The Book of
HOSEA
Author: Hosea
Date: About 750 B.C.
Theme: Return to God
Key Words: Sin, Judgment, Love
Author. Hosea, whose name means “Salvation” or “Deliverance,” was chosen by God to live out his message to his people by marrying a woman who would be unfaithful to him. His sensitivity toward the sinful condition of his countrymen and his sensitivity toward the loving heart of God fitted him for this difficult ministry.
Background and Date. Hosea gives the historical setting for his ministry by naming the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah) and the king of the northern kingdom of Israel (Jeroboam II) who ruled during the period of his prophecy (1:1). This sets the dates from 755 B.C. to 715 B.C. Though all the gauges of outward success seemed positive for Israel, underneath disaster was lurking. The people of this period enjoyed peace, plenty, and prosperity; but anarchy was brewing, and it would bring the political collapse of the nation in a few short years. Hosea describes the characteristic social conditions of his day: corrupt leaders, unstable family life, widespread immorality, class hatred, and poverty. Though people continued a form of worship, idolatry was more and more accepted and the priests were failing to guide the people into ways of righteousness. In spite of the darkness of these days, Hosea holds out hope to inspire his people to turn back to God.
Content. The Book of Hosea is about a people who needed to hear the love of God, a God who wanted to tell them, and the unique way God chose to demonstrate His love to His people. The people thought that love could be bought (“Ephraim has hired lovers,” 8:9), that love was the pursuit of self-gratification (“I will go after my lovers who give me,” 2:5), and that loving unworthy objects could bring positive benefits (“They became an abomination like the thing they loved,” 9:10). God wanted Israel to know His love, which reached out for unlikely and unworthy objects (“When Israel was a child, I loved him,” 11:1), which guided with gentle discipline (“bands of love,” 11:4), and which persisted in spite of the peoples’ running and resisting (“How can I give you up?” 11:8).
The problem was how to get this message of God’s love to a people not inclined to listen, and not likely to understand if they did listen. God’s solution was to let the prophet be his own sermon. Hosea would marry an impure woman (“wife of harlotry,” 1:2), love her fully and have children by her (1:3), and go after her and bring her back when she strays (“Go again, love,” 3:1). In sum, Hosea was to show by his own love for Gomer the kind of love God had for Israel.
Personal Application. These lessons stand out clearly from the Book of Hosea:1. If the people around us do not see the love of God in us, they will not find it anywhere. Like Hosea, all believers are called to demonstrate to their neighbors by their attitudes and by their actions God’s love in Christ to a world blindly groping for indications of authentic love.2. We cannot separate our witness and our ministries from our lives. Hosea’s strongest sermon was his relationship with his wife. The source of his power for preaching was his home and his family.3. The only perfect example of love is found in God Himself. When God enters into marriage with His people, He recites vows that promise permanence, a right relationship, fair treatment, love unfailing, tenderness, security, and continuing self-revelation (2:19, 20). Our love must drink from this spring; then draw for others, offering to them, not the best form of human love we can give, but the pure, undiluted love of God in Christ.
Christ Revealed. The New Testament writers draw upon Hosea for teaching about the life and ministry of Christ. Matthew sees in 11:1 a prophecy that was fulfilled when Jesus as a baby was literally taken into and brought out of Egypt, parallel to Israel’s long stay in Egypt and the Exodus (Matt. 2:15). The writer of Hebrews finds in Jesus the One who enables believers to offer acceptable sacrifices of praise by which we become recipients of God’s merciful forgiveness (14:2; Heb. 13:15). For Peter, Jesus provides the basis by which those who were outside the family of God are now admitted to a relationship with Him (1:6, 9; 1 Pet. 2:10). To Paul, Jesus fulfills Hosea’s promise that One would break the power of death and the grave, and bring resurrection victory (13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55). Paul’s teaching on Christ as the Groom and the church as the bride corresponds to the marriage ceremony and vows whereby God enters into a permanent relationship with Israel (2:19, 20; Eph. 5:25–32).
Jesus also, in at least two of His sermons to the Pharisees, takes His text from Hosea. When questioned about His spending time in the homes of tax collectors and sinners, Jesus quotes Hosea to show that God desires not just empty words or heartless rituals, but genuine care and concern for people (6:6; Matt. 9:13). And, when the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of Sabbath breaking, Jesus defends them with the same reminder that the heart of God places concern for human need above religious form (Matt. 12:7).
The Holy Spirit at Work. The Book of Hosea teaches two outstanding lessons concerning the Holy Spirit: 1) It is important to depend on the presence of the Spirit, and 2) negative things happen when the Holy Spirit is missing from a life. Twice Hosea uses the phrase “the spirit of harlotry” (4:12; 5:4), and tells the consequences of being filled with an unholy spirit. Like Paul in Ephesians, Hosea connects such a spirit with wine, which enslaves the heart. This spirit of harlotry also causes people to stray into false ways and false worship in contrast to the Holy Spirit who guides us in true ways and true worship (4:11–13; Eph. 5:17–21). John records the words of Jesus concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit who will witness to Christ; on the other hand, the spirit of harlotry keeps people from knowing God (5:4; John 15:26).
The love of Hosea for his wayward wife reminds us that the preeminent fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
HOSEA
Author: Hosea
Date: About 750 B.C.
Theme: Return to God
Key Words: Sin, Judgment, Love
Author. Hosea, whose name means “Salvation” or “Deliverance,” was chosen by God to live out his message to his people by marrying a woman who would be unfaithful to him. His sensitivity toward the sinful condition of his countrymen and his sensitivity toward the loving heart of God fitted him for this difficult ministry.
Background and Date. Hosea gives the historical setting for his ministry by naming the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah) and the king of the northern kingdom of Israel (Jeroboam II) who ruled during the period of his prophecy (1:1). This sets the dates from 755 B.C. to 715 B.C. Though all the gauges of outward success seemed positive for Israel, underneath disaster was lurking. The people of this period enjoyed peace, plenty, and prosperity; but anarchy was brewing, and it would bring the political collapse of the nation in a few short years. Hosea describes the characteristic social conditions of his day: corrupt leaders, unstable family life, widespread immorality, class hatred, and poverty. Though people continued a form of worship, idolatry was more and more accepted and the priests were failing to guide the people into ways of righteousness. In spite of the darkness of these days, Hosea holds out hope to inspire his people to turn back to God.
Content. The Book of Hosea is about a people who needed to hear the love of God, a God who wanted to tell them, and the unique way God chose to demonstrate His love to His people. The people thought that love could be bought (“Ephraim has hired lovers,” 8:9), that love was the pursuit of self-gratification (“I will go after my lovers who give me,” 2:5), and that loving unworthy objects could bring positive benefits (“They became an abomination like the thing they loved,” 9:10). God wanted Israel to know His love, which reached out for unlikely and unworthy objects (“When Israel was a child, I loved him,” 11:1), which guided with gentle discipline (“bands of love,” 11:4), and which persisted in spite of the peoples’ running and resisting (“How can I give you up?” 11:8).
The problem was how to get this message of God’s love to a people not inclined to listen, and not likely to understand if they did listen. God’s solution was to let the prophet be his own sermon. Hosea would marry an impure woman (“wife of harlotry,” 1:2), love her fully and have children by her (1:3), and go after her and bring her back when she strays (“Go again, love,” 3:1). In sum, Hosea was to show by his own love for Gomer the kind of love God had for Israel.
Personal Application. These lessons stand out clearly from the Book of Hosea:1. If the people around us do not see the love of God in us, they will not find it anywhere. Like Hosea, all believers are called to demonstrate to their neighbors by their attitudes and by their actions God’s love in Christ to a world blindly groping for indications of authentic love.2. We cannot separate our witness and our ministries from our lives. Hosea’s strongest sermon was his relationship with his wife. The source of his power for preaching was his home and his family.3. The only perfect example of love is found in God Himself. When God enters into marriage with His people, He recites vows that promise permanence, a right relationship, fair treatment, love unfailing, tenderness, security, and continuing self-revelation (2:19, 20). Our love must drink from this spring; then draw for others, offering to them, not the best form of human love we can give, but the pure, undiluted love of God in Christ.
Christ Revealed. The New Testament writers draw upon Hosea for teaching about the life and ministry of Christ. Matthew sees in 11:1 a prophecy that was fulfilled when Jesus as a baby was literally taken into and brought out of Egypt, parallel to Israel’s long stay in Egypt and the Exodus (Matt. 2:15). The writer of Hebrews finds in Jesus the One who enables believers to offer acceptable sacrifices of praise by which we become recipients of God’s merciful forgiveness (14:2; Heb. 13:15). For Peter, Jesus provides the basis by which those who were outside the family of God are now admitted to a relationship with Him (1:6, 9; 1 Pet. 2:10). To Paul, Jesus fulfills Hosea’s promise that One would break the power of death and the grave, and bring resurrection victory (13:14; 1 Cor. 15:55). Paul’s teaching on Christ as the Groom and the church as the bride corresponds to the marriage ceremony and vows whereby God enters into a permanent relationship with Israel (2:19, 20; Eph. 5:25–32).
Jesus also, in at least two of His sermons to the Pharisees, takes His text from Hosea. When questioned about His spending time in the homes of tax collectors and sinners, Jesus quotes Hosea to show that God desires not just empty words or heartless rituals, but genuine care and concern for people (6:6; Matt. 9:13). And, when the Pharisees accuse Jesus’ disciples of Sabbath breaking, Jesus defends them with the same reminder that the heart of God places concern for human need above religious form (Matt. 12:7).
The Holy Spirit at Work. The Book of Hosea teaches two outstanding lessons concerning the Holy Spirit: 1) It is important to depend on the presence of the Spirit, and 2) negative things happen when the Holy Spirit is missing from a life. Twice Hosea uses the phrase “the spirit of harlotry” (4:12; 5:4), and tells the consequences of being filled with an unholy spirit. Like Paul in Ephesians, Hosea connects such a spirit with wine, which enslaves the heart. This spirit of harlotry also causes people to stray into false ways and false worship in contrast to the Holy Spirit who guides us in true ways and true worship (4:11–13; Eph. 5:17–21). John records the words of Jesus concerning the ministry of the Holy Spirit who will witness to Christ; on the other hand, the spirit of harlotry keeps people from knowing God (5:4; John 15:26).
The love of Hosea for his wayward wife reminds us that the preeminent fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). “The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
