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Books of Nevi'im

The Book of Hosea is a book of the Jewish Hebrew
Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament,
written by Hosea. This book stands first in order
among the "Minor prophets."  

The unique contribution of Hosea is the extended
allegory of marriage given in chapters 1-3.  While
a few commentators believe this section to be
entirely symbolic, most believe that the events
described did occur.  

First, Hosea was directed by Yahweh to marry a
harlot, and he did so.  This was a symbolic act,
representing Yahweh's covenant with Israel.  What
was the nation of Israel when Yahweh chose to
enter into a covenant relationship with it?  It
was a group of ex-slaves who chose to worship a
golden calf rather than Yahweh, the God who had
rescued them from slavery.  Thus, Yahweh
characterizes the nation as a harlot.

Second, Hosea and his wife, Gomer, have a son. 
Yahweh commands that the son be named Jezreel. 
This name refers to a valley in which much blood
had been shed in Israel's history, especially by
the kings of the Northern Kingdom.  The naming of
this son was to stand as a prophecy against the
reigning house of the Northern Kingdom, that they
would pay for that bloodshed.

Third, the couple has a daughter.  Yahweh commands
that she be named No Pity or Not Pitied, to show
Israel that, although Yahweh will still have pity
on the Southern Kingdom, He will no longer have
pity on the Northern Kingdom; its destruction is
imminent.

Fourth, a son is born to Gomer.  It is
questionable whether this child was Hosea's, for
Yahweh commands that his name be Not My People, or
more simply, Not Mine.  The child bore this name
of shame to show that the Northern Kingdom would
also be shamed, for its people would no longer be
known as God's People.

Following this, the prophecy is made that someday
this will all be changed, that Yahweh will indeed
have pity on his people, Israel.

Chapter two describes a divorce.  This divorce
seems to be the end of the covenant between Yahweh
and the Northern Kingdom.  However, it is probable
that this was again a symbolic act, in which Hosea
divorced Gomer for infidelity, and used the
occasion to preach the message of Yahweh's
rejection of the Northern Kingdom.  He ends this
prophecy with the declaration that Yahweh will one
day renew the covenant, and will take His people
back in love.

In Chapter three, at Yahweh's command, Hosea seeks
out Gomer once more.  Either she has sold herself
into slavery for debt, or she is with a lover who
demands money in order to give her up, because
Hosea has to buy her back.  He takes her home, but
refrains from sexual intimacy with her for many
days, to symbolize the fact that Israel will be
without a king for many years, but that Yahweh
will take Israel back, even at a cost to Himself.

Chapters 4-14 spell out the allegory at length. 
Chapters 4-10 contain a series of oracles, or
prophetic sermons, showing exactly why Yahweh is
rejecting the Northern Kingdom, what are the
grounds for the divorce.  Chapter 11 is Yahweh's
lament over the necessity of giving up the
Northern Kingdom, which is a large part of the
people of Israel, whom He loves.  He promises that
He will not entirely give them up.  Then, in
Chapter 12, he pleads for their repentance. 
Chapter 13 foretells the destruction of the
kingdom at the hands of Assyria, because there has
been no repentance.  Chapter 14 urges them to seek
forgiveness, and promises the restoration of
Israel, while urging the utmost fidelity to
Yahweh.

==Context==
Hosea prophesied in a difficult period of kingdom
of Israel|Israel's history, the period of the
Northern Kingdom's decline and fall in the 8th
century BCE. Hosea was himself a native of the
Northern Kingdom, and wrote in a distinctive
northern dialect. 

During Hosea's lifetime, the kings of the Northern
Kingdom, their aristocratic supporters, and the
priests had led the people in falling away from
the Law of God, as given in the Pentateuch. 
Forsaking the worship of Yahweh, they worshipped
other gods, especially Baal, the Canaanite
fertility god.  Other sins followed, including
homicide, perjury, theft, and sexual sin.  Hosea,
like other 8th century prophets, declares that,
unless they repent of these sins, Yahweh will
allow their nation to be destroyed, and the people
will be taken into captivity by Assyria, the
greatest nation of the time.

In fact, Assyria did capture Samaria, the capital
of the Northern Kingdom, in 722 BCE.  All the
members of the upper classes and many of the
ordinary people were taken captive and carried off
to live as prisoners of war.

==Themes==
The primary theme of the Book of Hosea is that God
loves Israel, just as a man loves his wife.  This
is shown by the extended metaphor of Hosea's own
marriage.

In conjunction with that theme, however, are the
twin themes of Israel's sin and the coming
retribution.  Although Yahweh loves Israel, Israel
has not returned His love.  This has been shown by
the continued idolatry and acts of violence,
oppression, and sexual sin among the people. 
Because Israel has not returned God's love, He
will put them away from Him, just as Hosea did his
wife, and send them into exile.

This introduces the fourth theme, which is the
restoration of Israel from exile.  The country
will be conquered; the people will be sent into
exile; but some will return and build the land up
once more.  God will embrace them as His people,
and they will be loyal to Him as their God.

==Scholarly Issues==
Most scholars believe that the bulk of the book
originated with Hosea himself, but there is
evidence of one or more editors, who collected
Hosea's stories and sermons, putting them together
in the form in which we now find them.

The primary source of debate is the question of
the reality of the events in the first three
chapters.  Some scholars question whether the holy
Yahweh would have ordered His prophet to marry a
prostitute.  On the grounds that that is out of
character, they suggest that the entire series of
events is purely symbolic.  According to them,
Hosea is telling a story that brings out the
themes of God's love for Israel and Israel's
betrayal of God.  Other scholars point out that
the story is told in the same straightforward
manner in which other prophets relate their
symbolic actions, and that there is really no
reason to doubt that the events really happened.

==Use in the New Testament==
Hosea has been quoted several times in the New
Testament.  Matthew, Luke, John and Paul all use
the Book of Hosea as a source.

Hosea 1:10 was quoted by Paul in Romans 9:25-26. 
This applies the statement that those who have
been "not my people" will be "my people" to the
Gentiles in the Christian era.  Hosea 2:23 is also
quoted as part of Romans 9:25, similarly extending
the promise of God's love to the Gentiles.  

Hosea 6:6, a well-known verse stating that God
wants mercy, not sacrifice, is quoted twice by
Matthew, Matt. 9:13 and 12:7; in both cases, Jesus
is rebutting the challenge of the Pharisees,
religious officials of the time who were very
careful about performing the required sacrifices. 
In Matt. 9:13, the Pharisees were rebuking Jesus
for spending time with those they considered
sinful and unworthy; the aptness of the quotation
is obvious.  In Matt. 12:7, the Pharisees are
angry because Jesus' followers were picking grain
to eat on the Sabbath, the Jewish holy day when
all work was forbidden.  In this case, He seems to
be using the quotation to suggest that a
legalistic, slavish obedience may not be what God
wants.

Hosea 10:8 prophesies that, when the places where
the Israelites worship idols are destroyed, the
people will beg the very hills to fall on them and
cover their shame.    In Luke 23:30, Jesus quotes
this verse, applying it to the people of Jerusalem
for the shame they will feel about Jesus'
crucifixion.  John, in the Book of Revelation,
also refers to this verse, at Rev. 6:16, applying
to the time of the end.

Hosea 11:1 quotes God as saying, "Out of Egypt
have I called my son," which is probably a
reference to the Exodus, when God took the nation
of Israel out of captivity in Egypt.  In Matthew
2:15, this verse is applied to Jesus, who spent
his early childhood in Egypt.

Hosea 13:14 states that God will destroy Death. 
Some scholars believe that 1 Corinthians 15:55,
which exults, "O Death, where is your sting?  O
Hades, where is your victory?" is a reference to
this verse.

==References==
Sources:

The NIV Study Bible, 10th Anniversary Edition,
Zondervan Publishing, 1995
The New King James Bible, Thomas Nelson
Publishers, 1982
"Old Testament Survey," Second Edition, William
Sanford Lesor et al, Eerdmans Publishing, 1996.
Accordance 6.2, Oaktree Software, 2004.

Recommended Commentaries: 

H. D. Beeby, "Grace Abounding: A Commentary on the
Book of Hosea" (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
Grand Rapids, 1989);
William J. Doorly, Prophet of Love: Understanding
the Book of Hosea (Paulist Press, New York, 1991);
Derek Kidner, The Message of Hosea (Intervarsity
Press, England, 1976).

Prepared in 2005 for the course BIBL5023 at Acadia
Divinity College

==External link==
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http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=9
27&letter=H Jewish Encyclopedia: Hosea, Book of
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http://www.geocities.com/j_owens05/ot/hosea/index.
html Hosea An Overview of Hosea