"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS"
Hosea - God's Redeeming Love (1:1-3:5)
INTRODUCTION
- About the time that Amos (the "country prophet") was prophesying to
the northern kingdom of Israel, another prophet came on to the scene
- His name was Hosea
- Whose name means "salvation" (Joshua and Jesus are derived from
the same word)
- While the audience was the same, there were some differences...
- Amos was from Judah (Tekoa); Hosea appears to have been from
Israel
- While Amos showed little patience with his northern relatives,
Hosea displayed a large degree of sympathetic understanding
toward his own people
- Just as Amos is reminiscent of John the Baptist in his approach,
so Hosea is reminiscent of how Jesus approached people
[In this lesson, the first of several on Hosea, we will see why Hosea
was so sympathetic, even as he condemned his own people for their sins.
Let's start with some...]
- BACKGROUND MATERIAL
- THE MAN...
- His father was named Beeri (Hos 1:1), but nothing more is
known of his ancestors
- Some think he may have been a priest, in view of his high
regard for the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood
- We read of his wife (Gomer, Hos 1:3) and his children...
- Jezreel, a son - Hos 1:4
- Lo-Ruhamah, a daughter - Hos 1:6
- Lo-Ammi, another son - Hos 1:8-9
-- Through his family, the basic message of Hosea will be
illustrated (see below)
- THE DATE...
- Hosea prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz,
and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; Jeroboam II also reigned during
this time in Israel - Hos 1:1
- Most place the time of his work at 750-725 B.C.
- Hosea was possibly a young man when Amos was almost through
with his ministry
- His work in relation to other prophets during this period of
time:
- Amos and Hosea prophesied to Israel
- Isaiah and Micah were prophesying in Judah
- BACKGROUND OF THE TIMES...
- For a good background of this period of Bible history, cf.
2Ki 14-17; 2Ch 26-29
- The northern kingdom of Israel was on its last legs...
- Sin was even more rampant than seen in the book of Amos
- Religious, moral, and political corruption was rampant
- One word sums the condition of the nation of Israel: harlotry
(whoredom, KJV), used thirteen times throughout the book
- KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK...
- An analogy is made between Hosea's experience with Gomer, and
the Lord's experience with Israel
- This analogy is described in chs. 1-3, and serves as the
backdrop to chs. 4-14
[With this brief introduction to the book of Hosea, let's now survey
the first three chapters...]
- HOSEA'S FAMILY, AND THE ANALOGY WITH ISRAEL (1:1-3:5)
- ISRAEL'S REJECTION SYMBOLIZED... (1:2-9)
- Hosea commanded to marry "a wife of harlotry" - Hos 1:2-3
- Her name was Gomer
- If the parallel between Gomer and Israel is exact, then she
was not a harlot at the time of the marriage; but her
background would prompt her to become one
- She certainly would come to symbolize what Israel had
become
- Gomer bears three children - Hos 1:4-9
- The first son is named "Jezreel"
- Which means "God scatters", or "God sows"
- His name prefigured God's judgment on the ruling house
of Israel - Hos 1:4-5
- The daughter is named "Lo-Ruhamah"
- Which means "no mercy"
- Her name describes God's attitude toward Israel, though
Judah still found grace in God's sight - Hos 1:6-7
- Some suggest that the daughter (and the son to follow)
were not Hosea's
- Note it does not say she bore "him" (Hosea) a
daughter, as before
- I.e., Gomer had become a harlot - cf. Hos 2:4
- The second son is named "Lo-Ammi"
- His name means "not my people"
- Thus God declares his rejection of Israel - Hos 1:8-9
- ISRAEL'S RESTORATION FORETOLD... (1:10-2:1)
- Though cast off, God promises a restoration
- There might be a reference to the restoration from Assyrian
and Babylonian captivity
- However, both Paul and Peter apply this promise to believing
Jews and Gentile in the church - Ro 9:25-26; 1Pe 2:10
- ISRAEL'S UNFAITHFULNESS... (2:2-13)
- Condemnation for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:2-5
- Charges of harlotry and adultery
- No mercy on her children, as the children of harlotry
-- God's rage for Israel's unfaithfulness described in terms
of an enraged husband who learns not only of his wife's
adultery, but that the children are not his
- Punishment for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:6-13
- God will prevent Israel from finding her lovers
- God will take away the blessings and the feasts that Israel
enjoyed
- God will destroy what Israel has used to commit spiritual
harlotry
-- Israel's sin was foremost her idolatry (cf. references to
"Baal"); God viewed such idolatry as a form of "harlotry"!
- ISRAEL'S RESTORATION DESCRIBED... (2:14-23)
- Using a "wilderness", God will win her back, just as He did in
the days of Moses and Joshua - Hos 2:14-15
- God will cure her of using the language of Baal worship
- Hos 2:16-17
- God will establish a covenant of peace and safety, and betroth
Israel to Him once again - Hos 2:18-20
- God will once again bless them, and be merciful to them as His
people - Hos 2:21-23
-- While there may be references to the restoration from
captivity, it also foreshadows the age of the Messiah and His
spiritual blessings - cf. Ro 9:25-26; 1Pe 2:10
- ISRAEL'S RESTORATION SYMBOLIZED... (3:1-5)
- Hosea is charged to love an adulterous woman - Hos 3:1-3
- Most take this to be Gomer, who had gone into harlotry
- Hosea takes her back, though with a period of probation
- Symbolizing God's willingness to take Israel back - Hos 3:4-5
- Also with a probationary period, in which there be no king,
sacrifices, etc.
- But Israel would return, and seek the Lord and David their
king (the Messiah?)
CONCLUSION
- In these first three chapters, it appears God used Hosea to teach
Israel an object lesson...
- Through Hosea's experience with Gomer, God provided Israel a
concrete illustration of what His relationship with Israel had
been like
- Israel had played the harlot; but God would take her back,
following a period of punishment and probation
-- Keeping this analogy in mind will assist our understanding of the
remaining chapters
- A lesson to be learned from this analogy is how God views apostasy:spiritual harlotry!
- Christians, we are "betrothed to Christ - cf. 2Co 11:2
- But we too can become spiritual harlots" if we are not careful!
- 2Co 11:3
Are we being true to our betrothal? May the words of the Lord in Hosea
encourage us to remain ever faithful:
"I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me
in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will
betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the LORD."
(Hosea 2:19-20)