Hosea 1:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Moreover, He desires the good not only for the righteous and humble who serve Him but also extends His mercy to others, even those who have provoked His anger, sparing them from imminent punishment. An example is found in the case of Sodom, where the Almighty promised to rescue them from fiery judgment if even five righteous individuals were present. Lot, along with his family, was ultimately delivered. And regarding these five righteous individuals, we see how, when threatening Jerusalem with judgment, God instructs, “Search the ways of Jerusalem, and look, and know, and search the hills thereof: if ye find a man that worketh judgment, and seeketh truth, I will be merciful unto them” (Jeremiah 5:1). Observe how He does not abandon a single righteous person nor disregards an individual who prays, even for the sake of a whole city. An innumerable multitude, while impressive, holds no significance to Him if it is found to be unclean and given to evil, deeply ensnared in the pleasures of sin. It shall be as He said, “In the place where it was proclaimed, 'Ye are not My people,’ there they shall be called the sons of the living God.” Following His fierce anger, the promise of relief from suffering is also conveyed, indicating that the time of calamity is approaching its end. The prophecy foretells Israel's eventual rejection, yet assures that they will not face total annihilation or despair, for there will come a time of restoration, leading them back to God’s favor, certainly through faith in Christ. Those who are attuned to this prophetic message should recognize the divine mystery at work and not remain unaware of God’s governance. “It shall come to pass,” He states, “in the place in which He spoke unto them, that ye shall not be My people, but these shall be called the sons of the living God.”

Let us clarify what is meant by “in the place.” The Israelites were once captured and taken to Assyria, where they mourned for the law, as blessed David so vividly expressed: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalms 136:1). He poignantly asked, “How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” (Psalms 136:4). Yet, by God's grace, upon returning to Jerusalem, they were restored and regained the title of God’s people, experiencing prosperity and freedom to worship and perform sacrifices according to the law, for such acts could only be fulfilled in Jerusalem and within the temple (Deut. 12:13). They were instructed not to offer burnt offerings in any other place, but only “in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose.” Once back in Jerusalem, they resumed the observances ordained by Moses and were again recognized as the people of God.

However, after the crucifixion of the Savior and following the sieges that led to their city’s desolation, the Israelites and their families found themselves scattered among the nations. The question arises: how can they be restored as the people of God? Will they return to Jerusalem and gather in a physical temple once more? Or will this fulfillment occur in the lands where they currently reside? The prophet states, “In the place in which he said unto them, 'Not My people,’ these shall be called the sons of the living God.” Indeed, they ceased to be recognized as God’s people and were dispersed into the lands of the Gentiles, a reality that endures to this day. Yet, in the latter days, as “the fullness of the Gentiles comes in” (Rom. 11:25), the rejected Israel will be embraced as children of God, regardless of where they inhabit. There will be no need for a return to Jerusalem or a physical temple of stone, for they will worship God not through ancient traditions or rituals of animal sacrifice, but through their faith in Christ, adhering to His commandments and through the sanctification of the Spirit, attaining new life through holy baptism, thereby manifesting the glory of sonship bestowed upon the saints, who are called by the Lord for this very purpose.

Any attempt to clarify this passage further may obscure the essence of the prophetic voice. However, let us recall the well-known cornerstone and the two structures: one of the Jews and the other of the Gentiles (Eph. 2:14-15, 20-22). The first group is identified as the children of Judah, while the second is known as the children of Israel; both rest upon the same solid foundation from the earth. Regarding the physical Israelites who currently reject Christ but will come to believe later—their descendants who will pass away—the prophet states, “For a long time the children of Israel shall remain without king, and without prince, and without sacrifice, without altar, without ephod and teraphim” (Hosea 3:4). Is it not evident that the Jews are experiencing such a condition today? Yet, the prophet also provides hope: “After that the children of Israel shall turn back, and shall call upon the Lord their God, and upon David their king, and shall reverence the Lord and His goodness in the last days” (Hosea 3:5). The clarity of this prophecy is unmistakable if we interpret David as Christ, who, as the apostle mentions, is “of the seed of David according to the flesh” (Rom. 1:3). Additionally, the prophet predicted the future resurrection of Christ on the third day with powerful prophetic imagery: “He shall revive us in two days, and on the third day shall raise us up” (Hosea 6:3). Accordingly, the apostle states, “If ye be risen with Christ, seek the things of the high places” (Col. 3:1). Amos also provides similar prophecy: “Prepare thyself for the meeting of thy God, O Israel. For behold He who forms the mountains and makes the wind, and announces to man his intention” (Am. 4:12-13). Furthermore, he proclaims, “In that day I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, I will mend the cracks therein, and will restore that which is destroyed, and will set it up as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and all nations, among whom my name shall be proclaimed, saith the Lord, who worketh all these things” (Am. 9:11-12).

However, we will now discover how the children of Judah and the children of Israel will come together under one leadership and depart from the land, reversing the previous proclamation of being "not My people" to being recognized as the children of the living God, and this transformation is due to the greatness of the day of Jezreel.

For those who are uncertain, the Apostle Paul provides clarity in his letter to the Romans: "But if God, desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom He has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles." As Hosea proclaims, "I will call not my people my people, and her who was not beloved I will call beloved." In the place where it was said to them, "You are not My people," they shall be called the sons of the living God. Isaiah also cries out for Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved," for the Lord will finish His work and cut it short in righteousness, as He will create upon the earth. Isaiah states, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah."

What shall we conclude? The Gentiles, who do not pursue righteousness, have attained it, that is, the righteousness that is based on faith. However, Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not succeed in reaching that law. Thus, the blessed apostle, drawing from Hosea's prophecy and relating it to the calling of the Gentiles and the faith of Jewish believers, clarifies that this prophecy was fulfilled during Christ's ministry. The twelve tribes are represented in Israel, encompassing the entire Jewish population, while in Judah, those Gentiles who confess the Lord Jesus are included.

If someone outside the faith of Christ and resistant to the authority of the New Testament, yet part of the circumcised community, argues that the children of Judah and Israel refer specifically to the two and ten tribes discussed previously, we can concede this point without compromising our faith. When the children of Israel are scattered like the sand by the sea, and their numbers are beyond reckoning, Israel—once called unpardoned and not My people—will be reconciled, finding peace with the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, most of whom believe in Christ. Thus, those physically divided will become united in faith under one head, a prince whom Ezekiel prophesied: "And one prince shall be among them, My servant David," and shall rise again from the dead, just as Judah and Israel, once spiritually dead due to unbelief, will also rise. This restoration will occur on the great day of the seed of God, representing Christ.

Consequently, the blood of Nebuchadnezzar the Israelite serves as a foreshadowing of what is ultimately fulfilled through Christ. Through Him was the great day of Jezreel established, of which it is said, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." The third interpretation concerning Israel in relation to heretics, and Judah with respect to the Church, holds that when the Lord returns in glory to reign, those previously labeled not His people will be recognized as the sons of the living God, precisely when they unite with Judah—the Church—under one head, Christ. They will emerge from earthly concerns and limiting understandings to embrace the great day of the seed of God. Some translations offer the term "unloved" instead of "unpardoned," but those that accurately reflect "unpardoned" are more appropriate, especially since, unlike Israel—devoid of mercy—God asserts, "But I will have mercy on the house of Judah."

This foreshadowed the calling out of Babylon and indicated that upon their return, they would no longer have separate leaders, but would unite as one nation with a single king; this occurred in the era of Zerubbabel. Jezreel referenced that calamity inflicted upon the Israelites by the Assyrians during their suffering in Jezreel. God declared that if He imposed a severe punishment upon them, He would also provide a significant deliverance, and after freeing them from captivity, He would lead them back to their homeland.