When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.”
Hosea 1:2 (NIV)

In 1994, after working for six years in vocational ministry, I took a job working for the company I now own and lead. My mother was not happy. For many years, about once a year, she would ask me if and when I was going to return to vocational ministry. My response to her was that I never left ministry. It just looks different. That didn’t seem to appease her, though she eventually gave up asking the question.

Having just finished the ancient prophecies of Amos, our chapter-a-day journey pivots to the prophecies of Hosea. Like Amos, Hosea’s prophetic words were directed at the northern kingdom of Israel, and he appears on the scene right after Amos. Perhaps he actually heard Amos preach and the two knew one another. Which, is why I wanted to go right into Hosea. It’s interesting how God uses two very different men in two very different ways to communicate similar messages to the same people.

The contrast between Amos and Hosea is immediate. Amos was the archetype of the lone stranger. He was a blue-collar nobody from Judah who shows up out of nowhere to preach his prophetic messages against the nation of Israel. Hosea is from Israel. He’s a local boy that people know. He’s not just going to stand a preach in the temple. God tells Hosea that his daily life, his wife, his marriage, and his children are going to be a living metaphor, a message to his nation. God tells Hosea:

Marry a promiscuous woman, because this people have been adulterous with me in worshipping other gods.

Name your son “Jezreel” (“God scatters”) because I’m going to punish the house of Jehu (a former king of Israel) for the massacre at Jezreel (when Jehu violently usurped the throne from his predecessor).

Name your daughter “Lo-Ruhmah” (“Not loved”), as I will no longer show love to Israel, though I will show love to Judah. God miraculously delivered Judah from the Assyrians.

Name your son “Lo-Ammi” (“Not my people”), because I’m not your God, and you’re not my people.

Hosea’s poor daughter. What a moniker to put on the wee girl!

Having lived in more than one small town along my life journey, I can tell you that Hosea’s life choices would not have gone over well with his family and community. My mother was upset that I left vocational ministry. I can’t imagine her reaction had I married a woman everyone in town knew was of ill-repute and then started giving my children strange names. I can guarantee you that when Hosea walked by the elders swapping coffee and commentary by the city gate, the ol’ boys were shaking their heads. “That Hosea. Did you hear what he named his daughter? He’s a weird one. I feel sorry for his mother.”

But, that was the point. Amos’ forthright preaching seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Hosea’s life as performance art appears to be God trying to get people’s attention by having the local boy make crazy life choices that everyone in town would question. When they questioned Hosea as to why he married that no-good Gomer, or why he named his daughter “Not loved,” he would tell them the reasons God told him to do so. And, believe me, it would definitely be talked about all over town.

In the quiet this morning, I find myself looking back at my life journey. Ever since I became a disciple of Jesus in my teens, I have continually and actively sought to discern and follow where God was leading me. There were certainly some choices I made along the way that raised eyebrows as well as questions from my family and friends. I’m sure that my life has not ended up where others would have predicted back in the day. But, I can tell you that I have no questions about the fact that I am right where I have been led, doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I get the feeling that Hosea was similarly at peace doing what God asked him to do.

I also get the feeling that his mother never stopped asking him about it.

If you know anyone who might be encouraged by today’s post, please share.