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About Hosea
Jonah went to warn Nineveh in Assyria, Amos prophesied while Israel was living in luxury, and Hosea prophesied while Israel was exiled to Assyria. He lived and prophesied through the last four kings of Judah, and king Jeroboam of Israel.
The Hebrew name of Hosea is H1954 – hôšēaʿ, meaning Salvation. The root word for Hosea is Yasa H3467 – yāšaʿ, meaning to save, or saviour or preserve. Both these words are the root word for Yeshua’s name, which is actually in full writing called Yehoshua – meaning Saviour or Salvation. Back in Numbers 13 (click here to read more), Moses’s 2nd in command that led Israel into the promised land, Joshua (which in Hebrew is Yehoshua also) original name was also Hosea, and so Moses gave him a new name. Numbers 13:16 says, “And Mosheh called Hoshĕa the son of Nun, Yehoshua (Jehoshua)”. Some translations use “Osea” – but when you look at the Hebrew word, it is Hosea. The name Yehoshua (or the shorter version Yeshua) in Hebrew is H3091 – yᵊhôšûaʿ, which means “YHWH is Salvation“.
Prostitution / Harlot
Hosea 1:2 “When YHWH began to speak by Hosea, YHWH said to Hosea: “Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry, And children of harlotry, For the land has committed great harlotry by departing from YHWH .”
The Hebrew word used here for harlotry is H2183 – zᵊnûnîm. The root word for harlot that was covered before is Zana H2181 – zānâ, like the post on Harlots covered in Proverbs 7 (click here to read more). In that post, we explained why the theme of Harlots is used a lot throughout Scripture, even with Yeshua and in Revelations as well. It all comes down to the Torah (YHWH’s Instructions) which are given like a contract, a marriage agreement. When the agreement is not kept, after one has committed to it, then that breaking of commitment is compared to harlotry. This is explained over and over again in this book of Hosea.
What is super interesting, is that Hosea, who’s name is the root word for Yeshua, is told by YHWH the Father, to take the harlot as his wife. Even though she has been unfaithful, YHWH still loves Israel, and all the orphaned children around the world. In the same manner, even though Israel and all the orphaned children around the world have sinned and are lost, Yeshua are still to take them in as His wife and children. See the following examples of where Yeshua interacted or referenced with mercy on the prostitutes:
- In the biblical passage of John 8:3-11, religious leaders bring a woman caught in adultery before Yeshua, intending to trap him. Yeshua responds by writing on the ground and then stating, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her“. The accusers then leave, and Yeshua tells the woman, “Neither do I condemn you; go now and leave your life of sin”.
- In the Gospel of Luke 7:36-50, a woman “of the city, who was a sinner” is described as entering a Pharisee’s house where Yeshua was dining. She washes Yeshua’ feet with her tears, dries them with her hair, kisses them, and anoints them with expensive perfume. Yeshua uses her actions and the Pharisee’s lack of hospitality to illustrate that her “many sins have been forgiven” because of her great love, a love stemming from her deep gratitude for God’s forgiveness.
- In Matthew 21:31 Yeshua asked a group of religious leaders which of two sons had done his father’s will after the father asked them to work in the vineyard. They answered the first son, but Yeshua pointed out that tax collectors and prostitutes, who initially refused but later repented, would enter the kingdom of YHWH before the religious leaders who claimed to follow YHWH.
