. [46:32]
• 4. God’s Unconditional Faithfulness to His Promises Despite Israel’s repeated failures, God remains faithful to his covenant with Abraham. The promise that his people would be as numerous as the sand on the seashore is not nullified by their sin. God’s faithfulness is the foundation of our hope, and it is ultimately fulfilled in Christ, who gathers Jew and Gentile into one people through faith. [53:28]
• 5. Living in the Reality of Mercy For those who trust in Christ, the verdict of “No Mercy” and “Not My People” is reversed. We are called to live daily in the assurance of God’s mercy, confessing our sins and walking in holiness, not as those condemned, but as beloved children who have received grace upon grace. This is the invitation and privilege of the gospel: to live as forgiven people, eager to love and obey the God who has shown us such mercy. [57:46]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [09:48] - Opening Prayer and Confession
• [11:42] - Introduction to Hosea and the Minor Prophets
• [13:41] - The Weight of Sin and the Human Condition
• [19:03] - Prophetic Signs: Visual Parables of God’s Message
• [24:50] - Hosea’s Family: A Living Parable
• [26:21] - The Pain of Betrayal and God’s Faithfulness
• [29:30] - Structure and Analogy in Hosea
• [31:27] - The Significance of Jezreel
• [32:47] - The Rise of Baal Worship and Spiritual Adultery
• [35:31] - The Double Meaning of Adultery in Israel
• [38:07] - Judgment on the House of Jehu
• [41:58] - God’s Faithfulness in Judgment
• [44:08] - The Significance of Names: No Mercy and Not My People
• [46:32] - The Pain and Hope in God’s Discipline
• [53:28] - Restoration and the Promise to Abraham
• [55:30] - Fulfillment in Christ: Jew and Gentile United
• [57:46] - Living in Mercy and Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Hosea 1:1–2:1 (ESV) —
> 1 The word of the LORD that came to 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.
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> 2 When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.
>
> 4 And the LORD said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”
>
> 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the LORD said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the LORD their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.”
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> 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the LORD said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.”
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> 10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezreel.
>
> 2:1 Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”

Also referenced in the sermon: —
- Genesis 22:16–18 (ESV) — God’s promise to Abraham
- Romans 9:25–26 (ESV) — Paul applies Hosea’s promise to Jew and Gentile

Observation Questions

1. What was the significance of God commanding Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who would become unfaithful? ([24:50])
2. What do the names of Hosea’s children—Jezreel, No Mercy, and Not My People—represent in the story? ([31:27])
3. According to the passage, what was the main sin of Israel during Hosea’s time, and how did it show up in their worship practices? ([32:47])
4. Even after pronouncing judgment, what promise does God make to Israel in Hosea 1:10–2:1? ([53:28])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God use the image of marriage and adultery to describe Israel’s relationship with Him? What does this teach us about the seriousness of sin? ([37:14])
2. How does the certainty of God’s judgment, as seen in the story of Jezreel and the house of Jehu, challenge the way people think about God’s warnings today? ([41:58])
3. What is the purpose of God’s discipline, as seen in the names “No Mercy” and “Not My People”? How is this discipline different from simple punishment? ([46:32])
4. How does God’s promise to restore Israel—even after their unfaithfulness—show His faithfulness to His covenant with Abraham? ([53:28])

Application Questions

1. The sermon described sin as “spiritual adultery”—not just breaking a rule, but betraying a relationship. How does thinking of sin this way change the way you view your own struggles with sin? ([37:14])
2. Are there areas in your life where you have become indifferent or complacent about sin, thinking it doesn’t really affect your relationship with God? What would it look like to take those sins seriously and turn from them? ([13:41])
3. The certainty of God’s judgment is meant to lead us to urgent repentance. Is there a specific sin or pattern in your life that you need to bring into the light and confess to God or to someone else? ([41:58])
4. The pain of God’s discipline is meant to lead to restoration, not destruction. Can you think of a time when God’s discipline in your life brought you back to Him? How did you experience His mercy in that process? ([46:32])
5. God’s faithfulness to His promises is the foundation of our hope, not our own faithfulness. How does this truth encourage you when you feel like you’ve failed God? ([53:28])
6. For those who trust in Christ, the verdict of “No Mercy” and “Not My People” is reversed. How can you live more fully in the reality of God’s mercy this week? Is there a specific way you can remind yourself of your identity as a beloved child of God? ([57:46])
7. The sermon called us to “live as forgiven people, eager to love and obey the God who has shown us such mercy.” What is one practical step you can take this week to show your gratitude for God’s mercy—either in your relationship with God or with others? ([57:46])