Hosea

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Hosea

• Salvation
• 11 21

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Introduction

• Similarities to Amos
• Prophesied about the same time as Amos
• Both prophets were sent to Israel
• Differences with Amos
• Amos was from Judah
• Hosea is from Israel
• Amos was blunt, harsh, condemning
• Hosea is patient, compassionate, understanding
• Both were sent to get Israel to repent
• But sometimes a different approach works

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Background

• His family
• His father Beeri, but nothing else known
• No knowledge of his tribe
• His wife Gomer
• His children
• Jezreel (son)
• Lo-Ruhamah (daughter)
• Lo-Ammi (son)
• The family will be important to the message of
  Hosea

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Background

• The Date (Hos 11)
• During the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and
  Hezekiah (kings of Judah)
• In Israel, this is the time of Jeroboam II, same
  king as during the service of Jonah and Amos
• Hosea probably starts about the time Amos
  finishes prophesying near the end of Jeroboams
  reign and continuing to near the end of the
  nation
• Isaiah and Micah are his contemporaries who are
  prophesying in Judah

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Background

• The condition of the nation
• For a back ground you could read 2 Kings 14-17
  and 2 Chr 26-29
• Israel is nearing its end
• Sin was rampant (as Amos warned)
• Corruption (religious, moral, and political)
  increased more and more
• Harlotry (whoredom KJV) is the word that sums
  up the nation used 13 times in Hosea to describe
  the nation

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Understanding Hosea

• God makes an analogy for His relationship with
  Israel out of Hoseas relationship with Gomer
• The analogy will be explained in chapters 1-3
• The analogy will be the basis for the rest of the
  teachings in the book

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The marriage

• Hos 12-3
• Hosea commanded to marry a wife of harlotry
• Does not say marry a harlot
• The phrase would refer to one who was brought up
  in harlotry
• Could mean she was the child of a harlot
• Could simply mean she was an ordinary Israelite
  since the entire nation is called a harlot
• The parallel is to Israels spiritual harlotry
• Israel had been brought up among idolaters
• In Ur, Canaan, and Egypt
• Israel wasnt a harlot at first, but soon became
  one

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The children

• Jezreel (Hos 14-5)
• God says to name the son Jezreel
• Jezreel mean Jehovah scatters
• Is prophetic of Gods coming judgment
• Jezreel was also the royal city of Israel during
  the reign of Ahab
• Jehu brought an and to Ahabs descendants
• Murdered all Ahabs relatives in the Valley of
  Jezreel (2 Kings 9 10)
• God says the destruction of Jehus family was
  about to occur (penalty for Jehus and his
  descendants sins)
• Jeroboam II was great-grandson of Jehu

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The children

• Lo-Ruhamah (Hosea 16-7)
• Lo-Ruhamah means no mercy
• Served as an announcement that God was no longer
  going to be merciful to Israel
• Didnt destroy them when Jeroboam I sinned
• Didnt destroy them during Ahabs reign
• Didnt let Assyria destroy them at the beginning
  of Jeroboam IIs reign
• No more delays
• But Israels punishment did not mean Judah would
  not receive mercy
• God says mercy for Judah would come from Him, not
  any army

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The children

• Lo-Ammi (Hosea 18-9)
• Lo-Ammi means not my people
• Notice in verses 6 8 it does not say these
  children were Hoseas verse 3 clearly says the
  first was his
• In Chapter 2 Gomer is charged with harlotry
• Prophecy of the coming complete rejection of the
  Israelite nation
• It would be hard to imagine a more frightening
  pair of announcements
• God will have no mercy and rejects them as His
  people

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Hope

• A brighter future (Hosea 110 21)
• A future when there will be a large number
  accepted as children of God
• Not a future of earthly Israel
• They had been rejected with no mercy
• The fulfillment in Rom 922-26
• Jews and Gentiles in Gods kingdom
• 1 Peter 29-10
• All those who have now received mercy

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Lessons

• Ones upbringing is no excuse for sinful behavior
• It may explain the behavior, but does not excuse
• Everyone has a choice on how to live
• Israel had grown up around idolatry, yet God
  expected her to be faithful to Him
• Gomer grew up around harlotry and she should have
  been faithful to him
• When we become Gods people, we are to be
  faithful to Him

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Lessons

• God does not forget sins that havent been
  forgiven
• Jehu went beyond Gods instructions in killing
  all Ahabs relatives
• Jehu fell short of Gods instructions by allowing
  idolatry (golden calves) to continue
• Jehu may have thought he had gotten away with
  it
• His children continued in the same sins
• But God still brought about His judgment in His
  own time

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Lessons

• God is patient and merciful, but He will not
  remain so for all people for all time
• Those who disobey have no claim on His mercy
• God may be patient hoping for a change of heart
• But judgment will come and then there will be no
  mercy
• Even those who were once Christians will be
  rejected if they continue in sin
• No once saved, always saved
• Heb 1026-31

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Conclusion

• One final lesson . . .
• There remains hope
• God has always had a plan to save man
• If not a Christian, become one be baptized -
  and be forgiven of sins (Acts 238)
• If a Christian who has sinned, repent and confess
  (1 John 19)
• Why not act now while God remains patient and
  merciful?

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