Hosea

• Introductory Matters
• • The prophet
  • • Unlike Amos who was from Judah but preached to Israel, Hosea was from Israel and thus preached to his own people - he is the only canonical prophet from Israel (northern tribes)
    • His marriage (1, 3)
    • • Details (1:2-9, 3:1-5)
      • • Instructed by God to marry a prostitute - some suspect she may have been a cultic prostitute
        • From this category of women, Hosea selected Gomer
        • Hosea and Gomer had three children - Hosea gave each one an ominous name
        • Later Hosea's wife left him - Hosea got her back at considerable expense
      • Interpretations
      • • The marriage was not real but was only a story told by Hosea to make a point
        • • Reasons for
          • • God would never have asked a holy prophet to marry a prostitute, especially not a cultic prostitute
            • The marriage is so odd, it is unlikely to have occurred - the names of the children are too symbolic and the commitment of Hosea too dramatic
          • Hosea invented the story as a sermon illustration to portray graphically how God was working and would work with Israel
        • The marriage occurred exactly as the Bible states
        • • Reasons for
          • • Stranger symbolic actions were performed by other prophets (Isa. 20:1-6, Ezek. 4:1-17) - a culture in which such actions occurred might not be as shocked as we are
            • Such an action by Hosea would have been an effective means of preaching - it certainly would have driven the point home
            • The God who had committed himself to an unfaithful and adulterous nation could have asked a prophet to take part in and illustrate God's own predicament
          • Hosea was so committed to God he obeyed God, even when what God asked seemed incredible and personally painful, so that God's word would be proclaimed - other prophets also became physically involved (Isa. 20:1-6, Jer. 27:2, Ezek. 4:1-17)
    • Name means "delivering" or "saving"
  • Date
  • • Hosea began his ministry during the reign of Jeroboam II in Israel (786-746 B.C.E.) - this period was marked by territorial expansion of Israel and economic prosperity for the rich
    • Following the death of Jeroboam II, four kings reigned in the next 14 years - three of the four were assassinated - clearly the government was unstable
    • Assyria was looming on the horizon - in 733-732 B.C.E. Assyria conquered Damascus and thus Syria and began to look toward Israel
• Message of the Book
• • Meaning of the marriage (1, 3)
  • • As Hosea joined himself in marriage to a prostitute, named Gomer, he shared God's experience of being joined to His "wife" Israel who had become a prostitute joining herself to other gods
    • The names Hosea gave his children symbolized awful judgment which God intended to send upon Israel (1:3-9)
    • • Son - "Jezreel" meaning "God sows" (1:3-5)
      • • Jezreel was the site of a fertile valley, Gideon's great victory, and Jehu's conquest of the evil king Ahab - these were positive elements
        • Hosea accented the negative - although Jehu had been anointed by Elisha to destroy Ahab (2 Kings 9:1-10), Jehu's wrath and destruction had gone too far - Jehu's Israel must now be punished
      • Daughter - "Lo-Ruhamah" meaning "Unloved" or "Uncared for" (1:6-7)
      • • Such a name would have been scandalous - what kind of parent would have a child only to despise the child?
        • God would no longer love or care for His "child" Israel - the nation would be unloved and unprotected
      • Son - "Lo-Ammi" meaning "Not my people" or "Not mine" (1:8-9)
      • • One of the promises of God's covenant with Israel was that God would be their deity and they would be His people (Exod. 6:7, 19:5)
        • God now declared the relationship had been forfeited by Israel - God was no longer Israel's deity and Israel was no longer His special people
        • 1:9 can be translated as "you are not my people and I am not 'I AM' to you" - using this translation God even took back His name given to Moses (Exod. 3:14) so Israel could not call on Him
    • As Hosea purchased his errant wife back, however, so God would purchase Israel back (3:1-5)
    • • The purchase price was high for Hosea (3:2) and would be high for God - forgiveness and a new start costs
      • Both Hosea's wife Gomer and God's "wife" Israel would be disciplined - Israel would fall to the power of another nation, but God would restore Israel's fortunes when the Israelites repented
  • Sin of Israel
  • • Israel had worshiped other gods and claimed they and not God had given Israel's prosperity (2:8)
    • No one obeyed God or His law (4:1-3) - Israel had worshiped its own success (12:7-9)
    • God as protector and defender had been replaced by trust in military might (8:14, 10:13), military alliances (8:9-10), and wealth (12:8)
  • Punishment of Israel - Israel would be destroyed - Israel's wealth would be lost and its military might and alliances would fail (8:7-8, 9:11-17, 10:14-15)
  • Salvation of Israel
  • • God would not completely give up on Israel but would turn to Israel again (2:14-23, 14:1-9)
    • "Love Chapter of the Hebrew Bible" (11)
    • • Flow of the chapter
      • • As a parent teaches and loves a child so God had taught and loved Israel but Israel had embraced other gods (11:1-4)
        • God would destroy His people as punishment for their rejecting Him (11:5-7)
        • God's nature and love for His people prevent Him from completely destroying them (11:8-9)
        • God will call His people home and they will come in obedience (11:10-11)
      • Some points
      • • Admah and Zeboim (11:8) were outlying villages around Sodom and Gomorrah - to be destroyed like them would have been terrible
        • God's holiness and "otherness" sets Him apart from humanity - He is not locked by the law into punishing - God is above the law - humans tend to hold grudges and seek vengeance - God does not - the only way to account for this is to say God is different from us - He lives and acts on a higher plane
          

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