He prophesied to the people of israel during the years that uzziah, jotham, ahaz and kezekiah were kings of judah and when jeroboam ii was king of israel. According to the superscription, hosea began his prophetic activity during the reign of jeroboam ii c. The lord has yoked himself to israel in the most intimate way, likened to the most. Imagine the prophet walking up to the slave master with 430 pounds of grain. The prophet hosea the prophet hosea arno clemens gaebelein. Because they were all contemporary with hosea, he mentions them all.
For while hosea is a prophet of the living god, his wife gomer was a prostitute, a harlot, an adulterous and unfaithful woman. Hosea commentary hosea is the first of the twelve books of the minor prophets. Hosea, prophet amazing bible timeline with world history. The lord speaks of israel, still using the example of hoseas wife.
In four verses only of these chapters does the prophet himself apparently address his own people israel, in two expostulating with them 9. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. Hosea accuses israel of breaking their covenant with god, and warns them of the tragic consequences to follow. Hoseas dates taken from the bible knowledge commentary. The prophets marriage to gomer by divine command, and the three children who are given prophetic names, 1. Hosea s wife, gomer, whom he married in good faith, proved to be an adulterous woman. Hoseas prophetic ministry to the northern kingdom of israel likely began soon after the ministry of the prophet amos ca. The book of hosea is the longest of the minor prophets.
Hoseas message and marriage society of biblical literature. Hoseas name means salvation or gods salvation but many people refer. Isaiahs dates taken from the bible knowledge commentary. And his name is related to the name joshua, which means salvation. The people in this land have acted like prostitutes and abandoned yahweh.
According to the book, the apostasy of the people was rampant, having turned away from god in order to serve both the calves of jeroboam and baal, a canaanite god. The book of hosea was written in the northern kingdom of israel in the eighth century bc, during the reign of jeroboam ii 786746 bc. I,my,are not hosea, and the things of hosea, but god and what belongs to god. He was a contemporary of the prophets isaiah, micah, and amos. This meant that hoseas ministry was an urgent plea for the return of israel to the true worship of god under the humble acquiescence to the various systems of. The biographical data in chapters two and three is designed to teach about israel, therefore, little more can be learned about hosea from that. The sages say only one prophet stands out whose impact on ancient israel as well as on gods people until the end of the ages is second to moses himselfthe prophet hosea. Timeline of hosea the prophet created by steve clark nov 7, 2008 bc dates for kings taken from niv chart of kings. If so, it is likely that hoseas father knew elisha. He was a prophet to the northern kingdom of israel, as the content of the book reveals. Book of hosea, the first of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets, considered as one book, the twelve, in the jewish canon. Hosea mentions the four kings of judah first, and then he mentions the king of israel, the northern kingdom. Powerful love overcomes rebellion in the book of hosea. Hosea marries a prostitute when yahweh first spoke to hosea, yahweh told him, marry a prostitute, and have children with that prostitute.
As a result, in his view, all authority had evaporated. This was followed by a period of internal instability, with intrigues at the royal court leading. The prophets prayer for barren womb and dry breasts in hosea 9, 191202. Hosea gives his readers very little information about himself, although viewed in the context of jewish life in his day, we can get to know him a little better. Osee was the son of beeri and a prophet in israel in the eighth century before the birth of christ. The global message of hosea hosea in redemptive history.
Hosea was a young preacher in the nation of israel, the northern kingdom, and he was a. Chapters 1 and 3 of the book of hosea tell us a bit about hosea s marriage and children. What is the significance of the message of salvation proclaimed by the prophet hosea for peoples and nations during this age. The precise details of hoseas troubled marriage are sketchy and we are left to fill in some of the details with our continue reading the story of hosea and a glimpse into the heart of god. Book of hosea overview insight for living ministries. Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the lord. The theme of israels indifference to gods love is translated in. Throughout the book you will see that he refers to israel and ephraim. The prophets name means salvation, likely a reference to hoseas position in israel as a beacon of hope to those who would repent and turn to god because of his message.
Conditions of israel outwardly there was prosperity. The book of hosea is one of the books of the hebrew bible. It is based on the german lexicon by william gesenius. This meant that hosea s ministry was an urgent plea for the return of israel to the true worship of god under the humble acquiescence to the various systems of truth. Hosea is the first prophet to use the metaphor of marriage to describe the relation between god and israel and the first and only prophet to be. We can hardly read it without being gripped by the deep emotional and personal involvement of the prophet. The book of hosea is one of the most passionate of the minor prophets. Little is known about the life or social status of hosea. Israels adultery, chapters hosea and gomer god and israel.
Hosea, a prophet from the northern kingdom, preached in his homeland, which he addresses as israel, jacob or, frequently, ephraim. Hosea began his mission in a period of prosperity, the last years of jeroboam ii 783743 b. The prophet hosea yahweh spoke his word to hosea, son of beeri, when uzziah, jotham, ahaz, and hezekiah were kings of judah and when jeroboam, son of joash, was king of israel. Often, we do not recognize the derivation of these bible names, but this prophet s name would be joseph in english. The theme of israels indifference to gods love is translated in the experience of the prophets own unhappy marriage. It is suggested based on certain clues within the book that hosea was from the northern kingdom. The book is clearly written by hosea during the days jeroboam ii king of israel. Since ephraim is the largest tribe in the northern kingdom, sometimes the kingdom is referred to a s ephraim. According to the christian tradition, hosea was a native of beelmoth ephraem syrus or belemoth pseudoepiphanius and isidorus or belemon pseudodorotheus, and belonged to the tribe of issachar. Top 5 commentaries on the book of hosea ligonier ministries.
Ephraim was the largest tribe in israel and sometimes the whole nation was referred to as ephraim. Hosea tells us of the nature of god, by showing us this sorrow. Chapters 1 and 3 of the book of hosea tell us a bit about hoseas marriage and children. Hosea probably made only 10 shekels a year, so 30 shekels was a large price to pay. According to the traditional order of most hebrew bibles, it is the first of the twelve minor prophets. The following are five of the most helpful commentaries on the book of hosea. According to the traditional order of most hebrew bibles, it is the first of the twelve minor prophets set around the fall of the northern kingdom of israel, the book of hosea denounces the worship of gods other than jehovah, metaphorically comparing israels abandonment of jehovah to a. Join facebook to connect with hosea prophet and others you may know. Then came loruhamah, a daughter, and finally a second son, loammi. Hosea is the first of the 12 minor prophets called minor not because they are of less importance, but because the books are shorter.
A word from the prophet hosea today, we consider hosea. Although little is known about the prophet himself outside of what can be learned from the book that bears his name, his basic message of judgment and hope is clear. Often, we do not recognize the derivation of these bible names, but this prophets name would be joseph in english. Hosea was a contemporary of amos, another prophet to israel. These words from a brief statement of faith, adopted. Blind to their own spiritual bankruptcy, israel was coasting along. This makes it particularly important as it sets the tone for the entire collection commonly referred to as the twelve. By the time of the prophet hosea, in the middle of the eighth century, b. Hosea s days were likely around 760 to 725 bc the dates that the kings of israel and judah occupy as listed at hosea 1. The story of the prophet hosea and his troubled marriage are a powerful testimony to us of our own tendency to be unfaithful to god but also of gods passionate love for us. The metaphor of marriage in hosea leif fredheim go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the lord hosea 1. It also means that hosea s ministry extended beyond the fall of samaria in 722 b.
Hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of israel and spoke the messages of the lord. The same spirit who inspired the prophets and apostles rules our faith and life in christ through scripture. Lexical there are several excellent lexicons available for ancient hebrew. Hebrew and english lexicon of the old testament by francis brown, s. Hosea was a prophet who lived and prophesied just before the destruction of israel in 722 bc. Hosea s prophetic ministry to the northern kingdom of israel likely began soon after the ministry of the prophet amos ca. Ellison was read as a paper to the society for old testament study during the year that the editor was president. The prophet s marriage to gomer by divine command, and the three children who are given prophetic names, 1. Hosea 1 niv bible the word of the lord that came to hosea.
Lessons to learn 1 faithfulness can be fleeting and emotional your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away. Iesed and not sacrifice, the knowledge of god rather than burnt offerings 6. The book reveals the personality of the prophet, an emotional man who in a moment could swing from violent anger to the deepest tenderness. This would mean that the prophet s ministry lasted perhaps 45 years ca. Hosea prophesied during a dark and melancholic era of israels history, the period of the northern kingdoms decline and fall in the 8th century bc. God ordered hosea to marry an adulterous wife, gomer, and their three children were each given a symbolic name representing part of the ominous message. Close to the end of jeroboams reign to early in hezekiahs reign. Into the story when the lord began to speak through hosea, the lord said to him, go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an. Sep 10, 2012 hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of israel and spoke the messages of the lord. Hosea is often seen as a prophet of doom, but underneath his message of destruction is a promise of restoration.
The talmud claims that he was the greatest prophet of his generation. But reading hosea is like looking into a kaleidoscope with the tumbling profusion of images that emerge and merge into new patterns and tropes. Hosea prophesied, approximately, during the years 753 to 687 b. The traditional characterization of amos as a prophet of justice as opposed to hosea as a prophet of love not only oversimplifies matters but in fact overlooks an important aspect. Prophet hosea hosea was a prophet who lived and prophesied just before the destruction of israel in 722 bc. It is as great a pleasure now to present it to readers. Hosea began to prophesy against israel the northern kingdom at a time when the country was experiencing. He appears on the bible timeline poster around the 8th century b. The lord has yoked himself to israel in the most intimate way, likened to the most profound of human relationships. The theme of israels indifference to gods love is translated in the experience of the prophet s own unhappy marriage. Hosea, however, knew nothing of her character at the time of his marriage, on the contrary, it was made manifest to him only afterward, as if through a special intervention of god, in order to serve to the prophet as a symbol of israels unfaithfulness to the lord. The book of hosea depicts gods relationship with his people through a metaphor that occurs throughout the bible, though nowhere as strongly and pervasively as in hosea.
The book of hosea covers approximately 40 years of his prophetic ministry. See more ideas about book of hosea, old testament and bible. The message of hosea this lies behind his best known words, for i desire. For this very reason, the biblical book of hosea has frustrated and intrigued scholars for over two millennia. The message of hosea in the light of his marriage by h. Some of the early jewish writers believed that hosea was the son of a prophet. We know virtually nothing about hosea beyond the fact that he was the son of beeri, that he was married to a woman of questionable repute, and that three children were born to her. The gospel according to hosea wooed in the wilderness, part 3 hosea 2. The first part of hosea records the tragic story of the prophet s unhappy marital experiences. He is one of the twelve minor prophets of the old testament.
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