"STUDIES IN THE MINOR PROPHETS" Hosea - God's Redeeming Love (1:1-3:5) INTRODUCTION 1. About the time that Amos (the "country prophet") was prophesying to the northern kingdom of Israel, another prophet came on to the scene a. His name was Hosea b. Whose name means "salvation" (Joshua and Jesus are derived from the same word) 2. While the audience was the same, there were some differences... a. Amos was from Judah (Tekoa); Hosea appears to have been from Israel b. While Amos showed little patience with his northern relatives, Hosea displayed a large degree of sympathetic understanding toward his own people c. 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...] I. BACKGROUND MATERIAL A. THE MAN... 1. His father was named Beeri (Hos 1:1), but nothing more is known of his ancestors 2. Some think he may have been a priest, in view of his high regard for the duties and responsibilities of the priesthood 3. We read of his wife (Gomer, Hos 1:3) and his children... a. Jezreel, a son - Hos 1:4 b. Lo-Ruhamah, a daughter - Hos 1:6 c. Lo-Ammi, another son - Hos 1:8-9 -- Through his family, the basic message of Hosea will be illustrated (see below) B. THE DATE... 1. 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 2. Most place the time of his work at 750-725 B.C. 3. Hosea was possibly a young man when Amos was almost through with his ministry 4. His work in relation to other prophets during this period of time: a. Amos and Hosea prophesied to Israel b. Isaiah and Micah were prophesying in Judah C. BACKGROUND OF THE TIMES... 1. For a good background of this period of Bible history, cf. 2Ki 14-17; 2Ch 26-29 2. The northern kingdom of Israel was on its last legs... a. Sin was even more rampant than seen in the book of Amos b. Religious, moral, and political corruption was rampant 3. One word sums the condition of the nation of Israel: harlotry (whoredom, KJV), used thirteen times throughout the book D. KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE BOOK... 1. An analogy is made between Hosea's experience with Gomer, and the Lord's experience with Israel 2. 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...] II. HOSEA'S FAMILY, AND THE ANALOGY WITH ISRAEL (1:1-3:5) A. ISRAEL'S REJECTION SYMBOLIZED... (1:2-9) 1. Hosea commanded to marry "a wife of harlotry" - Hos 1:2-3 a. Her name was Gomer b. 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 c. She certainly would come to symbolize what Israel had become 2. Gomer bears three children - Hos 1:4-9 a. The first son is named "Jezreel" 1) Which means "God scatters", or "God sows" 2) His name prefigured God's judgment on the ruling house of Israel - Hos 1:4-5 b. The daughter is named "Lo-Ruhamah" 1) Which means "no mercy" 2) Her name describes God's attitude toward Israel, though Judah still found grace in God's sight - Hos 1:6-7 3) Some suggest that the daughter (and the son to follow) were not Hosea's a) Note it does not say she bore "him" (Hosea) a daughter, as before b) I.e., Gomer had become a harlot - cf. Hos 2:4 c. The second son is named "Lo-Ammi" 1) His name means "not my people" 2) Thus God declares his rejection of Israel - Hos 1:8-9 B. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION FORETOLD... (1:10-2:1) 1. Though cast off, God promises a restoration 2. There might be a reference to the restoration from Assyrian and Babylonian captivity 3. However, both Paul and Peter apply this promise to believing Jews and Gentile in the church - Ro 9:25-26; 1Pe 2:10 C. ISRAEL'S UNFAITHFULNESS... (2:2-13) 1. Condemnation for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:2-5 a. Charges of harlotry and adultery b. 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 2. Punishment for her sinful conduct - Hos 2:6-13 a. God will prevent Israel from finding her lovers b. God will take away the blessings and the feasts that Israel enjoyed c. 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"! D. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION DESCRIBED... (2:14-23) 1. Using a "wilderness", God will win her back, just as He did in the days of Moses and Joshua - Hos 2:14-15 2. God will cure her of using the language of Baal worship - Hos 2:16-17 3. God will establish a covenant of peace and safety, and betroth Israel to Him once again - Hos 2:18-20 4. 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 E. ISRAEL'S RESTORATION SYMBOLIZED... (3:1-5) 1. Hosea is charged to love an adulterous woman - Hos 3:1-3 a. Most take this to be Gomer, who had gone into harlotry b. Hosea takes her back, though with a period of probation 2. Symbolizing God's willingness to take Israel back - Hos 3:4-5 a. Also with a probationary period, in which there be no king, sacrifices, etc. b. But Israel would return, and seek the Lord and David their king (the Messiah?) CONCLUSION 1. In these first three chapters, it appears God used Hosea to teach Israel an object lesson... a. Through Hosea's experience with Gomer, God provided Israel a concrete illustration of what His relationship with Israel had been like b. 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 2. A lesson to be learned from this analogy is how God views apostasy: spiritual harlotry! a. Christians, we are "betrothed to Christ - cf. 2Co 11:2 b. 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)
