• Hosea is a northern prophet, probably from Samaria. (758-722 BC).

• It is the longest book of the 12 minor prophets and probably the least easy to read – next to Zechariah.

Hosea

• One reason for the difficulty in understanding Hosea is because of how emotional the book is.

• Hosea wears his heart on his sleeve and with such passion it is not always easy to track where things are going.

Hosea

• Hosea was not only to preach God’s message, but to be a living illustration of God’s message.

• He was to fall in love and marry someone (Gomer) who would be repeatedly unfaithful to him and even fall into prostitution.

Hosea

• The message that Hosea will embody is that Israel is acting like this woman towards God, and her sister Judah is following suit.

• Hosea is also to name his children with names that express God’s disappointment with his people. (1).

• Jezreel – for God’s punishment. • Lo-Ruhamah – which means “not loved.” • Lo-Ammi - which means “not my people.”

Hosea

• Hosea’s marriage mirrors God’s long relationship with Israel. (Marriage, unfaithfulness,

divorce and restoration).

• The book goes back and forth between the tension of God’s love for his people and his justice in carrying out the curses for their covenantal unfaithfulness.

Hosea

• Throughout the book Israel’s idolatry and her trusting in other nations for help is equated with adultery.

• Because Israel has rejected God as King, Israel (and her king) will be destroyed. (9:10-10:15).

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THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2 Kings 14:23-18:16)

• The setting is influenced by the ups and downs of Assyria.

• Hosea began his prophetic calling towards the end of the relatively tranquil and prosperous days of Jeroboam II (of Israel).

Hosea

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2 Kings 14:23-18:16)

• This was followed by six kings who ruled in Samaria in rapid succession – through scandal, immorality and assassination – until the northern kingdom was overthrown by Assyria in 722/1 at the end of Hosea’s ministry.

Hosea

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2 Kings 14:23-18:16)

• The setting is influenced by the ups and downs of Assyria.

• Hosea began his prophetic calling towards the end of the relatively tranquil and prosperous days of Jeroboam II (of Israel).

Hosea

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT (2 Kings 14:23-18:16)

• Politically Israel was overthrown by her unwillingness to pay tribute to Assyria and looking to other foreign powers for help/alliances to protect her.

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THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• God used Assyria as his rod to punish Israel for her unfaithfulness. (10:6-7).

• Israel continued to abandon God in favor of Baal, or to mix the two together.

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THEOLOGOCAL THEMES

• The people show continual unfaithfulness to God, breaking most of the 10 Commandments. (4:1-3).

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THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• The Israelites have ended up becoming like the gods they worship – weak, immoral, shallow and full of lies.

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THEOLOGICAL METAPHORS

• Hosea’s preaching is full of striking metaphors.

• God is a lion, leopard, bear, eagle/vulture, trapper. (5:14; 11:10; 13:7-8; 8:1; 7:12).

• God is a husband, lover, parent, green pine tree. (2:14-23; 14:3-7; 11:8-9; 14:8).

Hosea

THEOLOGICAL METAPHORS • Israel sins as an adulterous wife, stubborn

cow, snare and net, reheated, half-baked bread, senseless dove, faulty bow, unformed stalks of grain, a baby refusing birth. (2:2; 4:16; 5:1; 7:4, 8, 11, 16; 8:7; 13:13).

Hosea

THEOLOGICAL METAPHORS • Israel will disappear like mist, dew, chaff, and

smoke. (13:3).

• Israel will float away like a twig on water. (10:7).

• Israel has sown in the wind and will reap the whirlwind. (8:7).

Hosea

THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• However, God will also eventually overthrow the nations God used to punish his people. (8:1-9:9).

• Ultimately, the book ends with God expressing his undying love for Israel with his promise of restoring his people. (11:8-11).

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THEOLOGICAL THEMES

• This will happen because of God’s character of love and holiness.

• He alone is the Holy One, totally other than his unfaithful human creatures. (11:9).

• This paves the way for the coming of Jesus Christ.

Hosea