Persons Of Scripture: Hosea

The Book of Hosea recorded the oracles of a prophet named Hosea in the land of Israel just before Israel is conquered and crushed by the Assyrian armies. In the early chapters we find that Hosea proclaims his message not just by speaking, but through a prophetic action.

God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute, and he does. Her name is Gomer.

This becomes the backdrop for the messages that are recorded in the book. Hosea seeks out Gomer and tries to keep her from going out and sleeping with other men, but has no luck. This functions as a symbol for Israel in which they are shown how unfaithful they are to God, and how ready God is to forgive them. Behind all that is said in the book of Hosea is the message that God is eager to love and forgive all offenses at the first sign of a return to him; the Missio Dei searches for opertunities of mercy. This message is similar to the message of the Prodigal son in Luke 15.

Martin Luther looked at Hosea as fulfilling two offices:

Preaching Against Idolatry
Proclaiming the coming kingdom of God

The whole book is filled with a dichotomy of doom and promise. This dichotomy is present in the world we live in today as well. Just as Israel was faced with destruction we too must contend with a world that is often seems as if it is just teetering on the edge.

And in the case of Israel much like the world today God does not promise there will not be fall out for the ways we abandon our covenant with Him, our world, or with one another.

In Hosea both themes come out clearly.

We see the consequences of Israel’s sin in many places. In 10:14 God tells his people they will face destruction, this is echoed again in 14:1.

But with that there is a promise of salvation! It is in Hosea we first hear the words later echoed by 1 Corinthians 15:55.

“Death where is your sting” (from the LXX); in the midst of destruction there is a promise of restoration.

Here are some places we find hope in Hosea:

God promises to Restore the Dwelling of his people (14:5)
He promises to make them bear fruit (14:7)
God will redeem his people from death (13:14)
God will not abandon Israel (11:9)

The response that we should have today in the midst of a turbulent world is the same response that Hosea declred long ago “Return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait on (draw near in LXX) to your God (12:7).”

Hosea indeed shows us how eager God is to restore. Hebrews 7:19 even shows us that he has provided a way for us to draw near, he was given us a hope that we can draw near through, Christ Jesus the Lord.

Persons of Scripture: Hosea