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THE MINOR PROPHETS

 

The Prophet Hosea

A Faithful Husband and An Unfaithful Wife

Lesson #2

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Today, we begin our study of the first Minor Prophet, Hosea.

 

B.      The book opens with these words:  “The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri…”

1.       It is important to keep in mind that these messages are from God.

2.       God simply used men to communicate His Word to His people.

 

C.     The name “Hosea” means “salvation.”

 

D.     We know very little about Hosea other than what is revealed to us in this book.

1.       His father’s name was Beeri.

2.       Hosea was a native of the Northern Kingdom.

3.       His message was directed to the Northern Kingdom.

a.       The word “Israel” is found 44 times in 41 verses.

b.      The word “Ephraim” is found 37 times in 37 verses.

 

E.      The first verse of Hosea tells us the time period when Hosea prophesied.

1.       It was during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

2.       And, it was during the days of Jeroboam II, the king of Israel.

3.       See Handout

 

F.      A key verse to the book of Hosea is Hosea 4:17.

 

Ephraim is joined to idols,:  let him alone.

 

G.     The theme of the book:  A Faithful Husband and An Unfaithful Wife

 

I.                    A STUNNING INTRODUCTION

 

A.     After the background verse (Hosea 1:1), we read something very interesting regarding a command given to Hosea (Hosea 1:2).

 

The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea.  And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms:  for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.

 

1.       The command:  “Take unto thee a wife of whoredoms.”

a.       The question that has been asked is:  “Was this woman a harlot when Hosea married her? Or, did she become a harlot after they had married?

b.      The answer most give is that she played the harlot after she was married to Hosea.

2.       Hosea does what God asks of him (Hosea 1:3).

 

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived and bare him a son.

 

3.       In chapter 2, we know that Gomer plays the harlot.

a.       Hosea 2:2

 

Plead with your mother, plead:  for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband:  let here therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts.

 

b.      Hosea 2:5

 

For their mother hath played the harlot:  she that conceived them hath done shamefully:  for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

 

B.      Hosea’s prophetic word flowed out of the life of his family” (www.insight.org, “Hosea,” Swindoll).

 

II.                 THE SPIRITUAL APPLICATION TO ISRAEL

 

A.     When God entered into a covenant relationship with Israel, He looked upon Israel as His bride.

1.       Isaiah 54:5

 

For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 

2.       Jeremiah 3:14

 

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you…

 

B.      In marriage, there are two paramount qualities that must be maintained.

1.       Love

2.       Trust/faithfulness

 

C.     Sadly, Israel played the harlot just like Gomer had done.

1.       In the book of Hosea, the word “whoredoms” is found in 6 verses.  The word “whoring” is found in 2 verses.  “Lovers” is found 6 times.  And, “adulterers” is found 1 time.

2.       Verses

a.       Hosea 4:12

 

My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them:  for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.

 

b.      Hosea 5:4

 

They will not from 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.

 

c.       Hosea 7:4

 

They are all adulterers…

 

d.      Hosea 8:9

 

For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself:  Ephraim hath hired lovers.

 

3.       The whoredoms of Israel involved two major actions.

a.       Idolatry

1)      Hosea 13:2

 

And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen:  they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.

 

2)      It is interesting that the prophet makes mention of the calf of Samaria in Hosea 8:5-6.

 

Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them:  how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?  For from Israel was it also:  the workman made it; therefore it is not God:  but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

 

b.      Seeking assistance from foreign countries (Hosea 7:11)

 

Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart:  they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.

 

III.              JUDGMENT WAS TO COME UPON ISRAEL

 

A.     God was not going to tolerate the unfaithfulness of Israel much longer.  He was going to bring judgment upon the ten tribes of Israel.

 

B.      Verses:

1.       Hosea 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…

 

2.       Hosea 7:13

 

Woe unto them!  for they have fled from me:  destruction unto them!  because they have transgressed against me…

 

3.       Hosea 9:7

 

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come…

 

4.       NOTE:  The Northern Kingdom would be carried into Assyrian captivity in 722 B.C.

a.       Hosea 10:6

 

It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb…

 

b.      Hosea 11:5

 

He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they have refused to return.

 

c.       Hosea 13:15-16 reveals just how horrible the judgment would be.

Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up:  he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels.  Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God:  they shall fall by the sword:  their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

 

C.     The last words of Hosea 11:5 tell the tale:  “…because they have refused to return.”  God called upon them to repent of their behaviors.

1.       Hosea 10:12

 

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness on you.

 

2.       Hosea 12:6

 

Therefore turn thou to thy God:  keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.

 

3.       Hosea 14:1-2

 

O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.  Take with you words, and turn to the Lord:  say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously:  so will we render the calves of our lips.

 

IV.              ANOTHER INTERESTING SITUATION

 

A.     In Hosea 3:1-3, Hosea is commanded to take Gomer back, and He does.

 

Then said the Lord unto me, Go ye, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.  So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley:  and I said unto her, thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man:  so will I also be for thee.

 

B.      Remember, we said that two qualities are foundational in a marriage relationship:  trust and love.  It was love that caused Hosea to take Gomer back after she committed adultery.

 

C.     This, too, was a picture, a picture of God’s love for Israel.

1.       Did you notice the words found in Hosea 3:1?  “…according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel…”

2.       God loved Israel when He called the nation out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1).  And, that love never ceased for His people.

3.       Just as Homer took Gomer back as his wife, God was going to take Israel back. 

4.       NOTE:  This was going to happen under the New Testament of Jesus Christ. 

a.       Hosea 3:4-5

 

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and with an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:  afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

 

b.      Hosea 14:4-7

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him.  I will be as the dew unto Israel:  he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine:  the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

 

V.                 THE APPLICATION FOR US TODAY

 

A.     As the church, we are married to the Christ.

1.       Romans 7:4

 

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

 

2.       2 Corinthians 11:2

 

For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy:  for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

 

B.      In this relationship, two qualities are essential.

1.       Love (Matt. 22:37-38)

 

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.

 

2.       Faithfulness (1 Cor. 4:2)

 

Moreover it is required in steward, that a man be found faithful.

 

C.     It is possible for us to play the harlot and trust in other people, things, and gods.

1.       Don’t trust in riches (1 Tim. 6:17).

 

Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who give us richly all things to enjoy.

 

2.       Keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21).

 

Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.

 

3.       James 4:4

 

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship with the world is enmity with God?  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

 

D.     God calls upon us to repent (Acts 17:31; 2 Pet 3:9)

 

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

E.      If we do not repent, judgment awaits us.  Those who play the harlot will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (Rev. 21:8; Gal. 5:19-21; Col. 3:5-6).

 

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:  which is the second death.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     One of the strongest blocks within the church is faithful women.

 

B.      We do not need our faith to fail.

 

C.     When Jesus returns, He needs to find faith on the earth, especially in His loyal female servants (See Luke 18:8b).

 

…Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prophecies of Jesus Christ in Hosea

 

Hosea 1:10-11

 

Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, Ye are not my people, there is shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.  Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land;  for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

 

 

Hosea 11:1

 

When Israel was a child, then I love him, and called my son out of Egypt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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God loves you!

God has saved you!

God watches over you!

God hears you!

God wants your burdens!

God desires for you to have the best!

 

 

 

God also expects a lot out of you.

 

For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more

(Luke 12:48b).