Prophet Study – Hosea Review (pt. 1)
BPBC Adult Sunday School
Hosea prophesies during the 8th century B.C., before and during the Assyrian invasion and captivity. The immediate audience is Israel/ Ephraim (10 northern tribes). Contemporaries would be Amos and Isaiah.
Hosea reads like a tragic love story which is illustrating through a prodigal wife that the northern tribes have become a prodigal people. (“prophetic picture”; “living parable”)
Chapter 1
In chapter one we find a host of names mentioned. These names are providing a picture. One thing we marked out in our study was, if you want to be “called” something different, live different.
Jezreel means “God will scatter or sow”
Loruhamah means “no mercy”
Loami means “you are not my people”
3 aspects of judgement:
1.) vengeance – house of Jehu – ceasing of Kingdom of Israel; God breaks the bow of Israel in valley of Jezreel, also known as “Armageddon” – valley of Megiddo
2.) no more mercy for Israel; but mercy for Judah (cf. Isaiah 37; 2 Kings 19)
3.) you are not my people, I am not your God (cf. Hosea 1:9-10; 2:23; Romans 9:25-26; 1 Peter 2)
Promise: yet you shall be as the sand on the seashore and it shall come to pass; gathered together under one head. In v. 4 we read about “death” of the Kingdom, which highlights necessary resurrection. \
“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, you are not my people, there it shall be said to them, you are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel (Hosea 1:10-11)”.
Chapter 2
In this chapter we read a bit about the punishments coming upon the harlot and revealed nakedness, as well as the promise of betrothal (cf. Hosea 2:19-23)
Hosea 1:10 and 2:23 highlight the promise (cf. Romans 9:25-26). There are similarities between Hosea chapters 1-2 and Ezekiel 16:1-43, 60-63 (entering covenant, shame on people for harlotry, and judgement)
- Vernon McGee says that Hosea 3:1-5 is “One of the greatest prophetic passages in the Word of God”.
– Hosea to love Gomer as God loves Israel
– Hosea bought her, God redeems His people (cf. Exodus 21:7, 31)
Restoration will happen in the “valley of Achor”. (cf. Isaiah 65:10); God woo’s His people (cf. Hosea 2:14).
Chapter 3
“For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim (Hosea 3:4)”.
Cf. Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32-33; Acts 13:23; Romans 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:28; Revelation 22:16
Chapters 4 – 6
Hosea and Gomer’s marriage (symbolic of the idolatrous harlot, Israel)
– Israel of the north primarily (Ephraim) cf. 4:1, 15, 17; 5:1, 3, 5, 11-12; 6:4, 10-11
– Judah as well cf. 4:15; 5:5, 10, 12
God’s people are destroyed for their lack of knowledge (cf. Hosea 4:6)
– Not just the gaining of knowledge by applying cf. Hosea 4:1-2, and the rest of the chapter defines
“…therefore I will change their glory into shame (Hosea 4:7)
God’s judgement is toward Israel (cf. Hosea 5:1) because they “removed the mound” (cf. Hosea 5:1,10 and Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17).
Hosea chapter 5 lists that various judgements to come upon the people due to the Lord withdrawing from them. Hosea 5:11 – “because he willingly walked after the commandment” (this traces back to when Jeroboam worshipped the golden calves and led the people of the north into idolatry cf. 1 Kings 12:28; 2 Kings 10:29-31)
“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face, in their affliction they will seek me early (Hosea 5:15)”.
Hosea 6:1-3 = “Hope of Israel” (cf. Romans 8)
– He has torn and will heal us
– then we will know…. (Hosea 6:3)
– “latter and former rain”
– “They like Adam…” (Hosea 6:7)
* Jesus took on the identity of Adam/ Israel cf. Ex. 4:22/ John 3:16; Hosea 11:1/ Matt. 2:15
* Hosea 6:2 cited in 1 Corinthians 15
* Study through mention of “third day” (God’s creative power, miraculous intervention) in Genesis, Jonah, and now Hosea
Chapter 7
“They return, but not to the Most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue, this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt (Hosea 7:16)”.
– The Dakes Annotated Reference Bible remarks, “Their boasting of help from Egypt and their failure to get such help in their time of need against the Assyrians became their derision, mockery, laughter of cause of ridicule (as we will see in verse 16). In Egypt they trusted, and by Egypt they were ridiculed because of their fall. Such are the wages of sin, as so able expressed by Isaiah when he spoke of the strength of Pharaoh being the shame of Judah, and the trust in Egypt being their confusion (cf. Isaiah 33:3-5)
Chapter 8
“They have set up kings, but not by Me; they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off (Hosea 8:4)”.
“They have sown the wind and will reap the whirlwind…(Hosea 8:7)”.
“Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein there is no pleasure (Hosea 8:8)”.
“For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples; and Judah has multiplied fenced cities, but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof (Hosea 8:14)”.
Chapter 9
“The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquities, and the great hatred (Hosea 9:7)”.
“They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah, therefore He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins (Hosea 9:9)”. (cf. Judges chapters 19-20)
“My God will cast them away, because they did not listen to Him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations (Hosea 9:17)”.
Chapter 10
The mention of “Beth-Aven” and “high places of Aven” highlights the rampant idolatry within Israel (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-33)
“Cover us, and to the hills, fall on us (Hosea 10:8)” – expression of extreme fear, used also in Revelation 6:16
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you (Hosea 10:12)”. – Messianic promise, as none seek after God or can produce in and of themselves righteousness and mercy. And as verse 13 points out, it was trust in man that led to such judgement.
Chapters 11 – 12
Hosea 11:1 cited in Matthew 2:13-15 (see also, Exodus 4:23)
Hosea 11:7 illustrates the same issue Jesus Christ said about His generation in Matt. 15:8
“Therefore, turn to thy God, keep mercy and judgement, and wait on thy God continually (Hosea 12:6)”.