“OF ALL THINGS TO BUY AT AUCTION”
Hosea 1 , 2, 3

I. Introduction

A) Let’s look at marriage

• God has given the home to mankind
• Home is where the truth of a person lies. It is where we are ourselves, we put on fronts sometimes outside the home or at church… but at home we are ourselves.
• Society did not make marriage, society found marriage.
• It is God who made marriage, and he gave it to mankind.
• Marriage rests upon his word! “What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put usunder.”
• God gave the first bride away.
• Marriage is more than a legal contract, more than love, it is an act of God!
• Many people think that all they need to get married is a license, and a preacher. WRONG! A successful marriage includes God.

B) Understanding the life and ministry of Hosea

• This is the time in which he lived…1) Israel was enjoying great prosperity, 2) There was only one official place of worship in the land, 3) and the appearance of a prophet was a cause for national interest.
• The story behind the prophecy of Hosea is the tragedy of a broken home.

II. LOVE HOPING

A) Their Marriage

• Lets us look now in verse 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 (God is actually asking him to break the mosaic law): for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.” (God is telling Hosea here that he is going to use this experience in the prophet’s life.)
• God is comparing that which is physical harlotry or adultery, to that which is spiritual harlotry or adultery.
• Hosea is Hoping for a wonderful marriage in the worst of women.

III. LOVE HURTING

A) Hosea foretells the fall of his family by the names given to them

• 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 (signifies the scattered seed of God, or God will scatter); 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. 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 (Signifies not beloved, or not having obtained mercy, not loved) : 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 (Means… not my Kin): for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”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.
• Love hurts when it is not of God
• Love hurts worse when God is not even in the picture. 1) Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ru-hamah.2) Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;3) Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.4) And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.5) For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.6) Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths.7) And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.
• When Gomer finally deserted her family to return to her lovers, Hosea became the father and mother to all three children.
• Hosea’s Love was hurting, but nowhere is it mentioned that he attempted to file for a divorce.

IV. LOVE HELPING

A) Hosea receives tragic news

• After years had passed (The remainder of chapter 2), Gomer had been abandoned by her friends, unable to pay her debts, and now was at the auction about to be sold into slavery.
• Now lets look into Hosea 3:1) Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

B) Hosea a real helper

• Hosea drops everything he’s doing to go to the aid of his wife
• He must have been shocked at the appearance of his wife on the trading block.
• Looks is nothing if a person really is in love.

C) The Auction

• Now we look in verse 2) So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:
• Imagine the thoughts that are going through Homer’s mind as the ante’s are going up! Her knight in shining armor has arrived.

V. LOVE HEALING

A) Hosea sets his demands

• Hosea first , “Points his finger” (at his wife saying “I love you no matter what”), then he secondly, “Puts his foot down” in verse 3) And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: And thirdly, “Commits himself” “so will I also be for thee.”
• People today need to… 1) Point their finger (Toward God saying… “I’ll love you Lord no matter what”) 2) Put their foot down (and say… “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”) 3) Commit themselves (To not only the 10 commandments, but to all the laws of God mentioned in the bible)