Hosea Part 01
A book labeled as a “Minor Prophet” may be shorter in length, but it is by no means less important than the Major Prophets. Every part of God’s inspired Word holds valuable lessons, and Hosea is no exception. Though written to Israel and Judah, its message remains deeply relevant to us today.
Next up in our Know Your Sword series we will be turning our focus to a few of the Minor Prophets of the Bible. There are 12 total minor prophets, and in today’s lesson we will introduce the book of Hosea. The best way to understand the messages contained in these little gems is to understand the historical circumstances which they were originally written to address.
Author
The word of the Lord comes to Hosea in the introductory verses of Chapter 1 and an odd directive is given him. He is told to go and take a harlot as a wife. He is actually prescribed to endure an unhappy marriage in his initial calling.
When
Hosea was written during the reigns of multiple kings covering approximately 70 years. The Kings of Judah at the time of his writing were: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. Hosea would have been prophesying up to and perhaps during the fall and captivity of Israel (certainly during the first wave of captivity by Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser). These were the Jewish kings, rather than those of Israel, because they were of the Davidic dynasty and thus more legitimate rulers. The writing occurred during the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and some subsequent kings, though they’re not mentioned. This was during one of Israel’s greatest periods of prosperity, which is when the people tended to most disregard God.
Why
The book is largely an indictment of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God—and a description of their punishment to come. Baal worship had infiltrated the kingdoms of Judah and Israel Nations that turned to Baal looked to this false god as a source of blessings. They primarily looked for sustenance such as good crops, sufficient rain in the proper season and blessings on their livestock. Baalism was a fertility cult, and sexual promiscuousness accompanied its worship, making it particularly appealing and difficult to eradicate once it had infiltrated the culture. We can see why God wanted there to be no interaction with other religions and no intermarriage between other nations and belief systems.
God saw participation in the immoral and abominable practices of Baal worship as spiritual adultery. Baal actually means “husband” or “lord.” When God’s nation looked to another husband, it was a betrayal of the relationship God had intended. God wanted a messenger who could feel the pain of adultery, so He directed Hosea to marry someone who would be unfaithful. Hosea’s words are personal as he delivers the message God wants His nation to hear.
What
Some call Hosea “a tragic love story, with a happy ending.” The happy ending is debatable—the real happy ending comes in long-term fulfilment of prophecy. The book begins with Hosea’s family as an allegory of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God and most importantly God’s undying love. God always wants restoration and is willing to forgive when a nation or individual turns to Him and is willing to put sin away.
Brief Outline
- Chapters 1-3: Introduction and allegory
- Chapters 4-13: Description of current sins, coming punishment and captivity
- Chapters 14: Restoration to come
Minor Prophets class is taught at ABC by Dr. Frank Dunkle
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
