"If you can strip the Old Testament of its literal meaning, that gives you the liberty to do the same to the New Testament" J. Vernon McGee
(Found On: Bible Hub)
"The book of Hosea is a Narrative History and Prophetic Oracle. Hosea is the first book in the sections of Minor Prophets. They are called Minor Prophets not because their material is less important or insignificant, but because of the size of the book they wrote was shorter in length. The prophet Hosea wrote it at approximately 715 B.C. It records the events from 753-715 B.C. including the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722. The key personalities are Hosea, Gomer, and their children.
Its purpose was to illustrate the spiritual adultery of Israel and God’s boundless love for His sinful people. Hosea brings God’s message to the wicked Northern Kingdom.
During this time, they are active in oppressing the poor in slavery and worshiping idols. God, because of His grace, sent another opportunity for Israel to repent and turn to Him. Shortly thereafter, the Northern Kingdom went into permanent captivity.
• In chapters 1-3, God gives Hosea instructions to marry an unfaithful woman and he obeys. His unfaithful wife Gomer leaves him and finds another man. Hosea is faithful; he finds her, redeems her and brings her back home to him. “Then I said to her, ‘You shall stay with me for many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so I will also be toward you” (3:3).
• Chapters 4-14 Hosea describes how Israel has been unfaithful to God. God wants Israel to repent and turn from their wickedness. He wants to restore Israel however, they continue to disobey and follow their own ways, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (4:6)."
"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children" (Hosea 4:6)
My Notes
Chapter One
Hosea was written in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah who were the kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel (Hosea 1:1)
V2 "For the land has committed great harlotry By departing from the Lord." This referred to both Israel & to Judah.
Gomer means: the filling up of idolatry.
Diblaim (her father) means: double portion of raisin cakes (an aphrodisiac).
Jezreel means: God will scatter, and God will avenge.
Lo-Ruhamah means: never knew her fathers pity.
Lo-Ammi means: not my people (child)
V10 "In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There it shall be said to them, 'You are sons of the living God.'" Meaning, Israel will return to the same place from which they were scattered.
Chapter Two
Tells us that Gomer & Israel does not know God. If she doesn't repent, there will be judgment. God will slay with unsatisfiable desires. Greatest sin is unfaithfulness to God. Pining for things she/they already have. Never satisfied. What God gave the Israelites, the Israelites sacrificed to other gods. He will take away the tings they get from Him. They gave thanks to the wrong sources. Israel forgot God. They will find places in the wilderness to make their homes. Forget the false gods and return to God. The Lion and the lamb will lie down together. Protect them.
V19 "I will betroth you to Me forever" (betroth means: to woo a virgin)
Israel currently defensive, not in Love with the Lord.
V21 Speaks of the last days of Israel, the Tribulation and the coming of Christ.
V22 Regather the scattered.
Chapter Three
God said, "Now you know how I feel. Go get your wife. You love her, so take her back."
Hosea bought Gomer back for 15 silver, and one and one-half homers of barley (about 15 silver). Roughly a total of 30 silver. (Note the comparison here to the price paid to Judas).
Many days the children of Israel will be without king or prince, without pillar or sacrifice, without the priestly garments and the good luck charms.
But they will return. God will redeem them. Judah has returned to Judah. Israel has yet to return.
Chapter Four - Fourteen
The Book of Hosea seems to start over at this point. Chapters 1-3 were specifically to Hosea in regards to Gomer, with some of Judah and Israel mixed in. In chapters 4-11 we hear no more of Gomer, the focus is on Israel.
Israel is guilty of lawlessness, immorality, ignorance of God's Word & idolatry. Same thing is true of US!!!
When God judges, the land and animals suffer too!
The priesthood had sunk down to the level of the congregation. Doing the same things.
They are warned many times. Famine is coming. Repent and turn back to God.
Backsliding means: refusing to be led by God.
The Israelites turned every where for help, including the enemy. Asking King Jareb of Assyria for help. RATHER than ask God for help.
Chapter 6 finds a last warning. A last call to turn back to God.
People were just going through the nmotions of their routine, their traditions. They did not know the meanings, the why's and their hearts were no longer in it. (I see this in our world today, in most of our denominations).
Even in Chapter 7, we get another warning. Even though in Chapter 6 he says that is the last warning, God continues to warn. Giving every opportunity for repentance. Every opportunity to turn back to God.
God waited patiently for them to turn back to Him, so that He could redeem them, and they did not come. (Oh, but the will, and He is still waiting for them).
Some will be killed, some sent into captivity, and some just ousted from the country, to find their own way elsewhere.
The land, is ruined, for those that come in afterwards. Samaria, is a desolate place even today.
"Religion has damned the world. With its rules & customs & traditions. For example, the starving of India because they won't eat cows." J. Vernon McGee
Chapter 9 explains that outside of Israel God could not be worshiped the way God intended. This chapter also explains how God blessed Israel with a little bit of prosperity, which blinded them to their spiritual condition. (Why would God do this?)
There is no way around it, God WILL judge sin.
Judgement to the people, the fruit of the ground and the children.
Chapter 9 ends in V. 17 "And they shall be wanderers among the nations" and indeed they are. More than 4 million Jews live in NY, this is 4X as many as in Israel & Judah. Some have filtered back. But today, most Jews could not tell you which tribe they belong to.
James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all ways. They Israelites would worship God, and turn right around and still worship B'aal.
God will make them go back and do what they don't want to do. We will reap what we sow!
Overnight Israel is carted off!
God took Israel out of Egypt not because they were great and awesome and special. But because He loved them. They were sinners even then.
God will gently pull us, He will tug slightly, but HE will NEVER force us.
Chapter 11 tells about Admah and Zeboiim, cities that were destroyed, NOT because they did anything wrong, but because they were in close proximity of Sodom & Gomorrah, and were destroyed because of proximity.
Jehovah means: The Lord
Mercy & Justice go together by coming to the 1 living God. You can't have one without the other.
Chapter 13 God tells us that He won't give them up - But He will judge them. (US, Me)
So urgent to 'know' His Word - so we can learn how to stay in His will.
A lot of my notes came from this book!
"The book of Hosea makes it crystal-clear that we do not live the Christian life by gimmicks and methods, conferences and seminars, but by a personal knowledge of the Word of God."
"A sinful, godless people cannot elect a righteous leader."
~ J. Vernon McGee
I came to study Hosea, because my Monday Rubies Bible study decided to do this study during the Summer. I absolutely found so many things about this study to be fun! and exciting! Ms. Rothschild always has a smile on her face. She now does Three Minute Thursday's on Periscope that are always fun, and I love getting her weekly emails. This study, was, as most studies a scratching of the surface of the text. And being geared towards women, I would recommend it highly to any woman out there. No matter what, God loves us, and He wants us, and He's waiting for us to turn back to Him. Don't wait too long!
Amazing Love
The last week of the Bible study, the ladies decided to watch this movie. I was going to have to miss that last week, but decided it was essential for study to get other perspectives on the Book of Hosea. The movie goes back and forth between the Bible story Hosea and a modern day group of kids trying to fit in with each other. One young lady is from a broken troubled home, and feels as if she's unlovable, and over the course of the movie, learns that God loves her, and He's most important.
I enjoyed watching the movie and recommend it highly.
Redeeming Love
The ladies in my Bible Study recommended this book as an addition to the Hosea study. And it looks like a "HUGE" book, but I read it in just a few days. Angel has had nothing but hard luck her whole life. Horrible things have happened to her time and time again. She is forced to become a prostitute, in a brothel, not once, but twice. Duke raped and beat her. Duchess all but left her for dead.
"Michael" God says, "she's the one" Michael fights it, he knows there is nothing but heartache there, but in the end, he rescues the girl and takes her home.
The damage was more than Angel could overcome. Feeling she didn't belong with Michael, she left. But Michael went and got her. Then she loved Michael too much, so she left again. God told Michael to let her go....
But in the end, she comes back... And Michael has waited for her the whole time.
Beautiful, classic tale of unconditional redeeming love.
I will treasure this tale, and reread it often.
"My friend, you cannot go to church on Sunday and sing, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," then walk out, and on Monday morning go to your work and take His name in vain - lose your temper and use His precious name to damn everything that irritates you. That kind of divided living is exactly the same kind of divided heart that brought judgement upon Israel." ~J. Vernon McGee
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