Background of the book hosea

Hosea revealed little about his background, though his book of prophecy offers a few glimpses into his life. May 30, 2011 historical background of hoseaassyria over the next month ill be working through hosea in sermons and some blog posts. Hoseas primary audience was ephraim another name for the northern kingdom, israel, which is mentioned 35 times in the book. Sep 10, 2012 hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of israel and spoke the messages of the lord. The general background of the book is much the same as. Before talking about hosea, i need to give you some historical background to the book of hosea and the other minor prophets. Whether hosea himself authored the book that preserves his prophecies is not known. The book of hosea is an unusually powerful book, because the prophet ministered out of his deep personal emotions. Dating the book is difficult because of its long history of transmission and. His intellectual appeals to the israelites in his day, and to us in ours, arose out of great personal tragedy in his own life. His writings form the first of the old testament 1 books of the minor prophets.

Before we jump into hosea, i think it is so important to understand the context of hoseas time and what got them into the mess they were in again. While some interpreters have thought the story to be merely an allegory of the relation between god and israel, others claim, more plausibly, that the story is to be taken literally. Outlines of the book vary, but there are several obvious transitions in the book which center on a. Hosea with book summary versebyverse bible commentary.

Hosea is a book depicting the relationship god desires for us and helps us become aware of ways in which we can stumble. Introduces the background of the prophet hosea and his book, and provides an overview of the books. Hosea bears somewhat the same relation to israel as jeremiah to judah. And like the book of amos, the book of hosea somehow made its way south to jerusalem where it was copied, edited, and preserved to serve as gods word for future generations. Hosea, prophet amazing bible timeline with world history.

Two sides of covenant failure whitney woollard reading the book of the twelve, commonly referred to as the minor prophets, can be really disorienting. The remainder of the book of hosea consists of a collection of miscellaneous statements expressing hosea s convictions concerning the character of yahweh and yahwehs relation to the people of israel. When this is true it all too easily leads to compromise, selfish ambition, and. The book of hosea has at least two perplexing problems. The book of hosea stands first in the division of the bible called the book of the twelve in the apocrypha cf.

Hosea means salvation and this is what the lord offered to israel if they would turn from their idolatry or adultery. The prophecy of hosea is unique in that it is the only prophetic book written by a northerner to the north about the north. The book of hosea covers approximately 40 years of his prophetic ministry. The book has a long history of formation and transmission. Most are reluctant to intrude their own personal experience into their prophecies, but the experience of hosea parallels the experience of the nation. What distinguishes hosea is the way he expresses the intense love and compassion of god for his unworthy people. The historical background of the book of amos is almost identical. It is suggested based on certain clues within the book that hosea was from the northern kingdom. The book of hosea was likely written between 755 and 725 b. Abstract the book of hosea portrays the dangers of the observance of religious ceremony without genuine devotion and commitment to the.

Historical background of hoseaassyria steven hovater. Intro to hosea biblica the international bible society. Amos must always come before hosea, the revelation of god s justice before the revelation of his love. Prophesying the past focuses on the impact of tradition and history on the construction of the book of hosea. Author hosea according to tradition date 785 bc approximately theme the apostasy of israel types and shadows in hosea jesus is the faithful husband. Powerful love overcomes rebellion in the book of hosea. Hosea prophesied to israel and judah during the decades leading up to the fall of the northern kingdom to assyria. Hosea s name means salvation and he pictures christ as the healer of he backslider. Hosea is the only prophet of israel who left any written prophecies which were recorded during the later years of his life. In this session, jennifer shares the background of the book of hosea by pointing out four key ingredients. Thankfully, the answer to this question is one of historicity, and does not determine the meaning of the book, even though the referent is affect by historical setting. The book primarily denounces israel for apostasy against god and. 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.

This page offers introductory and background information for the old testament book of amos, including authorship, purpose, and historical background. Introduces the background of the prophet hosea and his book, and provides an overview of the books content and structure. The book of hosea portrays the dangers of the observance of religious ceremony without genuine devotion and commitment to the lord. The book of hosea, the first of the canonical twelve minor prophets, was written by hosea whose name means salvation, or deliverance, a prophet who lived during the last years of the age of jeroboam ii in israel and the period of decline and ruin that. The lord has yoked himself to israel in the most intimate way, likened to the most profound of human relationships. She looks at common views of the book of hosea and presents new methodologies on. Jan 17, 2018 introduces the background of the prophet hosea and his book, and provides an overview of the book s content and structure. The book of hosea says that, during hosea s lifetime, the kings of the northern kingdom, their aristocratic supporters, and the priests had led the people away from the law of god, as given in the pentateuch. Hosea 1 background information with maps and images. Say of your brothers, my people, and of your sisters, my loved one. The meaning of his name, salvation, is the same as that of joshua cf.

Hosea s primary audience was ephraim another name for the northern kingdom, israel, which is mentioned 35 times in the book. According to the superscription, hosea began his prophetic activity during the reign of jeroboam ii c. Israel punished and restored rebuke your mother, rebuke her, for she is not my wife, and i am not her husband. Book of hosea overview insight for living ministries. Prason shared this presentation in a bible study for a group of scripture thirsty souls. When this is true it all too easily leads to compromise, selfish ambition, and lack of integrity in ones personal activities and dealings. Historical and religious context the international standard bible encyclopedia, revised. Like amos, hosea was a prophet who was active in the northern kingdom of israel hosea also refers to israel as ephraim and samaria. 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. So it was a true understanding that put hosea first in order.

Lesson 1 in the series the prophetic wisdom of hosea. When i teach hosea, my students spend a whole quarter going chapter by chapter and verse by verse through the book of hosea. Josiah brought about the final spiritual revival for judah when he came to the throne in 622 b. Hosea is the first of the 12 minor prophets called minor not because they are of less importance, but because the books are shorter.

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. Hoseas prophecy is closely related to that of amos. Marriage of hosea and gomer, the harlot, chapter 1 v. Hosea s love for gomer is only a picture of gods love for israel, because all the while that israel was unfaithful to god, he was providing for them, and they. But the book of hosea includes tender expressions of deep love among this prophets descriptions of judgment. Hosea mentions the four kings of judah first, and then he mentions the king of israel, the northern kingdom. Book of hosea, the first of 12 old testament books that bear the names of the minor prophets. I do so because this great prophet of the northern kingdom had a message to the people of.

Factors in the preprophetic movement a critical and exegetical commentary on amos and hosea. The global message of hosea hosea in redemptive history. But spiritually hosea gives a deeper and truer revelation than amos. Biblical scholar holt examines the background of israel to investigate how it is used in hosea. Abstract the book of hosea portrays the dangers of the observance of. The book of hosea is the first of the 12 books of minor prophets. Hosea ranks with deuteronomy and the gospel of john as major biblical treatises on the love of god. Abstract the book of hosea portrays the dangers of the observance of religious ceremony without genuine devotion and commitment to the lord. Hosea in the picture study bible the book of hosea with. But of course the real story of this book isnt the story of hosea and gomer, its the story of god and israel. Hosea prophesied during a dark and melancholic era of israels history, the period of the northern kingdoms decline. The marital life of hosea and his wife, gomer, provide the rich metaphor which clarifies the themes of the book. Today my students will study the prophet hosea in my course, the minor prophets. 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 period was an extremely difficult time in israels history, just before the northern. Because they were all contemporary with hosea, he mentions them all. Discusses hosea in the context of the book of the twelve and. Best commentaries and books on hosea logos bible software.

Hosea means salvation and is the same as the original name of joshua num. These books are full of poetic language, metaphors, and imagery unfamiliar to modern ears. Otherwise i will strip her naked and make her as bare as on the day she was born. The book of hosea is a narrative history and prophetic oracle. Set around the fall of the northern kingdom of israel, the book of hosea denounces the worship of gods other than yahweh, metaphorically comparing israels abandonment of yahweh to a woman being unfaithful to her husband. The book of hosea, a minor prophet, is part of the book of the twelve. Hosea, the son of beeri, prophesied for quite some time, from 785 to 725 b. This book is all about relationship gods relationship with his people which is falling apart owing to their adulterous behaviour. Since ephraim is the largest tribe in the northern kingdom, sometimes the kingdom is referred to a s ephraim. Let her remove the adulterous look from her face and the unfaithfulness from between her breasts. In ancient hebrew manuscripts the collection of the minor prophets was written on one scroll, called the book of the twelve. The first concerns the nature of the story told inchs.

Title the title is derived from the main character and author of the book. These twelve prophets are comprised in one single book in the hebrew bible and are called the twelve. A highly complex and rhetorically rich text, the books backdrop is the rise of the assyrian empire in the mid8th century bce. The resurgence of this ancient empire dominated much of the politics of the ancient near east from the time of jeroboam until assyrias demise at the end of the seventh century b.

She reminds us that god is the main character of the book of hosea and it is his unfailing love that changes everything for hosea, gomer, israel, and us. Gomer gomer was the wife of the prophet hosea 8th century bc, mentioned in the hebrew bibles book of hosea. He appears on the bible timeline poster around the 8th century b. According to the books narrative, the relationship between hosea and his unfaithful wife gomer is comparable to th. The five kings mentioned in the books superscription help to frame a significant period in israel and judahs history.

The short book of powerful prophetic poetry accompanied by two brief narrative sections, cannot be read in strict isolation. And like the book of amos, the book of hosea somehow made its way south to jerusalem where it was copied, edited, and preserved to serve as. Israel is the lords bride, but israel has instead joined itself to baal, the false god worshiped in syriapalestine. The book of hosea is the written record of the prophecies that ho sea son of beeri 1, gave to the nation of israel in the eighth century b. Hosea prophesied during a dark and melancholic era of israels history, the period of the northern kingdoms.

Book of hosea, also spelled osee, 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. Historical background of hoseaassyria over the next month ill be working through hosea in sermons and some blog posts. It is hoped that the series, like its name, will carry forward this old and venerable tradition. Six kings ruled during the last tragic 25 years of israel. Hosea looked forward to the assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom, just as jeremiah looked forward to the babylonian captivity of the southern kingdom. Hoseas love for gomer is only a picture of gods love for israel, because all the while that israel was unfaithful to god, he was providing for them, and they took his blessings and used them for their idol worship. These 12 books are called minor prophets not because their message is less important but because they are so much shorter than the previous five books. Israel is the lords bride, but israel has instead joined itself to. Hosea was to the northern kingdom what jeremiah was to the southern kingdom, a weeping prophet. Hosea 2 background information with maps and images picture. According to the traditional order of most hebrew bibles, it is the first of the twelve minor prophets. Israel is under the rule of jeroboam 11 and later pekah depending on actual date. Hosea was a contemporary of amos, another prophet to israel. 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 adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the lord.

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. The book of hosea is one of the books of the hebrew bible. The historical setting word biblical commentary, volume 31. He was a prophet to the northern kingdom of israel, as the content of the book reveals. Jan 02, 2020 hosea is the only prophet of israel who left any written prophecies which were recorded during the later years of his life. The first portion of the book portrays gods free and faithful love for his people through hoseas marriage to unfaithful gomer. The historical background of the book of hosea the new american commentary. Also, they speak a lot about gods judgment, which can feel like a total downe. The book of hosea written hundreds of years before daniel and is addressed to the northern kingdom of israel. Hosea his name meaning to save, salvation is the first of the socalled minor prophets. Summary of the minor prophet hosea the prophet hosea. Hosea is the first book in the sections of minor prophets.

Hosea appears to have had the temperament of a poet. Garrett canadian southern baptist seminary cochrane, alberta tol owo the book of hosea is the written record of the prophecies that ho sea son of beeri1, gave to the nation of israel in the eighth century b. This does not diminish its universal message, but puts it into a class of its own and gives it a compelling authority respecting its original recipients i kings 19. He heals us with his love, as hosea says i led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. Hosea was instructed by god to marry a certain woman and experience with her a domestic life which was a dramatization of the sin and unfaithfulness of israel.

The prophet hosea had a reallife situation that god used to illustrate his problem with the nation of israel. The word hermeneia has a rich background in the history of biblical interpretation as a term used in the ancient greekspeaking world for the detailed, systematic exposition of a scriptural work. Hosea s prophecy reflects conditions of economic prosperity, religious formalism and apostasy, and political stability that marked jeroboam iis reign. Discusses hosea in the context of the book of the twelve and succinctly highlights the contributions that the following methods have made to the study of the book.

Before we jump into hosea, i think it is so important to understand the context of hosea s time and. Hosea was a biblical prophet in the land of israel and spoke the messages of the lord. Probably to avoid unnecessary confusion, the king james authorized version gave joshuas original name as oshea, the kings name as hoshea, and the prophets name as hosea. Hosea is the first book of the twelve minor prophets. Book of hosea biblical studies oxford bibliographies.