Hosea Prophet to the (northern) Kingdom of Israel in terminal decline

Abraham Exodus Judges David & Solomon 10 tribes Northern Kingdom: Israel 10 tribes Northern Kingdom: Israel 2 tribes Southern Kingdom: Judah 2 tribes Southern Kingdom: Judah 19 Kings, mostly ungodly or weak 19 Kings, mostly ungodly or weak 19 Kings, 50% good, 50% bad 19 Kings, 50% good, 50% bad Captivity into Assyria & dispersal Captivity into Assyria & dispersal Captivity in Babylon 70 years Captivity in Babylon 70 years Daniel Ezekiel Jonah, Amos, Hosea ISRAEL JUDAH Isaiah, Micah, Nahum Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk BC OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY Elijah Elisha Obadiah Joel Haggai, Zechariah Malachi Return to The Land Rebuild the Temple: Ezra Nehemiah Return to The Land Rebuild the Temple: Ezra Nehemiah

100 years earlier I Kings Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him. 31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 32 He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. 33 Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the LORD, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.

Wicked Ahab at Jezreel I Kings 21 There was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard…. But Naboth replied, “The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my ancestors.”… Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death.” So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city did as Jezebel directed … When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard. II Kings 9: Jezebel and Ahab’s family killed at Jezreel

Jereboam II (according to Amos) Ch 5 “You levy a straw tax on the poor and impose a tax on their grain. Therefore, though you have built stone mansions, you will not live in them; though you have planted lush vineyards, you will not drink their wine. For I know how many are your offenses and how great your sins. There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts”. Ch 6 “You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph.“ cf II Kings The Lord had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering; there was no one to help them.

The last seven kings of Israel (40 years) Looming Assyrian might and power to the north and east Jereboam II -13 years –DIED Zechariah 6 months – MURDERED Shallum – 1 month – MURDERED Menahem – 10 years – subordinate vassal to the Assyrian King Pekahiah – 2 years – MURDERED Pekah – 8 years – DEPOSED AND THEN ASSASSINATED Hoshea – 9 years – CONQUERED and led CAPTIVE

Hosea’s contemporary culture Political instability, factional violence, murder Widespread lapse of faith and service to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob Ubiquitous worship of Baal gods – Ritual human and child sacrifice – Bestiality – Drunkenness – Self mutilation – Ritual prostitution and sexual slavery of women

Hosea shared Isaiah’s perspective Isa “For your Maker is your husband— the LORD Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.” Jer 3.14 “Return, faithless people” declares the Lord “for I am your husband. I will choose you and bring you to Zion”

The backdrop to the whole book of Hosea The confrontation between Baal and the God of Israel The conflict between the influences of EVIL (Ungodliness, Oppression, Unfaithfulness, Debauchery, Slavery, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexual perversion, Hedonism, Violence, Hatefulness) and the influences of GOOD (Godliness, Justice, Faithfulness, Kindness, Forgiveness, Equality, Restoration, Generosity, Love)

Hosea’s family story 1.The word of the Lord that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel: 2 When the Lord began to speak through Hosea, the Lord said to him, ‘Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.’ 3 So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel. 5 In that day I will break Israel’s bow in the Valley of Jezreel.’

Hosea’s compassion

Our compassion?

Hosea’s family story 6 Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. Then the Lord said to Hosea, ‘Call her Lo- Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them. 7 Yet I will show love to Judah; and I will save them – not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but I, the Lord their God, will save them.’ 8 After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son. 9 Then the Lord said, ‘Call him Lo- Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.

Hosea’s children: The present state of Israel vs 4-9 Jezreel = “God scatters” Lo-Ruhamah = “No Mercy” or “Not Loved” Lo-Ammi = “Not My People”

Hosea A hint of the future state of Israel 10 ‘Yet the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people”, they will be called “children of the living God”. 11 The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together; they will appoint one leader and will come up out of the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel. 1. Say of your brothers, “My people”, and of your sisters, “My loved one”.

Hosea Lament upon the adultery of Israel 8 She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold – which they used for Baal. 12 I will ruin her vines and her fig-trees, which she said were her pay from her lovers; I will make them a thicket, and wild animals will devour them. 13 I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewellery, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,’declares the Lord.

Hosea’s children: vs 4-9 Jezreel = “God scatters” Lo-Ruhamah = “No Mercy” or “Not Loved” Lo-Ammi = “Not My People”

Peter’s New Testament echo I Peter 2. 5 “You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…. 9 you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people (Lo-Ammi), but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy (Lo-Ruhamah), but now you have received mercy.

And our response? …..I Peter Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honour the emperor.