Prayer 101 - Part 76: Christ In Hosea
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Outline
Hosea’s message is fourfold. Firstly that God suffers when His people are unfaithful to Him. Secondly that God cannot condone sin. Thirdly that God will never cease to love His own, and because of that He seeks to win back those who have forsaken Him.
Hosea’s message was preached to the Northern kingdom of Israel in a time when material prosperity was unequaled since the days of Solomon. His message must be understood against the background of Deuteronomy 28. Israel was to maintain loyalty to God by worshipping Him alone and obeying His commandments. Obedience would bring blessing - Deut 28:1-14. Disobedience would lead to judgment and eventual exile - Deut 28:15-68.
Hosea emphasised idolatry and compared Israel’s relationship as spiritual adultery, using his own marriage to an unfaithful woman as an illustration, His own reconciliation illustrated Israel’s ultimate restoration.
Other sins mentioned were: social injustice Hosea 12:7, violent crime Hosea 4:2, 6:9, 12:1, religious hypocrisy Hosea 6:6, political rebellion Hosea 7:3-7, foreign alliances Hosea 7:11, 8:9, selfish arrogance Hosea 13:6, spiritual ingratitude Hosea 7:15
Hosea’s major themes are sin, judgment and salvation.
Hosea, a contemporary of Isaiah, Micah and Amos seems to have filled the position of prophet during the last years of Jeroboam(while Uzziah was the king of Judah- the Southern kingdom) and ended in the beginning of Hezekiah’s reign in 722 BC. He prevailed for sixty years from 784BC to 722BC.
Hosea 1:1-10
When this chapter speaks of Jezreel it speaks of Ahab, Jezebel, Naboth’s Vineyard, Jehu. Bloodshed.
The Valley of Jezreel spreads from the Mediterranean near Mt Carmel to the Jordan. From Galilee to the mountain of Ephraim. The sight of Gideon’s great battle - Judges 6:33 & Judges 7. It also became a symbol of national disgrace and defeat as it had been after Saul’s death - 1 Sam 29:1,11; 1 Sam 31
Hosea 1:11
The field of blood, Jezreel, will be the vineyard of YHWH and will ultimately be sown of God in the land of their fathers, never to be uprooted again. The future day of restoration will be ushered in by a great military triumph like that of Gideon. - Isa 9:4-7; Isa 41:8-16; Amos 9:11-12; Joel 3:9-17; Rev 19:11-21
How does this apply to us?
For us spiritual adultery can be a sin of New Testament believers as well as the Old Testament Jew. - 1 John 2:15-17; Rev 2:1-7; James 4:1-10
Christians who love the world and live for sin are false to their Saviour and break His heart. Paul warns of this in 2 Cor 11:1-3
So in review of the last two verses of Chapter 1 these prophecies were proclaimed -
Hosea 1:10a - Israel will experience a great increase in population
Hosea 1:10b - There will be a great turning to God in the nation
Hosea 1:11a - The Northern and Southern will be reunified into a single nation
Hosea 1:11b - They will appoint themselves one head - The Messiah
and in Hosea 2:1 there will be national restoration
Hosea 2: 1-15
From this site of whoredom
Hosea 2: 16-23
There is no greater promise than that which is given in these verses.
Hosea 3:1-5
We are Gomer. We are the slave sold on the auction block of sin. The world promises us fame, wealth, prestige, influence and power. Yet we have been redeemed and purchased, despite our despicable character, by the blood of Jesus. Matt 20:28;1 Peter 1:18,19; Titus 2:14.
Hosea 5:15
“I will go and return to my place”. He must have left it in order to ‘return’. This implies that God will be involved in two comings.
“Acknowledge their offence, and seek my face”. This establishes a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Christ. Israel must repent and acknowledge their rejection of their Messiah before He can return to them. Lev 26:32-42
“seek me early(earnestly)”. This will occur and in fact be the purpose of the Great Tribulation - the ‘time of Jacob’s trouble’. Jer 30:1-7
Hosea 6:1-3
Israel finally comes to the realisation that her sufferings have been of a disciplinary nature.
Ezekiel used similar language in describing life which would enter the dry bones - Israel. Ez 37:1-10; Isa 26:19. The Apostle Paul spoke of the future Israel in Romans 11
Throughout the entire book of Hosea through Him the loved one is regained, restored and renewed. This is the Gospel. The key thought of the whole review of Israel’s history is that there is a hope beyond judgment. This hope is based upon the unique nature of God.
Hosea 14:1-9
Hosea’s prophecy ends on a positive note with an exhortation to repentance. In the day of Israel’s repentance the Lord will turn from his anger and demonstrate His love by healing her. At that time the Lord’s blessing will return to Israel.
We learn from Hosea that:
The ways of the Lord are right
The righteous walk in them and obey them. The result is that they experience the blessings for showing such loyalty. The rebellious fall, stumble over them. Their destruction is a direct result of disobedience.