Hosea 1–7
Hosea
was a contemporary of Isaiah. He charges Israel with unfaithfulness but also
gives much promise of restoration.
Hosea 1 –
Romance.
•Command: Hosea was commanded to marry a woman who would prove
unfaithful like Israel was to God. •Children: Hosea had three children
by the marriage; their names reflected the declining spiritual condition of
Israel. •Comfort: a promise of restoration ends the chapter.
Hosea 2 –
Remonstrating.
•Charge: Hosea's wife is charged with adultery which pictures Israel's
unfaithfulness. •Chastening: the judgment she experienced would make
her want to return to her first love. •Compassion: then he would
"allure her" and "speak comfortably unto her" (v.14) which
pictures how God would in mercy bring Israel back to him.
Hosea 3 –
Redeeming.
•Command: God told Hosea to love the adulteress—get her back as a wife.
•Cost: fifteen pieces of silver (the price of a slave); he brought his
wife back from slavery which she had gotten into by harlotry.
•Conditions: a period of seclusion after her return to show that when
Israel returned to the land they would go for a time without a king and
sacrifice before good times returned.
Hosea 4, 5 – Rebuking. Hosea rebukes Israel
for their many sins. •Catalog of sins: lying, killing, stealing,
adultery to name a few of their sins. •Conditions because of sin: no
truth, mercy, or knowledge in the land; the land would mourn; things would get
bad—sin never improves things. •Contagiousness of sin: like priests,
like people; the leaders lead the people to sin. •Consecration of sin:
the people were given to idolatry. •Callousness of sin: "Whoredom
and wine and new wine take away the heart" (4:11).
•Consequences of sin: judgment would fall upon them; the worst judgment
was that God would withdraw Himself from the sinners (5:6).
Hosea 6 –
Return. •Invitation
to return: encouraged by the mercy of God. •Iniquity instead of
return: the people preferred to sin instead of return to the Lord.
Hosea 7 –
Rebellion. "They rebel
against me" (v.
14). •It prevents healing: when God would heal, He discovers more
sin. •It pollutes conduct: lying, adultery, pride. •It prohibits
wisdom: "Ephraim is like a silly dove" (v. 11). •It
provokes judgment: "Woe unto them . . . destruction unto them" (v. 13).
Hosea 8–14
The
last half of Hosea is a series of indictments upon Israel for their sin, a
prediction of judgment, and a promise in the end of merciful restoration.
Hosea 8 –
Reaping. "For they have
sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind" (v. 7).
•Iniquity caused invasion (v. 1).
•Idolatry caused captivity (v. 8).
•Infidelity caused reproach (vv. 8, 9).
Insolence caused rejection (vv. 12, 13);
•Ignorance (spiritual) caused destruction (v. 14).
Hosea 9 –
Recompence. "The days
of recompence are come" (v. 7). Judgment for
sin. •Failure: crops fail (v. 2).
•Fetters: captivity (v. 3).
•Falling: death in foreign lands such as Egypt (v. 6).
•Fatalities: (vv. 12, 13).
•Fruitless: lack of children (v. 14).
•Forsaken: by God (v. 17).
Hosea 10 –
Revenge. "It is my
desire that I should chastise them" (v. 10).
•Cause of the revenge: Israel's many sins, especially idolatry.
•Character of the revenge: justified and plentiful (v. 4).
•Cleansing by the revenge: it will cleanse the land of idolatry (v. 8). •Call
in the revenge: a call to repent, "it is time to seek the Lord" (v. 12).
•Calamity in the revenge: "a tumult arise . . . all thy fortresses
shall be spoiled . . . mother was dashed in pieces upon her children" (v. 14).
Hosea 11 –
Retribution. "The sword
shall abide in his cities, and shall consume . . . and devour" (v. 6). •Reason
for retribution: Israel despised God's many blessings. •Rebellion in
spite of retribution: they were "bent to backsliding" (v. 7).
•Reprieve in retribution: God's mercy mitigates retribution.
Hosea 12 –
Remonstration. "The
Lord hath also a controversy with
Judah" (v. 2).
•Promise of judgment: sin will be punished. •Past is reviewed:
what Israel was and should be. •Plea to repent: "Turn thou to thy
God" (v. 6).
•Provoking of God: "Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly" (v. 14).
Hosea 13 –
Rebellion. "She hath
rebelled against her God" (v. 16).
•Character of rebellion: "sin more and more" (v. 2).
•Consequences of rebellion: loss of king, much sorrow, and destruction
upon the land.
Hosea 14 –
Restoration. "Shall
return; they shall revive" (v. 7).
•Repentance: it is the pre-requisite for restoration.
•Resolve: by God for the restoration. •Result: restoration
will bring a purifying effect upon the people.
—Butler's
Daily Bible Reading Outlines