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remembered that two words similar in sound provide a further prophetic
foreshadowing. The Hebrew word 'to sow' is zara, the Hebrew word 'to
scatter' is zarah, so that the expressions 'May God sow' and 'May God
scatter' appear very similar to the eye and ear in the original. Israel were
to be 'scattered' among the nations (Lev. 26:33; Jer. 31:10) but eventually
they were to be 'sown' again in their own land (Jer. 31:27). The prophet
Zechariah uses the word 'sow' with the meaning equivalent to 'scatter' (Zech.
10:9). The scattered tribes of Israel were known as 'the dispersion' (Ezek.
12:15; John 7:35) or 'the twelve tribes scattered abroad' (Jas. 1:1) where
the Greek word for 'seed', spora, enters into the composition of the word
diaspora, 'the dispersed or scattered'.
In this name of Hosea's first -born son, therefore, the whole of
Israel's history is compressed. They shall be scattered, but they shall at
last be gathered. The names of the two children that follow are prophetic of
the condition of Israel during this scattering, Lo -ruhamah meaning
'not having obtained mercy', Lo -ammi meaning 'not My people'. The 'Lo -
ammi' period of Israel's scattering is of the utmost importance to the right
understanding of the dispensational place of the Mystery and the Church of
the One Body. Israel became 'lo -ammi' at Acts 28:28, when for the first
time in history it could be said 'the salvation of God is sent unto the
Gentiles', independently of Israel. The verb is literally 'was sent' and
refers to some particular point in time. This point we believe to be
indicated in Acts 26:17, consequent upon the second appearing of Christ to
Paul. In God's good time, a complete reversal will be made of all the
conditions that are now associated with Israel's blindness, which reversal is
the subject of Hosea 2:23:
(1)
'I will sow' Jezreel, the second meaning attaching to the Hebrew
name;
(2)
'I will have mercy', removing the negative 'lo' from the name Lo-
ruhamah; and
(3)
'My people', removing the negative 'lo' from the name Lo-ammi.
Great shall be the day of Jezreel when this blessed reversal
takes place (1:11).
The second marriage relationship of Hosea is given in chapter 3. The
word translated 'friend' in Hosea 3:1 is the Hebrew rea, which differs from
the word translated 'evil' only in the vowel points, and is usually written
ra. This verse is translated in the LXX 'Go yet, and love a woman that loves
evil things, and an adulteress', and it is in line with the truth for which
this symbol stands that these words should refer to the same woman Gomer, who
had acted unfaithfully even as Israel had done. We sincerely hope that by so
concluding we have not said evil of an innocent person, and must of course
leave the matter to the judgment of 'that day'. The woman in view had
evidently become seriously involved, for the price paid by Hosea was the
price demanded for the liberation of a slave.The symbolism of this new
marital transaction is then explained:
'For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and
without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and
without an ephod, and without teraphim:
'Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their
God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and His goodness in
the latter days' (Hosea 3:4,5).