Hoshea
Minor Prophets
Study
By
B Howard Coffey
As you read
the book of Hoshea, remember that the book is a passionate letter. The passion
of a husband who has lost his wife comes to life in the pages of the book. It
is passionate because of God’s relationship to Israel. He loves her, but she
has gone after other gods. C.F. Ezekiel 16; Jeremiah 3:6-8. And The passion also
includes the passion of a father to his children Hoshea 11:1-3; Jeremiah 31:20.
Because it is a passionate discourse, there is much repetition but not without
purpose.
Hosea Chapter 1
In 733 B.C.
Tiglath-pileser, King of Assyria, came against the Northern Kingdom and took
all but Ephraim and Manasseh. Do you remember whose sons these two were? That’s
right, Joseph’s. Could that have a bearing on their remaining undefeated? Let’s
look at the blessing that Jacob pronounced on Joseph (Genesis 49:22-26).
Yes, who
they were could have had much to do with the fact that they held out eleven
years after their brothers were gone into exile and death. Assyria took both
tribes captive in 722 B.C. Therefore, Ephraim refers to what remains for the
last ten years. Other places in the Bible, Ephraim refers to the tribes that
separated from Judah (Jeremiah 7:15; 31:9 C.F.).
In the
first three chapters, God reveals himself to Hosea through signs and types.
Hebrews 1 instructs you, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in
many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last
days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of
all things, through whom also He made the world,” (verses 1-2). The after the first three chapters, God
speaks to Hosea through dialog.
God is
distraught with his chosen people. They have desired other gods or wives.
Remember, God married Israel at Mount Sinai, Deut. 19-20. Now they have become
unfaithful. Hosea’s marriage to a prostitute becomes a sign of the infidelity
of Israel. Through the names of Hosea’s sons, God foretells the abandonment of
His sons, Israel, Hosea 1:2-3:2; 1:4-6, 8, 9. 3.
Pg 7 Hosea Chapter
1
Through
Hosea, God speaks softly to Judah who still has a true form of worship of God.
Throughout the book we see God’s pure and precious promises of mercy mixed with
portions of God’s wrath.
Hosea’s Wife and Children
V 1 The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of
Beeri, during the days
of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah,
and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
The timeline for Hosea is identified by the times of the
kings. Hosea prophesied around 793-686 BC. If you recall, Isaiah prophesied
during the reigns of these kings, too. Isaiah received his call from God the
year that Uzziah died, B.C. 739
V 2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry
and have children of harlotry; for the land commits
flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord.
God tells Hosea to choose a prostitute for his wife.
Nothing new in our society. A popular movie, Pretty Woman, has the same theme.
I’m confident that Hosea’s mom and dad were proud of him.
They may not have allowed him to bring she and her children to visit.
God’s intentions were to show Israel how they were acting towards him. They had chosen to play the harlot by worshiping other gods. God was their husband. He married them at Mount Sinai, Exodus 19-20. They were commanded not to have other Gods (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 6:14). They knew God was a jealous God
(Exodus
20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24). He told them that he was. Yet, they, as Hosea’s choice
of wife showed, had decided to love other gods.
V 3 So he
went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore
him a son.
As with the prophet Isaiah, God uses the names of Hosea’s
children to signify important historical events.
V 4 And the Lord said
to him, “Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I
will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I
will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
Jezreel
was the first son if Hosea. In talking about the “bloodshed” of Jezreel. Many
think the reference to bloodshed of Jezreel is to the destruction of the house
of Ahab and Ahaziah when Jehu overtook the throne. However, this seems highly
unlikely. The kingdom didn’t end with Jehu’s death. Israel would survive for 30
more years. Also, God commanded Jehu to
destroy Ahab’s dynasty. (1 Kings 9:1-10, 10:30. C.F. 2 Chronicles 22:7). Why
would God punish someone for carrying out his word? God commanded Jehu.
Maybe
you can consider the bloodshed of Jezreel as the “bloodshed of the house of
Israel.” It is good to recall that Ahab introduced Baalism as the national worship
of Israel (1 Kings 21). Ahab also plotted the murder of Naboth in order to get
his vineyard. From this point forward in Hosea, the confrontation between Baal
and Israel is set.
V 5 On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
It was here that Baalism seemed to have triumphed over the
Lord. It is here in the valley of Jezreel (another name for Israel) that
Baalism will be defeated. To “break the bow” indicated complete defeat of an
enemy.
There are two incidents of Baal being defeated. The first
is in 1 Kings 18 where Elijah confronts them. The second happens when Jehu had
all the worshipers of Baal assemble in their temple. He did this in a cunning
fashion. After all were gathered in, he had them all killed (2 Kings 10). The
Bible says that Jehu had Baal “eradicated (2 Kings 10:28).
V 6 Then she conceived again and gave
birth to a daughter. And the Lord said
to him, “Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on
the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them.
Note
that the daughter is not referred to as Hosea’s child. Later she will be called
“children of harlotry.” Nonetheless, the child was an indication of the Lord’s
intentions regarding Israel. He no longer has compassion on them.
Notice,
too, that the daughter not being listed as Hoshea’s could be an indicator that
Israel was no longer considered a daughter or part of the family of God’s.
V 7 But I will have compassion on
the house of Judah and deliver them by the Lord their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword,
battle, horses or horsemen.
God’s devotion has switched from Israel. Before he had
compassion on Israel, but now he has compassion on Judah only. I would point
out that God isn’t too happy with Judah. She runs after other gods, and she
burns incense to other gods on the high places.
As for Israel, God will not deliver them through their trained army. Their weapons of war will not prevail against the enemy. No matter how well equipped their army might be, their efforts will be thwarted by God.
V 8 When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she
conceived and gave birth to a son.
Following
the birth of her daughter, Hoshea’s wife gives birth to a son. Note the Bible
does not indicate if the son belongs to Hoshea, either.
This
could also be the place that women learned that they couldn’t get pregnant
while nursing a child. Hoshea’s wife didn’t become pregnant again until after
her daughter is weaned. The fact is that nursing a child doesn’t always prevent
pregnancy. However, if you look at the time of births for women who don’t use
birth control, the children are spaced nearly two-years apart—the time to wean
a child.
V 9 And the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I
am not your God.
The child shows how much God has turned away from Israel.
No longer does he claim them as his people. Look, too, the people don’t claim
him as their God. Yes, they still profess God as their leader; however, their
behavior does not indicate his presence in their lives.
Could be something to look at in your life and the life of your church—profession doesn’t compute to following Jesus.
V 10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel
will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and in
the place where it is said to them, “You are not My people,” It will be
said to them, “You are the sons of the living God.
“You are the sons of the living God” is also quoted by
Paul in Romans 9:26. As to the increase in the number of peoples in Israel, the
time surely cannot be now. God is about to destroy the majority of Israel’s
people by war with the Assyrians. Their numbers will decrease rather than
increase.
Obviously, verse ten refers to a later time. Isaiah
writes, “Enlarge the place of your tent;
[a]Stretch
out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; lengthen your cords and
strengthen your pegs.” (54:2).
Again a scripture that indicates the increase of
the people of God’s chosen.
Isaiah writes about a time during the Millennial reign of
Christ when Israel and Judah have joined together as country. At this time the peoples
will increase so much that larger tents will be needed to make room for the
increase in children.
V 11 And the sons of Judah and the
sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for
themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will
be the day of Jezreel.
Jezreel means, God will sow. The reference is to the
valley that lies southwest of the city of Jezreel. One end of this valley is
the valley of Megiddo. This will be the final battle between the disobedient
peoples of the earth and Christ and his saints. The battle will take place at
the end of the tribulation period. The battle will usher in the Millennial
reign of Christ. The fact, that his 1,000 year reign begins following the
battle, remains a good indicator of who wins the battle.
Jezreel is know as the city where Jezebel died. You
remember her. She was Ahab’s wife. She ushered in the worship of Baal. She
swore to kill Elijah. And she had Naboth killed so her husband, Ahab, could
acquire Naboth’s vineyard.
Ironically, her name in Hebrew means chaste.
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Blessings,
Howard
Who You Are Isn't Based on Performance with God. Who You Are Should Have A Direct Bearing on How You Perform.
