Did God Tell Hosea to Marry a Prostitute?

posthuman · Aug 19, 2014

so why must God first seek our approval before He tells Hosea to do something as a sign to His people?

Christ offered to take you into the house of God even while you were unworthy. He forgave you and you were justified by Him, not by yourself.

Hosea offered to take Gomer into his household even while she was unworthy to be the wife of a prophet. he looked over her sin and she was justified as his wife, not of herself.

what is the moral "problem" other than God is willing to show grace to a prostitute, but you apparently are not?

JackH · Aug 19, 2014

Jason0047 said:

Would God allow the lineage of Jesus to include the offspring of the union between one of the patriarchs and a harlot?

kennethcadwell · Aug 19, 2014

If you read it says the ones in those areas committed harlotry by departing from the Lord.

In other words stop believing in Him, and walking according to their own wills and desires.
It does not clearly say what sins each person was committing except denial or non-belief.

So Hosea could have just simply took a non-believer as his wife, it does not say how bad or good a life style she was living.

We all know that there are some people out there that don't believe in God, yet still live good, caring lives.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

Fishbait said:

You know full well that is not what I meant. I am not advocating that we forget our Bibles by that statement. I am telling people to not blindly read the text (out of context) and come to the wrong conclusions about God like an atheist would. Folks just see one word in the Bible and make all kinds of assumptions while ignoring the surrounding passages or chapters (Yes. I know. There really isn't chapters in the Bible). God does not want us to be mindless robots that can't think for themselves or to put away logic, order, or morality out of our lives. These things are in harmony with the Bible. But sometimes people get so caught up on a false interpretation of the text that they put their heart away in a box (And forget what the Kingdom of God is really about).

My point was that NOBODY HERE CAN DO IT. Do what you say? Tell it to me straight. Explain it to me about how it is moral and good for God to tell Hosea to marry a prostitute when He forbids us elsewhere in Scripture to not have fellowship with unbelievers. See you can't do that. Nobody here has been able to explain that. It will NEVER happen. Folks here will send me off to links, or quote commentators, point to spiritual parallels, attack my character. They will do anything but explain it to me. For everyone here had done nothing but skate around this moral issue. You can't do it. It is impossible.

I mean, I get it. If a person here is a High Calvinist who believes God directly creates evil or if they are a Classic OSAS Propoent whereby they believe that they can sin and still be saved, then I would maybe understand why their moral compass is off. But if you stand for God being good and if you stand for doing what is right, then there is no excuse. God is good. Can you say God is good and then explain how He is good when He tells Hosea to marry a prostitute? Can you do that? What real world example can you give? For you do realize Jesus spoke in parables (real world examples), right?

StoneThrower · Aug 19, 2014

Jason0047 said:

[TABLE="class: tborder, width: 100%, align: center"]
[TR]
[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?

...

[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

Yes he did, and Hosea would not be guilty of anything as he was told to Marry her, not just have sex with her. God used it as a picture to show how Israel went whoring after idols and turned to other nations for security and provisions that had come from God. They were misplacing their trust.
It was a mind blowing thing to get their attention and bring reality home, and just like Isael we do the same thing loving the gifts more than the giver of gifts.

DuchessAimee · Aug 19, 2014

You guys aren't really falling for Jason's nonsense, are you? It's INSANELY obvious he's trolling, and I'm willing to bet a shiny nickel he's a former member who has been banned a few times.

If you don't feed the troll, he goes away.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

StoneThrower said:

Again, false spiritual parallels does not erase the moral issue. If God told you to marry a prostitute today, would you do it? How about if it was a gay person? What if God told you to marry an axe murderer or a child molestor?

Would you just be like,

".... Uh God would never tell me to do that because God is good."

Or would you be like....

"Alright God. You win. I don't understand the goodness behind what your asking me but I am just going to do what doesn't make sense morally (and what is in contradiction of your Word) just because you say so."

posthuman · Aug 19, 2014

Jason0047 said:

hang on hoss, did God tell Hosea to marry Gomer because it was a true sign or a "false spiritual parallel" ??

it's been explained more than once that what He told Hosea to do was not outside of the law.

i'm half expecting God to show you directly by bringing a prostitute into your life and asking you to love her.
please do report back if & when that happens, because i would love to hear how He is glorified through such a thing, directly from you.

i love you man. i don't think you're understanding the fullness of His glory in this prophecy, but i doubt i am either. as it is said, "ain't no thang" in light of the greater glory of the name of Christ.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

DuchessAimee said:

None sense you say? Oh good. Then maybe you can explain the non sense behind why it is moral and good for God to tell Hosea to marry a prostitute. Would you marry a male prostitute if some spirit was telling you to do so today? What if it was a gay person? What if it was killer or child molestor? Can you not see it?

I am a servant of Jesus Christ who desires to love God and to love all other people including my enemies. I am seeking to glorify the righteousness of Jesus Christ here according to His Word. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Jesus. I am not a troll. I am a human being who has real feelings and real love for all people. I am born again, not by my power, but by His power. I will not go away either. I will preach His message of truth where it needs to be heard. You may not like that truth. You may not like God's goodness, but I assure you, one day you will see it. If not here in this life, it will be in the next one. For I speak to glorify Him. I would not be wasting my time here if it was not for Jesus. Every key stroke every thought here is expressed to the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ (Who is my God). For He deserves all the glory, honor, and power. Do you want to love people or treat them like trolls? For we are all in need of His grace. We are all nothing. And Jesus is everything. For the moment we think we are something is to deceive ourselves.

Anyways, I say this all in love and with the hope that you might see.
May God bless you.
And please be well.

kennethcadwell · Aug 19, 2014

Hosea 1

1 The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
[SUP]2 [/SUP]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

This is not talking about prostitution in itself, unless you consider departing or falling away is prostitution.

posthuman · Aug 19, 2014

kennethcadwell said:

agree with that ^^

but this part:

Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms

i rather think if the LORD meant "go take any Israelite woman as a wife"
that is exactly what He would have said. it seems to me that the Spirit made a point of being clear about that.

DuchessAimee · Aug 19, 2014

Jason0047 said:

None sense you say? Oh good. Then maybe you can explain the non sense behind why it is moral and good for God to tell Hosea to marry a prostitute. Would you marry a male prostitute if some spirit was telling you to do so today? What if it was a gay person? What if it was killer or child molestor? Can you not see it?

I am a servant of Jesus Christ who desires to love God and to love all other people including my enemies. I am seeking to glorify the righteousness of Jesus Christ here according to His Word. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Jesus. I am not a troll. I am a human being who has real feelings and real love for all people. I am born again, not by my power, but by His power. I will not go away either. I will preach His message of truth where it needs to be heard. You may not like that truth. You may not like God's goodness, but I assure you, one day you will see it. If not here in this life, it will be in the next one. For I speak to glorify Him. I would not be wasting my time here if it was not for Jesus. Every key stroke every thought here is expressed to the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ (Who is my God). For He deserves all the glory, honor, and power. Do you want to love people or treat them like trolls? For we are all in need of His grace. We are all nothing. And Jesus is everything. For the moment we think we are something is to deceive ourselves.

Anyways, I say this all in love and with the hope that you might see.
May God bless you.
And please be well.

Nope. Troll. The usual, pompous, self involved, massively deceived troll. I doubt you're saved; my personal theory is that you're an atheist apologist. You're here to punch holes in various theories and cause the usual problems. It's really sad how many of my Christian brothers and sisters can't or won't see through your crap. But to each his own.

kennethcadwell · Aug 19, 2014

posthuman said:

Yes it says; Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms.

But it then explains why they where considered whores, because they departed from the Lord.

Now this means they stopped following the Lord, and went after fleshly desires. Anything can become a fleshly desire, not just sexual.

Now the fact still remains that Hosea was still told to marry a non-believer.

posthuman · Aug 19, 2014

kennethcadwell said:

well, i disagree that 'because they are a people of whoredom' explains the specific character of the woman Hosea was to marry; i think instead it explains why he was to marry a woman who was a physical metaphor for Israel's spiritual state.

but the bolded statement - either way, Hosea was to marry an unrighteous woman, we are definitely on the same page about that.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

DuchessAimee said:

Not true. You are making a false accusation against one of the brethren. Don't know what kind of hurt or trust issues you have, but I am here to tell that with the real Jesus of the Holy Scriptures, you can be healed of such a thing.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

posthuman said:

Hosea was merely being told to marry an Israelïte woman. The Israelïtes at that were having a spirit of prostitution as the book of Hosea says. They were chasing after other gods. Doesn't mean God told Hosea to marry a prostitute.

posthuman · Aug 19, 2014

Jason0047 said:

if only the scripture said "marry any old Israelite woman, any one will do to be a perfect sign to my people"

i could agree with you...

but, it doesn't. it clearly says take a wife of whoredom.

no matter how strongly you or i feel about whores, i gotta go with what the Word of God says.

kennethcadwell · Aug 19, 2014

whore (hôr, h

r)n.1. A prostitute.
2. A person considered sexually promiscuous.
3. A person considered as having compromised principles for personal gain.

intr.v. whored, whor·ing, whores 1. To associate or have sexual relations with prostitutes or a prostitute.
2. To accept payment in exchange for sexual relations.
3. To compromise one's principles for personal gain.

This is the definition of a whore, notice in number 3 it says also one who compromises principles for personal gain.
This does not mean necessarily sexual.

Raine · Aug 19, 2014

If you're asking why is it moral for God to tell Hosea to marry a prostitute, then the list can go on forever...

Murder is wrong. So how come God led the Israelites to kill many in order to conquer land? And I'm sure there are many more examples but that is just the first that comes to mind.

God's wisdom and ways are beyond ours. Even if we try to comprehend, we can only skim the surface of His knowledge.

Jason0047 · Aug 19, 2014

Raine said:

You have to understand that there is a huge difference between God commanding His people to eliminate those who were a threat to them both physically and spiritually and one selfishly taken another person's life for their motives. See, in the Old Testament, God primarily needed to show us that He was God who would reward those who were good and to punish those who were evil. See. Back then God wanted to show that he was a God of justice and righteousness. For can you imagine what kind of evil world we would be living in if God did not stop the evils in this world to spread?

However, marriage has always been a sacred thing to God. It always represented one faithful man and one faithful woman. Jesus even spoke about Biblical marriage was between one man and one woman. If one of those in the relationship was not monogamous, then that would destroy the picture Jesus was trying to make. The KJV says a wife of whoredoms. Plural. The letter "s" at the end lets us know the word is plural. So she is not a wife of prostitutes. She is a wife of a people of a land who had a spirit of prostitution. Meaning, the people of the land depared from the Lord by going after other gods. Whoredoms. Idolatry. This is all in the book of Hosea. Besides, if you believe Hosea was told by God to marry a prostitute, then surely there should be another verse that suggests this. For Scripture always testifies of itself by 2 or 3 witnesses (I.e. cross references).

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