Hosea 1:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

To recount the historical background before delving into its spiritual implications, we observe that after Israel was deported from Samaria to the Persians and Medes by Theglaphelasar and Salmanasar, kings of Assyria, the remaining people who had been afflicted were no longer recognized as the people of God, as their efforts were solely directed towards turning away from God, clinging instead to the detestable worship of demons. Regarding the true interpretation of these events in connection with Christ, we must consider the actions of those unruly people, who justly remained unpardoned for their role in the death of the Lord; they ceased to be recognized as God’s people. Although the Roman war did not annihilate all of Judah, resulting in a significant loss of life, those who survived were dispersed among the nations, as written, becoming unrecognizable as the people of God.

However, grace has been extended to the Gentiles who believed, among whom the remnant of Israel, saved through faith in Christ, became intertwined; indeed, a considerable number of them came to believe. In rejecting fellowship with God, Israel prompted God’s own withdrawal, which was made clear when He declared, "You are not My people," followed by, "Neither am I yours." Yet, for us who have been justified through Christ, sanctified by the Spirit, and have obtained fellowship with Him, the prophet declared, "I will be a Father to them, and they shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:18) Christ spoke to the Jews, saying, "I am with you a little while longer" (John 7:33), and then, "Your house is left to you desolate" (Matt. 23:38; Luke 13:35). Regarding the believers among the Gentiles, He proclaimed, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life" (John 10:27-28).

Consequently, Israel, abandoned by the Lord and subjected to the tribulations of captivity, consuming impure food in Babylon, is labeled as not being God's people and faces perpetual subjugation to a foreign power, leading them to be eternally rejected. This understanding can be justly applied to the entire Jewish nation, which, having been delivered up due to transgressions against the seed of God, lost its kingdom and homeland, and is referred to as not God’s people, a situation also relevant for heretics. Yet, if some unyielding interpreter refuses to accept our explanation, insisting instead that the references to Gomer, the daughter of Deblaim, who bore the first and third sons and a daughter in between, should be interpreted literally, we pose the question: How do we interpret the passage in Ezekiel (ch. 4) where the Lord instructs Ezekiel to bear the first and third sons, along with a daughter in between? The Lord commanded him to bear the iniquities of the house of Israel, referring to the ten tribes, and to lie on his left side for three hundred and ninety days (though the LXX states one hundred and ninety), remaining in that position continually without turning, except to briefly wake just enough to consume a very unclean meal of bread cooked in the ashes of grain and beans on human waste. By natural law, it is beyond the capacity of any man to sleep continuously on one side for three hundred and ninety days. Furthermore, he was instructed to take upon himself the iniquities of the house of Israel and to lie for forty days on his right side. These days are symbolic of the years during which Israel and Judah endured prolonged siege and captivity, during which they were bound and unable to shift from one side to another. If he cannot demonstrate that these events, along with other similar accounts from scripture, were factual and insists instead on alternative meanings, then the woman described as a harlot and the other woman, the adulteress, who either engaged with the prophet or was kept from immorality by him, represent not shameful acts but the unfolding of future mysteries.