INTRODUCTION

Hosea name means salvation. He ministered in the Northern Kingdom from 760 B.C. to 720 B.C. in the time of Jeroboam II till the early stage of captivity by Assyria in 722 B.C. (1Kings12; II Chronicles 26-32). The word of the LORD that came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (Hosea 1:1) Hoseas message has 4 main parts

Chapters 1-3 Gods faithfulness - towards Israel is depicted through Hosea's marriage with Gomer and redeeming her when she went astray. Gomer committed three particular sins (1) harlotries, "...Let her put away her harlotries..." (2:2), (2) ingratitude, "... For she said, I will go after my lovers, Who give me my bread and my water, My wool and my linen, My oil and my drink. (Hosea 2:5) (3) insincerity (2:10). God gives seven "I will". promises in chapter 2 - I will allure (:14); I will give her, her vineyards (:15); I will take away the names of the Baals (:16-17); I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness (:18-20); I will answer (:21-22); I will sow her for Myself ... I will have mercy on her (:23).

Chapters 4-7 Israels unfaithfulness - is guilty of three sins (1) Ignorance, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge... (Hosea 4:6) (2) Idolatry "...ask counsel from their wooden idols," (4:12) (3) insincerity in their repentance, O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. (Hosea 6:4)

Chapters 8-10 Gods judgement - God pronounces His sentence upon Israel (1) Barrenness of crop, "The stalk has no bud, ...never produce meal..." (8:7); "The threshing floor and the winepress shall not feed them..." (9:2) (2) Banishment "They shall not dwell in the Lord's land..." (9;3) "...they shall be wanderers among the nations" (9:17). Bloodshed " a mother dashed in pieces upon her children" (10:14)

Chapters 11-14 Israels restoration - (1) God's past mercies in leading them. He guided and nurtured them while they were young knowing they would still ignore His love (11:1-5) He will not let them go (11:8) Yet I am the LORD your God Ever since the land of Egypt, And you shall know no God but Me; For there is no savior besides Me. I knew you in the wilderness, In the land of great drought. When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me. (13:4-6) (2) God's present disciplines for their needs (12-13) (3) God's future promises of their restoration (14). Faithful to the end as a remnant will return. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. (14:4)

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