Gomer - Her Life And Times

Gomer - Her Life And Times

PROPHETS

Gomer’s husband, Hosea, appeared on the scene as the last of the prophets who spoke the “word of the LORD” (Hosea 1:1) to the doomed northern kingdom of Israel. Before long, the Assyrians would conquer the capital of Samaria and take thousands of Israelites captive. When the book of Hosea begins with “the word of the LORD,” it asserts Hosea’s authority as a prophet, that God has spoken to him, and that he must relay the message to the people.

The Israelites in Palestine had the law God had given to Moses and the people at Sinai. This consisted of the Ten Commandments as well as the other rules for living included in the books of Moses (Genesis through Deuteronomy). However, those laws didn’t cover many of life’s situations and decisions. God instituted the office of the prophet for the many times when a specific revelation of God was needed for the people to know what direction they should follow.

We don’t always know how prophets received their messages from God. At times they had visions and dreams. Ezekiel and Daniel both record visions that contained a definite message from God. Other times, as in Hosea, the prophets simply declared that their words were from the Lord. The emphasis of God’s prophets was never on the method of receiving his word — whether mysterious or obvious — but on the message itself and on the people’s need to follow. God made it clear that if the people would only listen and obediently follow the words of the prophets, he would give them all they needed to face an unknown future.

Just as God provided for his people in the Promised Land, he has provided for us. He may not miraculously reveal the path or supernaturally tell us his will, as he did with the Israelites, but he has revealed himself and his plans for us through the Bible, and his messengers today underscore and explain what Scripture tells us. We can be assured that God will go with us, just as he went with the Israelites, holding our hands as we face whatever our futures hold.