The prophecy of Hosea revolves around the theme of faithfulness and unfaithfulness. The reader is immediately introduced to Israel's lack of faith toward its covenant with God by Hosea's own symbolic portrayal of that relationship via his marriage to unfaithful Gomer. As Gomer proved to be untrue to her husband, so had Israel, forsaking her divine husband (ba'al) for another god (Ba'al, Hos 2:16–17). As Gomer had gone into prostitution, thereby alienating herself from Hosea, so faithless Israel stood in danger of being cut off from God. Even the children born during Hosea's marriage symbolized God's reproof of Israel: Jezreel, reflecting both the place name of royal infidelity to God's commission (2 Kings 9:7–10:28) and Israel's coming exile, "God will scatter" (Hos 1:4–5); Lo-Ruhamah, "no compassion" (Hos 1:6); and Lo-Ammi, "not my people" (Hos 1:9–11). And as Hosea sought out Gomer, so Israel's hope lay solely in God's redeeming love for his wayward people (Hos 3:1–5).
Structurally, the marriage theme of the first three chapters is presented in a neat chiastic pattern: marriage and reunion (Hos 1:2–9; 3:1–5), covenant renewal ( Hos 1:10–2:1; 2:14–23), Israel's judgment (Hos 2:2–4, 9–13), and a centerpiece emphasizing condemnation for promiscuity (Hos 2:5–8). Before the final subscription (Hos 14:9), one encounters a collection of judgment oracles (Hos 4–8), each built around an imperative heading: "hear!" (Hos 4:1), "sound the trumpet!" (Hos 5:8), "put the trumpet to your lips!" (Hos 8:1) and a double set of oracles that, though intended to warn of judgment, give instructions designed to convince Israel to mend its ways: "do not rejoice" (in spiritual infidelity, Hos 9:1) but rather "return" (to the Lord, Hos 14:1).
Israel's spiritual condition is described by no fewer than fifteen words for sin as well as by prominent themes: prostitution (Hos 1–3; 4:14–15, 18; 5:3–4; 6:10; 7:4; 8:9; 9:1), the covenant (Hos 2:18; 4:2; 6:7; 8:1–14; 9:11; 10:3; 13:16) and idolatry (Hos 4:10, 17; 8:4–6, 13–14; 9:10, 15; 10:5; 11:1; 12:11). Israel stands in need of repentance (Hos 2:14; 3:5; 5:6; 6:6–7; 7:8–10; 14:4–6) and genuine righteousness (Hos 10:12; 12:6; 14:9) if the spiritual condition symbolized by the three children is to be reversed (Hos 2:23).
Although Hosea sometimes presents God's case against Israel in a manner approaching the language of the law court (Hos 4:1–4, 15; 5:1, 5, 7; 8:1, 12–13), like Amos and Micah the prophet draws on common examples from the natural and agrarian worlds to illustrate his message. He speaks of earth and sky (Hos 2:21–23), sun (Hos 6:3), snow (Hos 9:8), and winter and spring rains (Hos 6:3–4); of wild (Hos 2:12, 14, 18; 4:3; 5:14; 7:11–12; 8:9; 11:10, 11; 13:7–8) and domesticated creatures (Hos 2:11; 4:16; 5:6; 10:11); of plowed fields (Hos 12:11; cf. 10:12), sowing and planting (Hos 2:23; 8:7; 10:12, 13), harvest (Hos 6:11) and threshing (Hos 2:6, 8–9, 11; 9:1–2); and of products of the field (Hos 2:9), vine and tree (Hos 2:12, 15; 9:2, 10; 10:1; 12:1), as well as blighted trees (Hos 9:16) and wild and forbidding plants (Hos 2:6, 12; 9:6; 10:4, 8). All of this is woven into a vivid prophetic tapestry through colorful literary figures. Particularly striking similes (Hos 2:3; 4:16; 5:10, 12, 13; 8:9; 9:10; 10:4, 7, 10, 11; 13:3) and metaphors (Hos 9:8; 10:11) are often brought together in contextual concatenations.
Particularly picturesque are the clusters in the judgment oracles of Hosea 5 to 7. Here Judah's leadership is denounced as being like those who treacherously move boundary stones (Hos 5:10), and its priests are depicted as being no better than murderous marauders (Hos 6:9). Spiritually, Israel's love for God is pictured as being as fleeting as a morning cloud and early dew (Hos 6:4), while its political agenda is uncontrollable as a wild donkey in heat (Hos 7:9–10) or a senseless dove, always flitting back and forth between various world powers rather than relying on God himself. Israel has shown itself to be as untrustworthy as a faulty bow that causes an archer to miss the mark (Hos 7:6). Sadly, like a man whose hair has gradually grayed or an unturned pancake that is near to burning (Hos 7:7–9), God's people seem unaware of their mortal danger. Therefore God will send his judgment to consume them as surely as a hungry moth or advancing rot (Hos 5:12) or a hunter bringing down birds with his net (Hos 7:12).
A poignant instance of Hosea's artistry is seen in his masterful employment of literary motifs to illustrate Israel's spiritual condition. God is presented as a faithful husband to Israel, his unfaithful wife (Hos 2:2, 16, 19–20; 3:1–5; 9:1) and mother of his Israelite children (Hos 2:2, 5; 4:5), and as a father to a wayward son (Hos 11:1–3). God is also Israel's redeemer who brought his children out of Egypt (Hos 11:4; 12:9; 13:4), cared for them in the wilderness (Hos 13:5) and, having settled them in the land of promise, blessed them with abundant produce such as grain, wine and oil (Hos 2:8). Rather than responding gratefully to him, Israel had turned away from him (Hos 7:14), with the result that God must take away these signs of his goodness (Hos 2:9). The Assyrian east wind that Israel coveted so greatly (Hos 12:1) will prove to be an invading wind sent by God (Hos 13:15) to yield a harvest of judgment (Hos 6:11).
Through it all, however, Israel may take hope. To be sure, God must discipline his people sorely, but the Divine Healer will bind up their wounds (Hos 6:1). Using the familiar third day motif (Hos 6:2), Hosea assures his readers that God will revive them and restore the grain, wine and oil that symbolize his blessings on a faithful nation (Hos 2:20; 14:7).
See also COVENANT; PROPHECY, GENRE OF; PROPHET, PROPHETESS; PROSTITUTE, PROSTITUTION.
Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J., Longman, T., Duriez, C., Penney, D., & Reid, D. G. (2000). Dictionary of biblical imagery (electronic ed.) (401–402). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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Regards,
Ryan Chia
Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Mission exists
because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is
ultimate, not man.
*From John Piper, Let The Nations Be Glad*
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