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HOSEA
Updated: July 7, 2007
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[C]2006-07 by Richard L Zorek
Hosea is reckoned the first of the minor prophets, a contemporary of Isaiah, in the eventful days of Uzziah and Hezekiah, King of Judah.
Hos 1:1: The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the dayss of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The names Hosea, Joshua, and Jesus are all derived from the same Hebrew root word. The word hoshea means "salvation." "Joshua" and "Jesus" include an additional idea: "Yahweh is salvation."
Hos 2:14: Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her He does not say "I will drive her," he says he will "allure" her into a situation where her old evil associations and habits will not have the same bewitching influence over her.
Hos 2:15: And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt Vineyards from the wilderness? Out of out experiences and weariness, and seeming failure God can make, even these, fresh sources of refreshing and strength. "Valley of Achor"=trouble or trembling.
Hos 2:16: And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me My Husband, and shalt call me no more My lord "My husband" is something deeper and sweeter than the mere formal designation "my Lord." God is pledging to act on behalf of His people as a husband.
Hos 8:1: "Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law." Eagle is often used for vulture. A vulture eats food that's decayed.
Hos 4:1-6: God told Hosea that "My people perish for lack of knowledge," and would would be wise to presume He knew what He was talking about. Simply, we can't defend what we do not know. A teacher cannot explain the theological basis for all truth and reality, if he himself does not know the very nature of the finite yet personal God of all truth and reality.
Hos 4:10: For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the Lord No matter how much of material things they seek to cram into their greedy lives, they never have enough. Such is the experience of many a worldy man and woman. Frantic, fruitless effort to gain soul satisfaction, but they never have enough. They don't know the depth of the hunger of their own soul.
Hos 5:1: Hear ye this, O priests: and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor Instead of being a lkght and example, encouraging others to trust and serve the Lord, they had been as a snare and a net, trapping unwary feet into their ungodly ways.
Hos 5:4: They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord Their doings would not suffer them to honor God. They are too busy to actually know God.
Hos 5:6: They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord, but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself his face from them The face of God stands for divine presence and approval: guidance, comfort, and help. How miserable and hopeless must that nation be when this face is withdrawn from them. "They shall go with their flocks...." suggests vain sacrifices. No number of sacrifices will atone as long as the heart is not right towards Him. Out of fellowship with God means a vain and fruitless testimonoy.
Hos 5:7: They have dealt treacherously against the Lord: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions Treachery is a violation of allegiance, a breach of faith. We are traitors to the captain of our salvation when we identify ourselves with the ranks of the enemy.
Hos 5:11: Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment Disobeying the word of God, they became obedient to the commandment of a worldly-wise man.
Hos 5:13: When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then went Ephraim to the assyrians, and sent to King Jareb: yet they could not heal you, nor cure you of your wound When faith in God has failed, then life is but a desparate and hopeless struggle. Where can one go when the true fountain of life has dried up?
Hos 5:15: I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early Although His face may be hidden because of their sin, yet in love He longs for fellowship with the prodigal nation.
Hos 6:1: Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up Torn and tortured with their own wretchedness, and smitten with defeat and failure, and all this because of their unbelief. There is a need for repentance.
Hos 7:15: Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me God gives them strength, and they still have no loyalty.
Hos 8:14: For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. Building the temples did not mean they were remembering God. It was a religious act.
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