Did God Tell Hosea to Marry a Prostitute?

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May 3, 2013
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#21
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[TD="class: alt1, bgcolor: #F6F6F6"]Did God Really Tell Hosea to Marry a Prostitute?

According to Hosea 1:2: Many well intentioned Christians believe God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. However, is this true?

Well, to entertain such an idea that the Lord our God would send a specific command to one of His prophets to indulge in an act of fornication with a prostitute is not only wrong but it does not make any logical sense. For there are two very important facts a person has to ignore when they believe such a thing.

#1. A person has to Ignore God's Holy and righteous character. For haven't we read within the Scriptures that say: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man" (James 1:13).

#2. A person has to ignore just how horrific the sinful act of fornication is bodily and the false worship of idolatry actually is.

Should we believe that the Lord would force a holy man of God into committing this despicable act with a prostitute (i.e. fornication) for the purpose of reproving the abominations of others? How could Hosea be the instrument for exposing & punishing the sin of Israel when He would be just as guilty as they? Where is the wisdom in this, as the means for Israel to change?

I believe part of the problem lies within the translation of Modern Versions. Some of them flat out say that the Lord told Hosea to marry a prostitute. This would include the New International Version (NIV), New Language Translation (NLT), God's Word (2003), and the Webster's Bible Translation to name just a few.

However, according to the King James (1769 Edition) in Hosea 1:2 it says:

"The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD."

At dictionary.com the word "whoredoms" refers to "idolatry". So if we were to re-read this verse with the word idolatry instead. The verse becomes a lot clearer.

"The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of idolatry and children of idolatry: for the land hath committed great idolatry, departing from the LORD." ~ (Hosea 1:2)

Doesn't the truth make more sense when you interpret it correctly?
Do you agree?

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When will you finish writing Jason´s bible? :eek:
 
J

jkalyna

Guest
#22
[TABLE="class: tborder, width: 100%, align: center"]
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[TD="class: alt1, bgcolor: #F6F6F6"]Did God Really Tell Hosea to Marry a Prostitute?

According to Hosea 1:2: Many well intentioned Christians believe God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. However, is this true?

Well, to entertain such an idea that the Lord our God would send a specific command to one of His prophets to indulge in an act of fornication with a prostitute is not only wrong but it does not make any logical sense. For there are two very important facts a person has to ignore when they believe such a thing.

#1. A person has to Ignore God's Holy and righteous character. For haven't we read within the Scriptures that say: "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man" (James 1:13).

#2. A person has to ignore just how horrific the sinful act of fornication is bodily and the false worship of idolatry actually is.

Should we believe that the Lord would force a holy man of God into committing this despicable act with a prostitute (i.e. fornication) for the purpose of reproving the abominations of others? How could Hosea be the instrument for exposing & punishing the sin of Israel when He would be just as guilty as they? Where is the wisdom in this, as the means for Israel to change?

I believe part of the problem lies within the translation of Modern Versions. Some of them flat out say that the Lord told Hosea to marry a prostitute. This would include the New International Version (NIV), New Language Translation (NLT), God's Word (2003), and the Webster's Bible Translation to name just a few.

However, according to the King James (1769 Edition) in Hosea 1:2 it says:

"The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD."

At dictionary.com the word "whoredoms" refers to "idolatry". So if we were to re-read this verse with the word idolatry instead. The verse becomes a lot clearer.

"The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of idolatry and children of idolatry: for the land hath committed great idolatry, departing from the LORD." ~ (Hosea 1:2)

Doesn't the truth make more sense when you interpret it correctly?
Do you agree?

...


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*It didn't go down like that. Hosea, was married to a women, and she went into that, and God told Hosea, go and take your wife back, buy her back, in an example of how Jesus in turn takes us out of sin, and redeemed us from it, by his love. It depends on the version you read, it is very clear, that he bought her back from it, as Christ bought us. You are bought with a price, know ye not that your body is the temple of the HOly Spirit." The book of*Ho-sea*was a true love story, of a wife gone astray, and her husband in love, and forgiveness took her back, as Jesus Christ, takes us out of sin and*bondage*and it says, we are married to him spiritually.
 
J

jkalyna

Guest
#23
Hosea 3:1 says *"go and get your wife back again." *He already was married to her.*
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#25
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our Lord married a whole people of whoredoms, (us).

the whole point of the story is,
'that God loves His people in spite of their whoredoms.
No. Most certainly not, dear sir. God does not forgive people who refuse to repent and or who refuse to turn from their wicked ways. If this was the case, then everybody would be saved.

God didn't ask the prophet to indulge in fornication like the OP states, He told him to marry her which wouldn't be fornication now would it?

The Scriptures say,


"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a Sodomite of the sons of Israel." ~ (Deuteronomy 23:17)

Period.

Just because there is an extension of details to this law does not change the fact of this one sentence of the Law. If Gomer was a prostitute (before marriage) then she would have violated this law just by being a whore of the daughter of Israel. God would not change His mind on this fact concerning this Law and then approve that it was okay for the daughters of Israel to be whores by condoning Hosea to marry one. Marriage to a person does not wipe that person's record away of being a prostitute anymore than it would automatically change the heart of the prostitute who is being unfaithful to begin with.

We also learn that Hosea chooses to put his wife away because of her unfaithfulness, too (See reply below on what Jesus view on Marriage and Divorce was). Anyways, we know this to be a fact because Hosea puts away his wife when he says...

"Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi, and to your sisters, Ruhama, Plead with your mother, plead; for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband..." (Hosea 2:1-3).

To put it to you another way, if Hosea had known Gomer was already unfaithful, he would have never married her because he later divorces her because of her unfaithfulness.

In fact, the book of Romans tells us the Law of Marriage
(Which did not change since the creation of the Law of Moses)…

"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man." ~ (Romans 7:2-3)

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." ~ (Genesis 2:24)

It does not say two or more fleshes in these verses. For that is exactly what Hosea would be doing if he married a prostitute. He would be taking on the joining of other men.

In other words, to God: sex was supposed to be considered the symbol of union of one man and one woman in marriage.



Let me repeat again what it says in the Strong's Lexicon. It says, I quote:


"It is very often used figuratively, ---(a) of idolatry (of a whoring after strange gods). Lexicon - for the word "zanah" (i.e. whoredoms).

For if you believe God told Hosea to marry a prostitute then you must also believe God told Hosea to marry or adopt children who were prostitutes, too.

"...Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms..." ~ (Hosea 1:2)

So if you read the first word "whoredoms" as being in reference to prostitution then you must also read the second word "whoredoms" as in reference to prostitution, too.

Therefore the word "whoredoms" is in reference of "a people who are idolatrous". Not about someone actually being a sexual prostitute.

Sexual purity is the whole point of Deuteronomy 22:13-29 for the standard of marrying someone and remaining in marriage. If there was a clause in marriage for a non-virgin to marry, surely this woman (who was a non-virgin) in Deuteronomy Chapter 22 would have sought out a legal means to marry the person she wanted to then.

Men and women were never meant to divorce or to be sexually impure as if it was God's ideal model for marriage. For Jesus agreed with the Biblical model of marriage back in Genesis that was supposed to be a Holy union between one man and one woman that was never meant to be put asunder or broken.

For Jesus said...

"Have you not read, that he who made them at the beginning made them male and female. And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they two shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder." ~ (Matthew 19:4-6)

"He said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts allowed you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." ~ (Matthew 19:8)

In fact, Paul really sinks the clincher in 1st Corinthians, when he also quotes that defining passage in Genesis 2:24:

"What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh." ~ (1 Corinthians 6:16)

Is a non-virgin joined, or is Paul a liar?


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J

jkalyna

Guest
#26
Hosea 3:1 says *"go and get your wife back again." *He already was married to her.*[/QUOTE
Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3*The*Lord*said to me, “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.” *NIV

Have a GReat day guys, I'm busy doing things today,, so stay strong in the Lord, and don't go wrong. Luv u in the Lord. *



 
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Jul 22, 2014
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#27
Yeah, but what about Rahab?

Rahab feared the vengeance of the Lord that was striking the other towns and she had repented of her sins in fear of the Lord. There is a difference. She stopped her whoredom and seeked forgiveness. God does not tell holy men of God to marry people who are currently being sinful and or unrepentant. That would be evil and wrong.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#28
Hosea 3:1 says *"go and get your wife back again." *He already was married to her.*
Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife

3*The*Lord*said to me, “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.” *NIV

Have a GReat day guys, I'm busy doing things today,, so stay strong in the Lord, and don't go wrong. Luv u in the Lord. *
No. Hosea 3:1 does not say that God told Hosea to marry her again. God is simply saying to love her despite her adulterous acts while they were married. Again, this proves that she was not adulterous before they married. For he divorced her for being adulterous.
 
May 3, 2013
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#29
Just my opinion: Rahad feared the Israelites and their army, instead.

I haven´t read her biography, perhaps that wary tribulation changed her but, she married a better man than me and, to be happily married, she needed to change (and she did).

There are several reasons for whoredom: 1) Money, 2) Lust and 3) More Sin. Once a person has adjusted to holiness, those things do change, too.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
 
May 3, 2013
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#30
Hos 3:1 And the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins." (ESV)

Hos 3:1 The LORD said to me, "Go again and show your love for a woman who is committing adultery with a lover. You must love her just as I still love the people of Israel, even though they turn to other gods and like to take offerings of raisins to idols." (GNB)

Hos 3:1 And Jehovah said to me, Go again. Love a woman beloved by a friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah toward the sons of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin-cakes of grapes. (MKJV)


Hos 3:1 And Jehovah said to me, Go again, love a woman loved by a friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah toward the sons of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin cakes of grapes.
Hos 3:2 So I bought her for myself with fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half of barley.
Hos 3:3 And I said to her, You shall remain with me many days. You shall not be a harlot, and not be to a man, and I also will be for you. (LITV)
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#31
Hos 3:1 And the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins." (ESV)

Hos 3:1 The LORD said to me, "Go again and show your love for a woman who is committing adultery with a lover. You must love her just as I still love the people of Israel, even though they turn to other gods and like to take offerings of raisins to idols." (GNB)

Hos 3:1 And Jehovah said to me, Go again. Love a woman beloved by a friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah toward the sons of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin-cakes of grapes. (MKJV)


Hos 3:1 And Jehovah said to me, Go again, love a woman loved by a friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of Jehovah toward the sons of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin cakes of grapes.
Hos 3:2 So I bought her for myself with fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half of barley.
Hos 3:3 And I said to her, You shall remain with me many days. You shall not be a harlot, and not be to a man, and I also will be for you. (LITV)
God nowhere within these passages is saying to remarry her. God is merely teaching Hosea forgiveness and how to love others who are doing evil against him. God was not approving of her adultery. He was merely trying to get Hosea to love and to forgive.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#32
Just my opinion: Rahad feared the Israelites and their army, instead.

I haven´t read her biography, perhaps that wary tribulation changed her but, she married a better man than me and, to be happily married, she needed to change (and she did).

There are several reasons for whoredom: 1) Money, 2) Lust and 3) More Sin. Once a person has adjusted to holiness, those things do change, too.

Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
No, the Scriptures show that Rahab feared the Lord. For God's Word records Rahab as saying,

"For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." (Joshua 2:10-11).
 
May 3, 2013
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#33
God nowhere within these passages is saying to remarry her. God is merely teaching Hosea forgiveness and how to love others who are doing evil against him. God was not approving of her adultery. He was merely trying to get Hosea to love and to forgive.

Excuse me, sir! If you were single: Would you love and MARRY someone like Rahab, whose life was engaged to those issues?
 
Dec 18, 2013
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#34
First off it matters not which way as as you have posted yourself goodly Paul's quote about how even those who join flesh with the prostitute become one with her. Therefore the sin would not be on Hosea, but on the woman cheating on him and playing the harlot. For the only reason a man may put away his wife is adultery. Therefore would not taking her back when she repent be righteous?

Hosea's book is a short book all around we could easily take turns posting the full book chapter by chapter. Personally I myself prefer the King James Version as well. I suppose this is your topic though so your judgement call. What say you to analyzing chapter by chapter?
 
T

The_highwayman

Guest
#35
God nowhere within these passages is saying to remarry her. God is merely teaching Hosea forgiveness and how to love others who are doing evil against him. God was not approving of her adultery. He was merely trying to get Hosea to love and to forgive.
God told him to marry her in Chapter 1 then go back and buy her out of bondage in Chapter 3.
 
May 3, 2013
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#36
No, the Scriptures show that Rahab feared the Lord. For God's Word records Rahab as saying,

"For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed. And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." (Joshua 2:10-11).

Good, she said that, but she was fearing them, not GOD directly: "Jos 2:13 Tell me that you will allow my family to live--my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all their families. Promise me that you will save us from death." "

Most of us, Christians, feared GOD by punishments. Others turned to Him by love. And I´ve admired those who turned TO HIM by love (with love), not for human´s conveniences or circunstances.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#37
Excuse me, sir! If you were single: Would you love and MARRY someone like Rahab, whose life was engaged to those issues?
Well, I think that if God brings a soul mate into your life, you will learn to forgive their past sins. For if we do not forgive others, then God will not forgive us our transgressions. So if I believe a woman is my soul mate, forgiveness is key to making that marriage work; And even when things go south and two people who love each other separate in anger, God commands us to forgive each other and to love each other despite past mistakes.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#38
First off it matters not which way as as you have posted yourself goodly Paul's quote about how even those who join flesh with the prostitute become one with her. Therefore the sin would not be on Hosea, but on the woman cheating on him and playing the harlot. For the only reason a man may put away his wife is adultery. Therefore would not taking her back when she repent be righteous?

Hosea's book is a short book all around we could easily take turns posting the full book chapter by chapter. Personally I myself prefer the King James Version as well. I suppose this is your topic though so your judgement call. What say you to analyzing chapter by chapter?
If you disbelieve Paul that two or more who have sex are joined together does not help to prove my case that it is wrong for God to tell Hosea to marry a prostitute, I think a chapter by chapter break down is not going to help you (Because you will have your preconceived idea of what is actually happening). Although you are free to do so if you want to start such a thing. The purpose of this thread is to show that God is good and that He always does that which is righteous and good.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#39
God told him to marry her in Chapter 1 then go back and buy her out of bondage in Chapter 3.
Buying her back out of bondage is not re-marriage. Hosea becomes her caretaker, but the Scriptures do not say that he marries her again.
 
Jul 22, 2014
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#40
Good, she said that, but she was fearing them, not GOD directly: "Jos 2:13 Tell me that you will allow my family to live--my father, mother, brothers, sisters, and all their families. Promise me that you will save us from death." "

Most of us, Christians, feared GOD by punishments. Others turned to Him by love. And I´ve admired those who turned TO HIM by love (with love), not for human´s conveniences or circunstances.
No, she recognized that their power or strength came from God because she mentions how the Lord their God was of the God of the Heavens and the Earth. She mentions how they were saved by their God thru the Red Sea.