Hosea Chapter 1 Breakdown

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.

This is what YHWH had to say to Hosea during the reign of Jeroboam, the king of Israel. Jeroboam was the Northern House of Israel king who was appointed king after the split.

1 Kings 11:26, 29-35

Then Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite from Zereda, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, also rebelled against the king. (Solomon)

Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel), because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David. However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes. But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and give it to you—ten tribes.

It is very interesting to note that Jeroboam is an Ephriamite. In reference to Ephraim, Jacob, AKA Israel says the following.

Genesis 48:19

But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations.”

The Hebrew words used here for Multitude is Strong's H4393 - mĕlo' which means, according to Strong’s, fullness, and  Strong's H1471 – gowy which means nations or gentiles. Therefore we have a prophecy given here stating Ephraim’s descendants will bring the fullness of the gentiles to YHWH.

 Romans 11:25

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Now we must remember that the verses in Romans in which Paul is referring to are the ones concerning the broken Olive branches and the grafting in of the gentiles to Israel. All that to say, this is the beginning of where I believe this takes place, here with Jeroboam.

2 When the Lord began to speak by Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord.”

After the split of Israel into two nations, the Northern Kingdom began a constant worshipping of other gods, and this is adultery, according to YHWH. So, it is because of this YHWH commands Hosea to marry a prostitute. YHWH says, desertion from His Law, and His ways, is harlotry.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

Hosea married Gomer, and got pregnant and gave birth to a son.

4 Then the Lord said to him: “Call his name Jezreel, For in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.

YHWH commanded Hosea to name this son Jezreel. He commands this because it will not be long from this point that YHWH will bring an end to the “kingdom of the house of Israel”. So we have a prophecy about how the house of Israel will be ended.

5 It shall come to pass in that day That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel.”

On this day that the house of Israel is ended, YHWH will break the bow of Israel, in the Valley of Jezreel. The Valley of Jezreel is a place mentioned before during the days of Joshua. This is the land that Joshua told the Ephraimites to go and drive out the giants and the Canaanites. This makes sense then that Jeroboam is of the house of Ephraim, and they still occupy the same area of land at this point. This land is currently the land between Afula and Megido. This is also the location of Armageddon in the final days. 

6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: “Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away.

Gomer was again pregnant and this time gave birth to a daughter. YHWH commands Hosea to name her Lo-Ruhamah. This name literally means, no mercy. YHWH says the Northern Kingdom of the House of Israel will no longer find mercy from YHWH due to their worship of other gods. Basically, YHWH is fed up with them and will carry them away into captivity with no protection given from YHWH.

7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the Lord their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen.”

On the other hand, the Southern Kingdom of the House of Judah will still receive mercy. Judah will be protected and not taken captive by the same kingdom.

8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son.

When Lo-Ruhamah was older, Gomer again became pregnant and gave birth to another son.

9 Then God said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will not be your God.

YHWH commands Hosea to name this son Lo-Ammi, which literally means not my people. He says the Norther Kingdom of the House of Israel is not His people and He is not their God.

“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 In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ There it shall be said to them, ‘You are sons of the living God.’

Now, YHWH gives another prophecy. He says the House of Israel will have countless people. He says at this time, when there are countless members, the Northern Kingdom of the House of Israel will be called sons of the living God. This means YHWH is giving the prophecy that they will be taken back to Him. He will receive again those who make up the House of Israel. Notice too, this takes place in the same place where YHWH said they are no longer His people, Armageddon. To make that group of people as countless as the sands of the sea, they were taken captive, and they assimilated into all the countries of the world. They continued to reproduce and mix with all the people of the world. 

11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel!

It is at this time that both the House of Judah and the House of Israel will be gathered together, the "catching away." They will put over them a king, presumably Yeshua. They will all come out of the nations of the earth.

This chapter is quite interesting considering all the prophecy that is given and referred to. It is the House of Israel, who makes up the Ephraim prophecy given both in Genesis and Romans.