HOSEA

“Hosea” means salvation

Hosea: son of Beeri, and first of the minor prophets. Probably the life, or rather the prophetic career, of Hosea extended from B.C. 784 to 723, a period of fifty-nine years. The prophecies of Hosea were delivered in the kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam II was on the throne, and Israel was at the height of its earthly splendor. Nothing is known of the prophet's life excepting what may be gained from his book.

Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom. His message was for the Northern Kingdom with a mention of Judah occasionally. Speaks of the king as "our" king (7:5). He began his ministry about the last 40 (760-720 B.C.) years of Jeroboam II reign, and when Israel was at the top of its power. He was younger than Amos but older than Isaiah and Micah. Jonah may have known him when he was a child. Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah were the kings of Judah and Jeroboam II was the king of Israel.

The Ten Tribes, about 200 years earlier, had broken off and set up their own kingdom. The Golden Calf was its national god. Elijah, Elisha, Jonah, Amos and now Hosea had been sent by God.

CHAPTERS 1, 2, 3,In Chapter 1:2, we find that God told Hosea to take a bride of "whoredom." Israel, has always been described as the "bride of God," had turned from God. They began to worship other gods, like married woman had given themselves over to other men. Gomer, Hosea's wife, may not have been one of these women, but the word "whoredom" described the spiritual adultery for the nation as a whole. "Whore" was about the only kind of women available in Hosea's time frame.

His language is that this was really happening in Hosea's life, and God had commanded that Hosea, as a prophet of God, to marry this type of woman, to show God's love for the wayward Israel. Maybe even, a woman, who was chaste at their marriage, later gave herself over to another man, so she could have the life of luxury (2:5). Hosea finally brought her back (3:1-2).
In Chapter 3:1-5, we find that Hosea had brought her back but required that she had no wifely privileges. This was done to show the prophecy that Israel would remain "many days with no king and no sacrifice," before finally returning to God and their king David.

Just as his marriage was part of the message he was preaching, so where his children named for the main purpose of his life. JEZREEL his first born (1:4-5). The city of Jehu's bloody brutality was called Jazreel (II Kings 10:1-14). The valley of Jazreel was the age old battle field on which the kingdom was about to fall. Hosea was telling the nation as a whole, "retribution, the hour for punishment is come." LO-RUHAMAH, the second child (1:6), his name means "No more mercy," for Israel. However, there would be a period of temporary delay for Judah. LO-AMMI, the third child (1:9), his name means, "no longer my people." Hosea then repeats the two names leaving off the "LO" (not) (2:1), to show they would again be God's people. His play on words tell of the day Other Nations are going to be called the people of God. (Romans 9:25, Paul uses the passage to extend the Gospel to the Gentiles).

God's blessing to each of you,

SOURCES: King James Bible; H H Halley's Bible HandBook; Smith's Bible Dictionary