Hosea

Background Hosea’s name means “salvation” He prophesied to the northern kingdom (Israel) from about 750-725 B.C. He has been called the prophet of love His theme: Because Israel, like an unfaithful wife, has been untrue to God, she must be punished, but God will take her back. Through his own experience with unfaithful Gomer, Hosea came to know the heartbreak that was God’s due to Israel’s unfaithfulness.

A Summary of the Times Israel was soon to be taken captive by the Assyrians – Hosea 7:11; 11:5, 11; 12:1; 14:3 An unstable period when kings were given in anger and taken away in wrath – Hosea 13:11 A summary is in 2 Kings 15:8-22 6 kings, 4 of whom were murdered in office by their successors and 1 captured in battle By 2 Kings 17:24 (721 B.C.), Sargon, king of Assyria, took Israel captive and put foreigners in Samaria

Hosea Was to Take a Wife A wife of harlotry – Hosea 1:2 “a daughter of the age, one brought up under the influence of idolatry and in whose character have been planted the seeds of immorality” (Homer Hailey, A Commentary on the Minor Prophets) Parallel to God’s relationship to Israel, who had been raised around Egyptian idolatry until God took her to raise – Hosea 4:15-18; 5:4; 9:1

Gomer Bore Children Jezreel – Hosea 1:3-5 (bore him a son) God will scatter, or sow, because he would scatter Israel and sow her back Avenge the deaths of the 70 sons of Ahab which was commissioned by Jehu (2 Kings 10:1-8) Loruhamah – Hosea 1:6-7 (bore a daughter) No pity or no mercy because God planned to no longer show mercy on Israel Loammi – Hosea 1:8-9 (bore a son) Not my people because the covenant relationship had been broken (Lev. 26:12)

Hope for God’s People Hope that Israel would return to God and be reunited – Hosea 1:10-2:1 Romans 9:25-26 Since Israel was called “not my people,” Paul said Jew and Gentile will be equal 1 Peter 1:1; 2:10 – in the church, Jews and Gentiles will be called “my people” “who have obtained mercy” by God

Forgetting God Israel will be punished for forgetting God – Hosea 2:13; compare Galatians 6:7-8 In a proper relationship, we know God intimately like a wife – Hosea 6:3; 2:19-20 God demands such knowledge coupled with mercy more than sacrifice – 6:6 Without such knowledge Killing, stealing & adultery – 4:1-2 Destroyed for lack of knowledge – 4:6; 13:4 Israel will have to go back to the wilderness to learn who the true God is – 2:14-17

Hosea Bought Gomer Back Hosea bought Gomer back for the price of a wounded slave – Hosea 3:2 Exodus 21:32 Gomer had to remain faithful for a period of days until the relationship could be renewed – Hosea 3:3