Gomer: The wife of Hosea

The unfaithfulness of the people of God and God’s love and mercy for them even in their unfaithfulness is a big theme that runs from Genesis to Revelation. The book of Hosea symbolizes this theme through the life and ministry of Hosea. As a prophet of God, Hosea was the mouthpiece of God and He revealed to the people God’s words and God’s ways. Hosea lived during the reigns of four kings of Judah and one king of Israel. The unfaithfulness of the people to God had resulted in several prophecies on how God intended to remove them from their lands. However, God also revealed His promise of restoration. Hosea’s marriage and children became signs and messages to the people.

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. (Hosea 1:3)

Hosea 1:2 states that, “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.” Thus, Hosea’s marriage was to be a symbol of the unfaithfulness of the people to God. Hosea obeyed God and he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son (Hosea 1:3). Through the word of God, the son was named Jezreel because God was going to soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel (Hosea 1:4‭-‬5). Gomer had another daughter and the Lord said to Hosea, “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them—not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.” (Hosea 1:6‭-‬7). Gomer had another son and the Lord said, “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” (Hosea 1:9).

Gomer and her children were symbolic of the state of Israel and Judah. Gomer represented the unfaithful people of God and Hosea represented the faithful God. Gomer’s unfaithfulness to Hosea did not cease after marriage. In fact, she left to follow another man and the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes.” (Hosea 3:1). Through this God showed that although the people had turned away from Him, He still loved them and was willing to go after the sinful people just to show them His love.

Hosea had to buy back his wife from the arms of another man. Hosea 3:2-3 states that Hosea bought Gomer back for fifteen shekels of silver and about a homer and a lethek of barley. Hosea told Gomer, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” Just like Gomer was redeemed by Hosea, the sinner has been redeemed with the priceless blood of Jesus. It cost God the life of His only begotten Son to pay the ransom for our sins. Yet we all, like Gomer, keep moving from the arms of Hosea (God) to the hands of another man (sin).

One of the goals of the book of Hosea is to cause the people to return to God. Hosea 6:1-2 states that “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” And God on His part says to His people, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6). Israel was admonished to “sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” (Hosea 10:12). It is time for us to return to the Lord!

Oholah and Oholibah: The two adulterous sisters

The book of Ezekiel is full of different imagery depicting the state of the nation’s of Israel and Judah. Women were mentioned in different places referring to real women such as the enchantresses or women depicting the character of societies. All throughout scripture, the people of God have been given feminine attributes and are sometimes referred as the bride of God, the bride of Christ, daughters of God, daughters of Zion among many others. These feminine attributes include positive characteristics such as compassion, empathy, caring, loving,respectful, appreciative etc. However, some of the feminine depictions of the people of God demonstrate characters that show the weaknesses of the females. For example, we see greed, susceptibility, physical and emotional weakness among many others. Two such feminine depictions are mentioned in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel 23:1 states this: “The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, there were two women, daughters of the same mother. They became prostitutes in Egypt, engaging in prostitution from their youth. In that land their breasts were fondled and their virgin bosoms caressed.”

The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem. (Ezekiel 23:4)

The verses 2-3 of Ezekiel 23 explain the moral state of these women: they were prostitutes. These women were born by one mother and their moral decadence was the same. Their prostitution was done in Egypt. The verse reveals this truth: “The older was named Oholah, and her sister was Oholibah. They were mine and gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah is Samaria, and Oholibah is Jerusalem.” These women are not nameless. Oholah and Oholibah were daughters of the most high God. This revelation implies that the book is referring to symbolic daughters. Oholah and Oholibah refer to the nation’s of Israel and Judah. The very detailed description of their prostitution in Ezekiel 23:5-23 shows how the nations of Israel and Judah forsook God and chased after all the foreign gods in the lands they dwelt. They lusted after gods without power. They defiled themselves with the high and mighty. Oholah’s sin led to her deliverance to the Assyrians. The Assyrians stripped her naked, took away her sons and daughters and killed her with the sword. She became a byword among women, and punishment was inflicted on her (Ezekiel 23:10).

Even with all these, her sister Oholibah was not moved. She even carried her prostitution further to the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Babylonians. Then a prophecy was given against Oholibah: “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am about to deliver you into the hands of those you hate, to those you turned away from in disgust. They will deal with you in hatred and take away everything you have worked for. They will leave you stark naked, and the shame of your prostitution will be exposed. Your lewdness and promiscuity have brought this on you, because you lusted after the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. You have gone the way of your sister; so I will put her cup into your hand.” (Ezekiel 23:28‭-‬31). The detestable practices of Oholah and Oholibah attracted God’s judgement. In Ezekiel 24:36-39, The Lord said to Ezekiel: “Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah? Then confront them with their detestable practices, for they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They committed adultery with their idols; they even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to me, as food for them. They have also done this to me: At that same time they defiled my sanctuary and desecrated my Sabbaths. On the very day they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my sanctuary and desecrated it. That is what they did in my house.”

If we are appalled by Oholah and Oholibah, imagine God! As much as we might want to condemn these two symbolic sisters, we should reflect on our own lives as believers. Has anything taken the place of God in our lives? Do we care more about things of the world as compared with the things of God? Do we desire or even covet the “gods” of the world? God doesn’t want us to lack, but He warns us to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). If God is not enough for us, nothing will satisfy our insatiable needs. If our desire is to be like others and attain things, we might be drawn away from God and drawn towards those things we crave for. Satisfaction and contentment in God is relevant for our Christian journey.

Huldah: The prophetess who spoke the mind of God

Throughout the history of Judah (Southern Kingdom) and Israel (Northern Kingdom), the sins of the people against the commands of God were repeated from generation to generation. In fact, the Northern Kingdom,  that is Israel, was carried away into captivity or exile in 2 Kings 17. The reason for the exile was given in 2 Kings 17:7-8: “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced.” The people in the Southern Kingdom (Judah) had their own share of sinful practices until they were also carried into exile. However before the captivity of Judah, there were some kings who were interested in the things of God and did what was right before the Lord. One of such Kings was Josiah. He was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. The name  of Josiah’s mother was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left (see 2 Kings 22:1‭-‬2).

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter. (2 Kings 22:14)

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah (when he was around twenty-six years), he commissioned the repairs of the temple of the Lord. As the work was ongoing, Hilkiah the high priest found the Book of the Law in the temple. Thus, even the high priest did not have access to the Book of the Law until they started work on the temple. So one will ask, “what was the high priest teaching the people?” Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan the secretary and then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king (2 Kings 22:10). When the Book of the Lord was read, the king  tore his robes (2 Kings 22:11). The people were living differently from the Law of God. The king was sad and commissioned the high priest and a few other people to “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13). Thus, Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter (2 Kings 22:14). 

Huldah was the prophet of God, she was the wife of Shallum and she lived in Jerusalem. Thus in the midst of the poignant idolatry and evil, there was a prophet of God. A woman who had the ability to hear the words of God. As long as the people continued their ways, they didn’t hear the mind of God. However,  when the king saw the need for repentance, the mind of God was heard. Huldah didn’t miss words, she went straight to the point. She said to the messengers of the king,
“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.”
The messengers took her answer back to the king (2 Kings 22:15‭-‬20).

King Josiah was proactive about the feedback from Huldah. He immediately began a consecration of the nation. He got rid of the idols, the mediums and spiritists. He cleansed the nation and removed all foreign gods. This is how the Bible describes Josiah: “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses”  (2 Kings 23:25).

From this story, we can learn a few lessons. The wages of sin is death and God was ready to destroy the nation for their sins. We can also see that repentance brings mercy. When Josiah repented, the doom was averted during his reign. We can also learn that the presence of a priest and a prophet does not make an automatic sinless nation. The people must be taught the word of God and the people must be ready to live for God. Further, Huldah teaches us that we can still be in ministry and still be a virtuous wife. Huldah also teaches us that the unadulterated word of God carries power. Even the king was afraid of the words of the prophet. Josiah did not look down on Huldah because she was a woman. God can use both men and women to bring His agenda on earth. Imagine, if Huldah had abandoned her calling because of the evil on the land, no one would have heard from God. It is possible to live right even in the midst of great evil. Be intentional, spend quality time with God and He will definitely speak to you even in the most unlikely situation. Woman, be intentional! You are also a vessel of God!

Jehosheba: The woman on rescue mission

There are many great men and women who are celebrated today because they risked their own lives to save the lives of other people who were facing persecution. For example, Nazi Germany’s state sponsored Holocaust killed about six million European Jews. During this mass murder operation, there were people who risked their lives to save the Jewish people and this included a Polish woman named Irena Sendler. Irena Sendler successfully rescued 2,500 Jewish children out of the Ghetto in Warsaw, Poland. Her brave action saw the lives of 2,500 people saved. Irena Sandler might not be a household name because until recently,  not many people heard of her heroic act. Similarly,  there were men and women who risked their lives to rescue others in the Bible. These people knew that their action was tantamount to death if they were caught, but they did it anyway. One such woman in history is Jehosheba. Her name might not sound familiar to you and it is possible that you might not have heard any sermon that ever mentioned her name. Jehosheba risked her life to save her brother’s son. The son she saved, rose up to become the king of Judah. 

But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed. (2 Kings 11:2 NIV)

In a previous post, we considered how Athaliah, the mother of king Ahaziah deliberately wiped out the royal family when she realized her son Ahaziah had been killed. Athaliah was brute and she wasn’t ready to spare a soul. She was so wicked and heartless that she was ready to kill her own grandson and any other person who identified as a royal. The opposite of Athaliah is Jehosheba. While Athaliah’s vengeance cared less of her own family members, Jehosheba’s compassion led her on a dangerous mission. She could have been killed by Athaliah if her action was found. Jehosheba went on a rescue mission. The story of Jehosheba’s rescue of Joash is recorded in 2 Kings 11:2 and 2 Chronicles 22:11. The 2 Kings 11: 2 account states that, “But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.” In 2 Chronicles 22:11b we get to know that, “Because Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, was Ahaziah’s sister, she hid the child from Athaliah so she could not kill him.” Thus, Jehosheba was not just an aunt to Joash, she was also the wife of the priest, Jehoiada. 

In other words, both Athaliah and Jehosheba were public figures. Athaliah was the mother of the late king and Jehosheba was the sister of the late king and the wife of the priest. These two women all had some sort of power. Athaliah used her own power to take away lives. Jehosheba, on the other hand, used her power to save a life. Jehosheba’s compassion is a typology of the compassion God has for us. Jehosheba saw in Joash a helpless baby who was likely to be killed by a heartless woman. Jehosheba risked everything to hide Joash and his nurse. The wicked Athaliah could have killed Jehosheba for that rescue mission, but Jehosheba still went ahead and saved a soul. Six years after this rescue mission, Joash, then seven years old, was crowned as a king (2 Kings 11:21). The evil Athaliah received the wages of her sins, she was killed (2 Kings 11:15‭-‬16). King Joash had his own flaws but he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him (2 Kings 12:2). Joash did some major repairs on the temple of God in Jerusalem (2 Kings 12:1-16). 

The story of Jehosheba teaches us to have compassion for the poor, weak and vulnerable. We also learn that whatever position we find ourselves can be used to save lives or to waste lives. We identify that sometimes, taking the stand for the good could be risky but it pays off in the long term. Jehosheba teaches us that women can play significant roles even if they work in the background. You don’t necessarily need to be the queen to fight, you can be the wife and still be a warrior. Women who look forward to a bigger stage to do exploits might end up doing nothing but those who create their own opportunities even in the unlikely situations would be celebrated. Don’t be comfortable in your small space, be a Jehosheba who identifies the wrong and fix it with the right. 

Naamah and Maakah: Royal wives

The family line of David ultimately became the rulers of Judah. Our previous post mentioned the division of the kingdom into two. The Southern Kingdom consisting of Judah and Benjamin remained committed to the house of David. The family line of David produced women who either worked for the successful reigns of their husbands or worked against the reigns of their husbands. Because of the marriage pattern of Solomon, women from other nations were introduced to the royal family. These different women brought along with them their religion and their gods. Most of these women had lived experiences of wickedness and managed to extend their evil into the lives of God’s people. In both the Southern and Northern Kingdoms, women from other nations who were married into the royal family fueled idolatry and became personal sponsors of the worship of foreign gods. In this post, we shall consider two women: Naamah and Maakah.

Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. (1 Kings 14:21)

Solomon’s thousand women included an Ammonite Princess known as Naamah. The Ammonite wife of Solomon was a worshipper of Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. Solomon in his quest to satisfy his wives built a high place for Molek in Jerusalem (see 1 King 11). Naamah gave birth to Rehoboam who succeeded Solomon. 1 Kings 14:21 states that “Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.” Rehoboam’s refusal to listen to the words of counsel from the elders was the trigger to the division of the kingdom. Naamah’s religion would have been known to Rehoboam. He might have followed his mother to offer sacrifices to Molek.

and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom. (1 Kings 15:2)

Another woman who became influential and ultimately led the people astray is Maakah. She was the wife of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 11: 20-22) and the daughter of Abishalom (variant of Absalom). Maakah was the mother of Abijah, the successor of Rehoboam. Her son Abijah reigned for only three years in Jerusalem (1 Kings 15:2). 2 Chronicles 11:20‭-‬22 gives more details about Maakah: “Then he [Rehoboam] married Maakah daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.” Maakah was the beloved wife of Rehoboam and because of his love for Maakah, Rehoboam made Maakah’s son the heir. Unfortunately, Abijah’s short reign was a culmination of evil and wickedness. Abijah might have been influenced greatly by his mother Maakah who was into idolatry. 

and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.1 Kings 15:10 NIV

When Maakah’s grandson Asa became the king, he changed the narrative. Unlike his father Abijah, “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done” (1 Kings 15:11). Asa did something his father Abijah couldn’t do. Asa deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley (1 Kings 15:13). Thus, the evil worship of Asherah was fueled by Maakah. 

Naamah and Maakah were women of influence but their religious orientation led the people of Israel away from God. They welded power, control and support of their husbands and used that power to promote the worship of other gods. Both Molek and Asherah were detestable gods and promoted vile and wicked lifestyles. 

Whoever you marry will ultimately become your ministry partner. If you marry a man or woman on fire for God, you become a man or woman on fire for God. If you marry someone who is cold and lacks passion for the things of God, you might end up cold and without passion for the things of God. If you marry a worshipper of idols, your entire generation and beyond would be baptized into idolatry until there is a saviour. Choose wisely… marriage is not for fun, it is for life or death!

Tamar: Dealing with disappointment and taking advantage of a loose opportunity

The lives of the women in the Bible present to us diverse issues, trends, decisions and opportunities that caused the lives of these women to be affected either positively or negatively. Real stories from real people help us to see things to avoid, things to do and ultimately be intentional about making the right choices in life. Judah, the son of Jacob had three sons: Er, Onan and Shelah. Er married Tamar “but Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death” (Genesis 38:7). To raise offspring for Er, Judah told Onan to sleep with Tamar. “But Onan knew that the child would not be his; so whenever he slept with his brother’s wife, he spilled his semen on the ground to keep from providing offspring for his brother. What he did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so the Lord put him to death also” (Genesis 38:9‭-‬10). Thus Judah lost two sons and Tamar lost two husbands. Their culture permitted Shelah to also marry Tamar but Shelah was young. Therefore “Judah then said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, “Live as a widow in your father’s household until my son Shelah grows up.” For he thought, “He may die too, just like his brothers.” So Tamar went to live in her father’s household” (Genesis 38:11). Tamar must have been a broken widow.  She had seen two husbands die. That experience must have been awful for the young woman. Tamar went to her father’s house as a widow with the anticipation that Shelah will grow and take responsibility over her. Judah was also afraid that his son Shelah might die just like Er and Onan and so when Shelah grew up  Tamar was not given as a wife to him.

When Judah saw her, he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked. (Genesis 38:15‭-‬16)

Tamar, the woman who had suffered loss, was not happy about this and decided to handle the issue her own way. Dressing up as a prostitute, Tamar sat at the entrance of the city to put her plan into action. Judah had also lost his wife and had just recovered from his grief. “When Judah saw her [Tamar], he thought she was a prostitute, for she had covered her face. Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her by the roadside and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “And what will you give me to sleep with you?” she asked.” (Genesis 38:15‭-‬16). Judah’s urge to sleep with the prostitute caused him to sleep with his own daughter-in-law. Leaving his seal and its cord and his staff with Tamar as the pledge, Judah returned later to pay the prostitute the agreed fee but she was nowhere to be found and neither was she recognized by the people living there. Judah, knowing that he had tried to pay off the prostitute but he couldn’t find her decided to leave the matter. Both Tamar and Judah had loose opportunities: Tamar’s opportunity was a vulnerable father-in-law looking for intimacy and Judah’s opportunity was a widow looking to get the attention of her father-in-law. Both opportunities were not desirable but Tamar was determined and Judah wanted satisfaction. At the end, the deal was done and both left for separate homes. “About three months later Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar is guilty of prostitution, and as a result she is now pregnant.” Judah said, “Bring her out and have her burned to death!” (Genesis 38:24).

Tamar was liable to death for her action but Judah the chief culprit was a free man. He condemned Tamar outright without mercy. Tamar should die was Judah’s verdict. But the story doesn’t end there. “As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law. “I am pregnant by the man who owns these,” she said. And she added, “See if you recognize whose seal and cord and staff these are.” Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I wouldn’t give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not sleep with her again.” (Genesis 38:25‭-‬26). Tamar was vindicated but it does not take away the fact that she had an issue with her father-in-law. Both Tamar and Judah might have faced stigmatization for their actions. Why did God even allow such a story to be documented in the Bible? The truth is, God takes the foolish things of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27). Tamar and Judah were all broken and messy but through them God’s eternal plan for salvation continued. Tamar’s pregnancy resulted in the birth of twins, Perez and Zerah. Perez is a great great grandfather of Jesus the Messiah. God’s ultimate plan for humanity was achieved even with broken people. When you come to Christ, your past is not used against you. He weaves His beautiful story of salvation into your own story and the result is a beautiful masterpiece of God’s grace and favour. 

Society might reject you for the way you had lived in the past, but God’s mercy doesn’t condemn. God’s verdict is “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3).