How to Use Life TruthsIf this is your first time teaching Life Truths, then welcome to one of the best resources for helping the parents in your church be Deuteronomy 6 parents—moms and dads who will take what they have learned from Sunday School and teach it to their children. Think of this page as your orientation. If you have been using Life Truths, you will notice some changes to the layout of this Leader Guide that will make it even easier for you to prepare to teach on Sunday.

We have expanded the teaching plan for each week from ten pages to twelve, and added some features to make the teaching plans more user-friendly. For example:

A full page for preparation and introduction to the lesson. Here you’ll find a list of items you will need from the Leader Pack as well as any additional items from home that the lesson calls for; a preparation checklist; and some questions to help your class get into the lesson and process the { P A U S E } pages.

A two-page spread for each of the three lesson points, divided into three columns:22 First, we give you the focal passage, background information on the Scripture, and several questions related to Scripture comprehension. We put this all in one place on the page, and it’s the first thing you see. Choose the questions that will help your class understand the passage. 22Next, we give you instructions for how to use each { C o N N E C T } feature in the Learner Guide. Don’t worry about trying to use all of them. Highlight the ones that will be most relevant for your class. 22 Finally, we give you an almost-full-size thumbnail of what the page looks like in the Learner Guide. No more balancing the Learner Guide on one knee and the Leader Guide on the other, flipping back and forth between them! Everything you need to teach is right there.

Four pages of commentary, beginning with a “Food for Thought” story that person-alizes the lesson. Sidebars to the commentary provide background information for the text, Biblical Illustrator article suggestions, and thought provoking questions for you as the teacher to consider during your personal preparation.

Tips To making every sunday morning counT:Application, not just information! Life Truths doesn’t wait until the end of the lesson to say, “Now how does this apply to your life?” Application is woven into every point of the lesson. Before you move on to the next point, help your class identify the “take-aways” from the current point.

Transformation, not just application! God’s Word is what changes people’s lives—not just facts, and not just how-to lists. Your goal should never just be “to get through the material.” If you need compass points, look at the “one Thing You Need to Know” and “The one Thing to Do” statements in the sidebar of the Introduction page. Keep these in mind, and don’t worry so much about asking every question and covering every paragraph.

PAUS

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BACKGROUND PASSAGES

Hosea 1:1–3:5

BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR

HELPS

x “Time and Life Situation of

Hosea” (Winter 2010-2011)

x “The Significance of a Name”

(Winter 2010-2011)

x “Jezreel: A Valley and a Son”

(Winter 2004-2005; Leader

Pack CD-ROM)

x “Jehu: His Leadership and

Legacy” (Summer 2004)

All of these articles can be found

on the Winter 2010-11 Biblical Illustrator Plus CD-ROM.

SPIRITUAL ADULTERY (1:2)

Spiritual adultery is the love of

false gods. The Old Testament

prophets, including Hosea,

utilized the imagery of adultery

to address the spiritual unfaith-

fulness of God’s people. The

Ten Commandments prohibited

God’s people from having

and worshiping gods besides

Yahweh (Ex. 20:2-6). The entire

Book of Hosea is framed by

the theme of Hosea faithfully

loving his unfaithful wife Gomer.

More significantly, God loved

His people even when they

committed spiritual adultery with

other gods.

C o M M E N TA RY

YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?Hosea 1:2-3

SNAPSHOT: The Lord sought to illustrate His relationship with Israel through the life of Hosea.

2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:

Go and marry a promiscuous wife and [have] children of promiscuity, for the whole land has been promiscuous by abandoning the Lord.

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

The Lord’s command to Hosea to marry a promiscuous wife seems odd to us at first. Why would a holy God direct a man to marry the “wrong kind of woman?” Further, why would the Lord tell him to have children of promiscuity? To understand the answer to these questions we have to remember how God demonstrated His love for Israel. He delivered them from Egyptian slavery, provided for their daily needs, and protected them from their enemies. He established them in the promised

land. His blessings equipped them to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Israel responded by committing spiritual adultery (see sidebar).

In the story of Hosea, the good Hosea represents the Lord. Gomer, the bad wife, on the other hand, represents ancient Israel, and by extension, all of us. How bad was Gomer? Hosea 2 tells of her promiscuity (2:2), her shameful behavior in bearing children of promiscuity (2:4-5), and her pursuit of lovers (2:5b,7). The phrase “children of promiscuity” meant they bore their mother’s reproach.

When we sin against God, He graciously, patiently seeks to love us back to Him. He does this by teaching us the error of our ways and by challenging us to change in order to return to fellowship with Him. We should be thankful God loves us enough to confront us about our sin. God told Hosea to marry a promiscuous wife, an immoral woman who lived off gifts from her lovers. Under divine direction, Hosea married her; then Gomer reverted to her old lifestyle, fell on hard times, and was reduced to slavery. Still under divine guidance

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

x Jezreel [JEZ reel]

x Lo-ruhamah [LOH-roo HA

muh]

x Jehu [JEE hyoo]

x Lo-ammi [lo-AM igh]

CAUSE AND EFFECT?

Taken together, the symbolic

names of Hosea’s three children

paint a portrait of doom for the

kingdom of Israel. God declared

He would bring judgment on

them. The three names could

be seen in a cause-and-effect

relationship. God would scatter them because He no longer had

compassion on them because

they were not His people any

longer.

WHO IS THE “MY” OF “NOT

MY PEOPLE?”

While the prophetic aspect of the

name of Hosea’s third child, “Not

My People,” is clear, the text does

not inform us specifically if Hosea

was declaring this child (or two or

all three of them) was not his.

Hosea bought her off the slave auctioneer’s block and restored her to the family. Gomer’s sinful lifestyle before and after she married Hosea became an example of Israel’s sinful rebellion against the Lord. The Lord declared “the whole land has been promiscuous,” literally “committing adultery she has committed adultery,” a strong emphasis in Hebrew. This spiritual adultery meant abandoning the Lord.

The phrase “when the Lord first spoke to Hosea” marked the beginning of God’s dealings with Israel through Hosea. The divine instructions were clear and the prophet responded in obedience. He went and married Gomer daughter of Diblaim [DIB lay im]. She conceived and bore him a son. The birth of Hosea’s first child gave the marriage a sense of legitimacy and normalcy. Hebrew families valued the firstborn son as the one who would carry the family name and continue in the father’s business.

God demonstrates His desire to love us even when we are unlovely. Since He will not accept second place in our lives, He lovingly confronts us in our sins. He did the same for ancient Israel by confronting the wayward nation through Hosea.

WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY?Hosea 1:4-9

SNAPSHOT: God instructed Hosea to give his children names symbolic of God’s judgment on Israel.4 Then the Lord said to him: Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu

and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of

Israel in the valley of Jezreel.

6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him: Name her No Compassion, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. I will certainly take them away. 7 But I will have compassion on the

house of Judah, and I will deliver them by the Lord their God. I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry.

8 After Gomer had weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 Then the Lord said:

Name him Not My People, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God.

The major form of spiritual adultery God confronted in Israel through Hosea was the worship of Baal, the Canaanite god who was thought to make the land fertile and provide crops. So when Hosea’s first son was born, the Lord instructed him to name him Jezreel, meaning “May God sow.” By naming his son Jezreel, Hosea reminded his peers God was the true source of their harvests.

Jezreel was also the name of a town and the valley surrounding it. This was where Jehu purged Israel of Baal worship in 841 B.C., almost a century earlier. Jehu’s purge included the killing of king Joram, the remaining descendants of Ahab’s family, and all the priests of Baal

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Wayne was the town drunk. People in the town had written him off years ago. But when the new preacher came to town, he befriended Wayne. In time, casual conversations gave way to intense counseling. Wayne got some much needed help with his drinking problem. He trusted Jesus as his personal Savior. When asked to give his testimony, Wayne simply said, “No one ever loved me like this man here,” as he pointed to the preacher.

Wayne began to grow in his understanding of God, especially God’s love for sinners. He came to realize the preacher was not the only one who loved him; ultimately, Jesus was the one who loved him. The preacher was just the human channel of that love. Wayne’s witness took the form of ministry to other alcoholics and drug users. He had experienced firsthand God’s crazy love for the unlovely.

120 FEBRUARY 6 LovE To THE UNLovELY 121

THINK IT THROUGH

x Think of the most powerful example of sin you have observed in recent history. How would God’s instructions to Hosea regarding Gomer relate to the person(s) involved in the above situation? Are they unable to be loved by God? Explain.

x What do you see as the primary form of spiritual adultery today? Why?

x Is there any sin in your own life that is keeping you from experi-encing the full benefits of God’s love? If so, spend some time in personal repentance before teaching this lesson.

Looking for more commentary?

You can find extended

commentary for this lesson on the

Leader Pack CD-ROM. For even

more in-depth commentary, order

the Advanced Commentary for

this lesson from www.lifeway.com.

(2 Kings 10:11). Afterward, Jehu himself became king. But by Hosea’s time, Israel had returned to their worship of false gods such as Baal.

God was pleased with Jehu’s elimination of the Baal cult (2 Kings 10:28-30). Unfortunately, Jehu’s descendants returned to their spiritual adultery. Thus, God promised to “avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel.” Divine judgment on the house of Jehu resulted in the end of Jehu’s dynasty and the eventual demise of Israel as well. In graphic terms, the Lord swore to “break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.” The broken bow represents the defeat of the entire army of Israel and the end of Jehu’s dynasty. The prophecy was fulfilled with the assassination of Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, Jehu’s last descendant to sit on the throne.

Gomer then conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. The Lord instructed Hosea to name his daughter Lo-ruhamah, meaning No Compassion. God declared he would “no longer have compassion on the house of Israel.” God’s compassion had provided sustenance and protection through the years of the Northern Kingdom. The return to Baalism resulted in God’s removal of His divine protection. The Northern Kingdom would fall to foreign armies due to their unfaithfulness.

At the same time, the Lord promised to have compassion on the Southern Kingdom, the house of Judah. Historically, the Southern Kingdom lasted an additional 135 years after the fall of Israel in 722 B.C. One aspect of God’s relationship with Judah was the connection between His compassion and His deliverance. God promised

to “deliver them by the Lord their God.” The verb to deliver means to save from distress or calamity. The one who delivers is then regarded as the “savior.” In this instance, the Lord Himself is put forth as Judah’s deliverance.

After Gomer weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to another son, whom Hosea named Lo-ammi, meaning Not My People. The prophetic aspect of the name is explained by God’s statement to Israel, “you are not My people.” The other side of the same coin is the Lord “will not be your God.” Such strong terms of separation were intended to bring into sharp focus the deterio-rated condition of the covenant relationship between God and Israel. God declared His rebellious people were no longer worthy to be called His people.

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?Hosea 3:1-5

SNAPSHOT: Gomer received a second chance. In the same way, the Lord would graciously restore Israel to Himself.

1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

2 So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley. 3 I said to her, “You must live with me many days. Don’t be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you.”

4 For the Israelites must live many

days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterwards, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days.

Some time after the birth of her children, Gomer returned to a sinful lifestyle, apparently separated from Hosea, and survived by receiving money from her lovers. Some scholars argue the woman in Hosea 3:1 is different from Gomer. However, since God would not ask Hosea to commit adultery with another man’s adulterous wife, the unnamed woman has to be Gomer, Hosea’s estranged wife. God commanded Hosea to show love to a woman who was loved by another man and who was an adulteress. In so doing Hosea would become just as the Lord, who “loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods.” We see both the magnitude of spiritual adultery and the enormity of God’s love.

In obedience to the Lord, Hosea bought back his wife. Scripture does not address why or from whom Hosea had to buy her. The most probable explanation is Gomer had to sell herself as some kind of slave to stay alive in her depravation following her separation from Hosea. Though she was Hosea’s wife, her owner required financial restitution for the loss of her services. Hosea paid 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley.

Once he bought her back, Hosea required Gomer to “live with [him] many days.” Hosea and Gomer had been separated for a while. To live with each other for many days was the first step of getting reacquainted.

Second, Gomer had to refrain from being promiscuous and could not belong to any man. Those actions which destroyed her marriage had to be eliminated for the marriage to be revived. In turn, Hosea promised to act the same way toward Gomer. She would be faithful to him; Hosea would be faithful to her.

Like Hosea, God sought to restore a loving relationship with the Israelites. But like Gomer, they had to live many days in a period of renewed acquaintance marked by being cut off from the things they had grown accustomed to previously. Israel would be without king or prince, indicating a time of political change and subservience to other nations. They would also be without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. In order for Israel to reunite with the Lord, the nation had to be separated from those things keeping them from the Lord.

The intended result of divine chastisement of Israel was the people of Israel would return and seek the Lord. The verb return also can be translated “repent.” Both ideas seem to be present in the context. The disciplines of the Lord lead the people to repent of their sins and to return to Him. The Hebrew word indicates an intensive seeking. The people will also seek David their king, a messianic reference. The result of seeking God and His Messiah is finding His goodness in the last days. Thus, Hosea’s actions of redeeming Gomer from a life of sin foreshadowed Jesus’ paying the purchase price for our sins.

122 FEBRUARY 6 LovE To THE UNLovELY 123

filthy, and dirty jobs they can think of doing or that they’ve seen others complete. After ample time, give each group time to share their list.

2What’s the rest of the quote: “It’s a dirty job, ____________”? (“but someone has to do it”) 2What makes a job a dirty job? 2How do you think people continue to work and complete the tasks involved with these disgusting, filthy, dirty jobs?

SUMMARIZE: As parents, we change diapers, clean up messes, and take care of kids with stomach bugs. Dirty jobs, but someone has to do them. We do them out of a sense of love and obligation for our kids. Other jobs may not be considered “dirty” from a physical point of view, but are emotionally, mentally, or spiritually difficult. Think about some of the circumstances you’ve endured in order to provide and protect your family. Again, we do them because we love our family. But what if it wasn’t about taking care of our family? How many of us would be willing to take on a “dirty job” simply because God told us to?

CONNECT— “PROMISCUOUS”: Ask a class member to read the “promiscuous” feature. Discuss how God was clear with Hosea. Although Hosea may not have understood all the repercus-sions that would follow in his marriage to Gomer, he did know he was marrying a woman who had a history of being unfaithful. 2Do you believe God would describe our own society as promiscuous, in the way Israel was in Hosea’s day? Why or why not? 2What are the false gods of our culture? 2Give your reaction to this statement: “God’s plan may be hard to understand, but His directions are never unclear or misleading.” Have you found this to be true in your life?

CONNECT— “PROPHETS- THOSE CRAZY GUYS”: Call attention to the feature about some of

You Want Me to Do What? (Hos. 1:2-3)

SCRIPTURE: Direct class members to find Hosea in their Bibles. Since this isn’t a book we typically spend a lot of time with, give them permission to look it up in their Bible’s Table of Contents. Generally, if you turn right at Ezekiel, you’ll get there. Call on a class member to read Hosea 1:2-3.

2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:

Go and marry a promiscuous wife and [have] children of promiscuity, for the whole land has been promiscuous by abandoning the Lord.3 So he went and married Gomer daughter of

Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

2How did Hosea know it was God speaking to him? 2God gave Hosea both a “what” and a “why” in verse 2. What were they? 2What was Hosea’s response? 2How can we know when God is speaking to us and that it is not just our selfish desires, motives and ambitions leading us?

SUMMARIZE: Point out where Hosea falls on Pack Item 17, “Prophets Timeline,” directing attention to the end of the Northern Kingdom, and how bad the kings were. Hosea was writing in the last decades of the kingdom before the people were overrun by the Assyrians. So we might think of this extreme object lesson as God’s last attempt to get the people’s attention.

God’s directions wouldn’t make a lot of sense to a good Jewish boy like Hosea, unless of course he was a prophet and knew God speaking to him. In spite of the outrageous command, Hosea immediately responded to God in obedience, and married Gomer.

CONNECT: Group class into three teams. Distribute copies of Pack Item 16: “It’s a Dirty Job” Handout, and encourage adults to have fun making their lists. If the pack is unavailable, explain that each group is to create a list of the most disgusting,

God’s other prophets at the top of the page. While adults are still in their three groups, give each group a few minutes to look up the Scriptures connected to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. Ask each group to identify the purpose of each “object lesson.” 2What are the things that take our time and attention away from God? 2How has God tried to get your attention in the past? 2What do you think it will take for God to get our culture’s attention?

CONNECT— “SHIP IS SAFE” QUOTE: Direct attention to the quote in the middle of the page: “A ship is safe in the water until the water is too much in the ship.” Allow class members to talk about what this statement means. Discuss how as Christians, we are still a part of the culture God has called us to speak against. We have a prophetic role in speaking truth to the culture, while at the same time we have a responsibility to keep the culture from getting “in us” too much. Discuss what it means to be in the world but not of the world.

TRANSITION: Like the people of Hosea’s day we’ve embraced the world’s definitions of love and loyalty to the ruin of our relationships with God and others. We’ve allowed so many other things to overtake our time and attention that should be devoted to God alone. As a result life and relationships become messy. Still, God loves us with an crazy love that continues to call us back to Him. However, as we will see, sometimes things often get worse before they get better.

LEARNER GUIDE, PAGE 84

PACK ITEMS 17A & B, TAPED ToGETHER

PACK ITEM 16

PACK ITEM 16

84 F E b R UA RY 6

You Want Me to Do What? Hosea 1:2-3

2WhentheLordfirstspoketoHosea,Hesaidthistohim:

Goandmarryapromiscuouswifeand[have]childrenofpromiscuity,forthewholelandhasbeenpromiscuousbyabandoningtheLord.

3SohewentandmarriedGomerdaughterofDiblaim,andsheconceivedandborehimason.

Prophets: Those Crazy Guys. Hosea is just one of a distinguished list of prophets who, following God’s direction, acted out their message in outrageous ways:

ISAIAH: Went naked for three years (Isa. 20:3-4)JEREMIAH: Wore a ratty linen belt he had buried in the ground for a few days (Jer. 13:1-7)EZEKIEL: Lay on his side for over a year, facing a diorama of Jerusalem (Ezek. 4:1-5). Shaved his head and beard and burned, beat, and scattered the hair (Ezek. 5:1-4).

“Promiscuous” (v. 2)The Hebrew word translates as adultery, fornication,

and prostitution. Depending upon the Bible translation the word will carry a softer or more blunt meaning such as harlotry

(NASB), unfaithful (NCV), or whoredom (KJV). Consistent in all the translations is that whatever word was used to describe Gomer,

the same word is used to describe the sin of the nation. No matter how you translate it, Gomer had the reputation of “bad girl.” She would not be considered the ideal wife in Jewish culture for Hosea or any other man of integrity and character. KJV OLD TESTAMENT HEBREW LEXICON, HOSEA 1:2.

Ashipissafeinthewateruntilthewateristoomuchintheship.

It’s a D IRTY JOB

It’s a D IRTY JOB

1 1

3 3

5 5

7 7

2 2

4 4

6 6

8 8

Pack Item 16 • It’s a Dirty Job Handout • For use February 6 • Life Truths Leader Pack © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention • Printed in the United States of America. Note: Permission is granted by the copyright holder to make photocopies of this pack item for its intended use only.

900

P r ophe t s , K i ngs , a nd K i ngdoms

AHAB874-853

BAASHA902-886

JORAM 852-841

JEHU 841-814

JEHOAHAZ814-798

JEHOASH798-782

JEROBOAM II793-753

MENAHEM 752-742

PEKAH 752-732

800

ELIJAH(875-848)

ELISHA(848-797)

JONAH(800-750)

MICAH(735-700)

ISAIAH(740-681)

NORTHERN KINGDOM (ISRAEL) AMOS(760-750) HOSEA

(750-715)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★

JOTHAM 750-732

AMAZIAH796-767

ATHALIAH*

841-835JEHOSHAPHAT

872-848AHAZ

735-715AZARIAH 792-740

JOASH 835-796

ASA910-869

JEHORAM853-841

Pack Item 17a • Prophets Timeline Part 1 • For use in February 2011 • Life Truths Leader Pack © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention • Printed in the United States of America.

OMRI 885-874

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

*Athaliah was the only queen among the rulers of Israel. She killed off most of the royal family and set herself up as queen. Only Joash, who was hidden from her by an aunt, survived.

700

600

HOSHEA 732-722

PEKAH 740-732

MANASSEH697-642

HEZEKIAH 715-686

JOSIAH640-609

ZEDEKIAH597-586

JOHOIAKIM 609-598

MICAH(735-700)

NAHUM(645-620) JEREMIAH

(626-585)

ISAIAH(740-681)

SOUTHERN KINGDOM (JUDAH)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★ ★★ ★ ★ ★ ★

722: NORTHERN KINGDOM FALLS TO ASSYRIA,

ISRAELITES DEPORTED

586: JERUSALEM FALLS,

JEWS EXILED TO BABYLON

AHAZ 735-715

The stars represent relative goodness and badness of each king, as described in Scripture. The Bible describes Ahab and Manassah as two of the worst kings in Israel/Judah history (see 1 Kings 16:30 and 2 Kings 21:11), so they get no stars. Hezekiah and Josiah were two of the greatest kings of Judah, (see 2 Kings 18:5, 23:25) so they get five stars. Everyone else was somewhere in between, neither as bad as Ahab nor as good as Josiah.

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114 FEBRUARY 6 LovE To THE UNLovELY 115

2What is the significance of the names of Gomer’s children? 2How do you think these two children felt every time their names were spoken? 2What do you think was the response from other people outside of Hosea’s family when they heard these children being called by name?

CONNECT— “THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF JEHU”: Refer to the chart going down the side of the page, and use the commentary to help class members understand the background of this passage. In 2 Kings 9-10 Jehu purged Israel of Baal worship. However, roughly 100 years later with Jeroboam (Jehu’s great-grandson reigning as king), the Israelites had returned again to full blown Baal worship. In the same way, Gomer is faithful to Hosea bearing him a son (v. 3) and then quickly returns to her promiscuous ways giving birth to a daughter (v. 6) and another son (v. 8).

CONNECT— “PATERNITY TESTING”: Read this feature to the class to help them better understand the reality of Hosea’s story. Talk about radical obedience! Hosea not only married a prostitute, but he may have also taken the children of her promiscuity as his own. Hosea’s family unfortunately became the “poster family” reflecting the unfaithfulness of God’s people.

2 Compare what it would be like to be named Jezreel (which means “God Scatters”) to what it would be like to be named “No Compassion” or “Not My People.” 2Do you think Hosea and Gomer felt equal amounts of shame for these children? Why or why not? 2How might you react knowing your family was on display for others to see like Hosea’s family? 2 Is it possible that your family is more on display to the world than you realize?

What Are You Trying to Say?(Hos. 1:4-9)

SCRIPTURE: Ask a class member to read Hosea 1:4-9.

4 Then the Lord said to him:

Name him Jezreel, for in a little while I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu and put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel

in the valley of Jezreel.

6 She conceived again and gave birth to a daughter, and the Lord said to him:

Name her No Compassion, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel. I will certainly take them away. 7 But I will have compassion on the house of

Judah, and I will deliver them by the Lord their God.I will not deliver them by bow, sword, or war, or by horses and cavalry.

8 After Gomer had weaned No Compassion, she conceived and gave birth to a son. 9 Then the Lord said:

Name him Not My People, for you are not My people, and I will not be your God.

2 These verses follow the pattern of event followed by instruction. Which verses communicate the events of Hosea’s marriage? Which ones communicate God’s instructions related to those events? 2Would anyone like to share the significance of your own children’s names? Why did you give them the names you did?

SUMMARIZE: Hosea’s life and marriage was a picture of what God was trying to say to His people. But in a more positive sense, our marriages today are also meant to be a picture of what God is trying to say to the world. Throughout the New Testament, God compared the marriage relationship to the relationship between Christ and the church (see Ephesians 5:22-29, for example).

2What does your marriage and family say to the world about the character of God?

TRANSITION: Hosea was obedient to God regardless of the cost to his family or himself. He would marry whom God told him to marry. He would name the children what God said to name them. Hosea realized the higher purpose God had for his marriage and the children. Hosea’s life, marriage, and message reminds us of God’s unconditional love, but also His regard for our sin. Sin and unfaithfulness to God is prostitution is God’s eyes. He desires that we are faithful to Him alone. He desires that sin and idols be removed from our lives. He desires that we obey Him totally and completely for the fullest, richest relationship with Him.

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85F E b R UA RY 6

{ C O N N E C T }

w i t h t h e W o r d a n d o t h e r

p a r e n t s d u r i n g c l a s s

What Are You Trying to Say? Hosea 1:4-94ThentheLordsaidtohim:

NamehimJezreel,forinalittlewhileIwillavengethebloodshedofJezreelonthehouseofJehuandputanendtothekingdomofthehouseofIsrael.5OnthatdayIwillbreakthebowofIsrael

inthevalleyofJezreel.

6Sheconceivedagainandgavebirthtoadaughter,andtheLordsaidtohim:

NameherNocompassion,forIwillnolongerhavecompassiononthehouseofIsrael.Iwillcertainlytakethemaway.7butIwillhavecompassiononthehouseofJudah,

andIwilldeliverthembytheLordtheirGod.Iwillnotdeliverthembybow,sword,orwar,orbyhorsesandcavalry.

8AfterGomerhadweanedNocompassion,sheconceivedandgavebirthtoason.9ThentheLordsaid:

NamehimNotmyPeople,foryouarenotmypeople,andIwillnotbeyourGod.

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE

OF JEHU

Through Jehu, God wiped

out the line of Ahab, one of Israel’s worst kings. But it

wasn’t long be-fore Jehu’s own

line crashed and burned.

841-814 B.C.JEHU

2 Kings 10:28-31

814-798 B.C.JEHOAHAZ2 Kings 13:7

798-782 B. C.JEHOASH

2 Kings 13:11

793-753 B.C.* JEROBOAM II

2 Kings 14:23-29

King during Hosea’s time.

*Served as coregent with Jehoash 793-782 B.C.

Paternity Testing

Look closely at verse 2 on the previous page. Those brackets around the word “have” indicate that the word is not in the Hebrew text, which literally reads, “take for yourself a woman of promiscuity and children of promiscuity.” This may be a clue that these children were not Hosea’s biologically. It is also possible that Jezreel was Hosea’s, since verse 3 says “she bore him [Hosea] a son,” but that the next two children weren’t (compare verses 6 and 8, which leave out the word “him”).

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CONNECT— “RAISIN CAKES”: The line about loving raisin cakes in verse 1 might sound a little random at first. Ask a volunteer to read the feature about raisin cakes. Help learners understand that raisin cakes represented a reliance on pagan gods and were just another example of Israel’s unfaithfulness.

CONNECT— “BOUGHT FROM WHOM” / “MORE THAN JUST THE HERE AND NOW”: Direct attention to these two features. Point out this detail of the story is one of the strongest connections between Hosea’s story and God’s bigger redemption story. Discuss how Hosea’s story is a “fractal” of the story of salvation with some of these questions:that whatever Hosea had gone through he continued to obey God above all else. He did not focus on anything but what God desired. Hosea would pay whatever price was needed to demonstrate God’s outrageous love and restore Israel’s relationship with God. Just as Hosea paid the price for his marriage to a promiscuous woman, God paid the price for our sin through Jesus’ death on the cross.

2How does Gomer represent our rebellious attitude against God? 2 In what way does Hosea represent God in this story? 2 From whom did God buy us back? What was the price He paid? 2How can we demonstrate God’s love for others? What risks are you willing to take for them?

TRANSITION: Many people have experienced rejection and heartbreak like Hosea. Heartbreak is common to people inside and outside the church. There are so many people who feel unlovely and unworthy of God’s love. Through Hosea’s example of forgiveness we can see God’s forgiveness.

What Are You Up To?(Hos. 3:1-5)

SCRIPTURE: Ask learners to read Hosea 3:1-5.

1 Then the Lord said to me, “Go again; show love to a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the Israelites though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”

2 So I bought her for 15 shekels of silver and five bushels of barley. 3 I said to her, “You must live with me many days. Don’t be promiscuous or belong to any man, and I will act the same way toward you.”

4 For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, and without ephod or household idols. 5 Afterwards, the people of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the Lord and to His goodness in the last days. 2Up to this point, Hosea had told the story in the third person. But in verses 1-3, he started using words like “my” and “I.” How does this impact the way you hear the story? 2How does the restoration of relationship between Hosea and Gomer parallel the relationship and restoration between God and Israel? 2Why did God say the Israelites must live for a period of time without the things listed in verse 4?

All of these things had caused Israel to stumble in various ways in their history. Kings and princes had led them into sin. Sacrifices had become ritualized and meaningless. Even the ephod, intended to be worn by God’s high priest, had become associated with idolatry (see Judges 8:27; 17:5). 2 As parents, what are some ways we restrict their children from situations that might be harmful to their physical or spiritual development? 2How can we love and help restore others to God when they are unfaithful to Him?

Wrap It Up

SUMMARIZE: We can continually draw closer to God and remain faithful to Him as we follow His commands in obedience. However, when we refuse to repent of sin and turn from walking with Him in rebellion, we will not reap the full benefits of His outrageous love. That sin will drive a wedge in our relationship with God. Until we confess our sin and turn away from our rebellious ways, we will not have the fully restored, right relationship with God that He intends for us to experience.

PRAYER TIME: Distribute copies of Pack Item 2: Prayer Journal Pages. Lead in a closing prayer. As you pray, ask adults to pray for those considered the most unlovable in society. Remind adults that if we do not share Christ with those who are considered “unlovely” who will? It may be an unwanted, unrewarding “dirty job,” but someone needs to do it.

BEFORE YOU GO: Challenge learners to find Leviticus 26:12 in their Bibles to memorize this week. Call for a class member to read the verse aloud. “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.” (Lev. 26:12) Remind learners that Gomer, the Israelites and all of us can easily fall into a cycle of habitual sin and rebellion if we are not walking with God daily. However, when we keep Him first in our lives we are better prepared to stand firm against false idols and gods that can devastate our relationship with God.

Direct learners to the {DEEPEN} article for this week, which provides more background on Hosea. Encourage adults to look to the [LIVE] section for practical ways they can put today’s Bible study into practice. And finally, challenge them to check their e-mail for the upcoming Truth Connections.

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Bought from Whom?

The Bible doesn’t say why Hosea had to buy back his wife, or to whom he paid the money. Some scholars believe Gomer had sold herself into slavery, while others connect the payment to the bridal price of Exodus 22:16.

What Does God Have Against Raisin Cakes?

There wasn’t anything inherently bad about raisin cakes. As part of the celebration of the ark coming back to Jerusalem, David passed them out to everyone in Israel (2 Sam. 6:19). However, the context indicates the cakes were used in pagan fertility worship, just as loaves of bread or cakes were in Jeremiah 44:19.

More Than Just the Here and Now A fractal is a geometric shape that, when divided, splits into sections in which

each section retains the shape and structure of the whole. In nature,

broccoli is a fractal. So are ferns and some seashells. How is

Hosea a “fractal” of God’s bigger story?

What Are You Up To? Hosea 3:1-5

1ThentheLordsaidtome,“Goagain;showlovetoawomanwhoislovedbyanothermanandisanadulteress,justastheLordlovestheIsraelitesthoughtheyturntoothergodsandloveraisincakes.”

2SoIboughtherfor15shekelsofsil-verandfivebushelsofbarley.3Isaidtoher,“Youmustlivewithmemanydays.Don’tbepromiscuousorbelongtoanyman,andIwillactthesamewaytowardyou.”

4FortheIsraelitesmustlivemanydayswithoutkingorprince,withoutsacrificeorsacredpillar,andwithoutephodorhouseholdidols.5Afterwards,thepeopleofIsraelwillreturnandseektheLordtheirGodandDavidtheirking.TheywillcomewithawetotheLordandtoHisgoodnessinthelastdays.

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L o v e t o t h e U n l o v e l y

Ton ight a s t ranger w i l l buy he r f o r $25 . What i s she wor th to you?How much has God pa id fo r he r?

FEBRUARY 6

lc A CONNECT LESSON

T E A C H I N G P L A N

Preparation

OPTIONAL STUFF YOU MIGHT WANTx Pack Items 1-3 (see page 162)x Pack Item 14: Hosea: God’s Crazy Love Unit Posterx Copies of Pack Item 16, “It’s a Dirty Job” Handoutx Pack Items 17a and 17b, “Prophets Timeline” taped together to make

one poster.

BEFORE CLASS CHECKLIST: ❏ Read background passages and focal passages several times, comparing

different translations to the HCSB that is printed in the lesson.❏ Study lesson commentary (pages 24-27) ❏ In the teaching plan, determine which questions and connect points will

work best with your group.❏ Make copies of reproducible Pack Items you will use, and display posters. ❏ Pray for yourself as you teach, and for your class as they learn.

IntroductionPAUSE: Lead group to consider the [PAUSE] image and question on pages 82-83. Since this is a rather jarring image, ask class members to consider it without comment for a full thirty seconds. Keep time on your watch. At the end of the time period, invite discussion on these questions: 2What are your initial responses to this image and question? 2 Suppose God called you to demonstrate His love to the prostitute in the picture? Where would you start? 2 Let’s take it a step further: suppose God called not just to demonstrate His love to her, but to get into a long-term relationship with her. How does that change things?

TRANSITION: Today we will begin a study of Hosea, a guy whom God tapped to take on a difficult task, to say the least. Instead of settling down with a nice Jewish girl who would support him in his prophetic ministry, God called on Hosea to marry an adulterous woman. Hosea followed through in obedience to God and did things that most people would never dream of doing. He was willing to obey God to extreme levels even when it meant enduring shame, embarrassment, or ridicule from others. Hosea put his own reputation on the line to demonstrate God’s crazy love for His people. This lesson will remind us just how far God will go to have a personal relationship with us.

RELEVANT BIBLICAL

CONCEPT*: God

THE ONE THING

TO KNOW:

God loves and pursues people,

both inside and outside the

church, who are unfaithful to

Him.

THE ONE THING TO DO:

Recognize how much God

loves you and wants to have a

personal relationship with you.

Respond to His love by obeying

His commands.

LESSON OUTLINE:

You Want Me to Do What?

(Hos. 1:2-3)

What Are You Trying to Say?

(Hos. 1:4-9)

What Are You Up To? (Hos.

3:1-5)

*Bible Studies For Life (BSFL)

follows a plan in which fifteen

Relevant Biblical Concepts

are studied in the course of a

year. For more about LifeWay’s

Adult Ministry Strategy and

how it is connected to the

Levels of Biblical Learning in

the Children’s Ministry Strategy,

visit these Web sites:

www.lifeway.com/adult strategy

www.lifeway.com/kidspromise

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