Hosea Research Paper
Jamane Scott
Professor Chris Newcomb
REL 124: Introduction to the Old Testament
April 27, 2011
Hosea was the son of Beeri. His name means “salvation is the Lord.” This name comes from the Hebrew language. Most historians believe that he was from Samaria. The actual occupation of Hosea was not known. “It seems to be clear that he occupied some position or place of distinction.” It has also been thought that he may have been a priest at some time in his life. The date of his prophetic ministry is from 753-715 BC which is around the 8th century. The prophet Hosea’s ministry occurred during the time of the last two kings of Israel but before the Assyrians had conquered and destroyed the land. Hosea was a modern-day version of previous prophets …show more content…
named Isaiah and Amos. The book of Hosea includes many of his sermons and things that he has done throughout the many years of his ministry. Hosea was a true prophet. Some called the prophet Hosea one of the tenderest prophets. He was also known as a prophet of grace and reminded many of Saint John from the New Testament. Some people called Hosea the “prophet of doom” because he gave messages about destruction and punishment. He was disgraced by Israel’s actions toward their God. He called what they did one simple word “whoredom.” This gives a summary of all the negative actions that have occurred in Israel. The people in Israel didn’t have all of the knowledge needed and were unaware of the Laws of God. They served false or idol gods. The women in Israel were serving as prostitutes. The people of Israel really did not have time for God or the covenant that they had with Him. The actions of the Israelites were certainly against what God desired. These people literally broke every commandment that God established. They lied, stole, murdered and committed adultery. They were also becoming dishonest in their business dealings. The nation of Israel was in total disarray. Hosea’s main purpose was to turn the people of Israel back to God, but this was a difficult task because the people were too deeply into what they were doing. The Israelites were not even trying to take heed of the warning that Hosea was there to give them. They were just going along without any thought, which was a great big mistake. God sent the prophet Hosea with a special message. He was to portray to the people of Israel the nature and character of God. He was to explain to them who God really is. He was to make sure that they knew that there was only one true God. One of the most favorable expressions of this prophet is loving kindness. Hosea was also to stress the importance about the covenant that was made between God and Israel. The covenant was important because God has specifically chosen Israel. The relationship between God and Israel was to be seen as a marriage or parent and child. The most important thing about Hosea and the covenant of Israel and God, Hosea stresses the idea that covenant had to do with mutual responsibilities. This means that the Israelites had to do something and in return God will keep His promise. Because of the actions of the people of Israel, Hosea had to prepare them for a punishment that would be theirs. Hosea spoke to the people of Israel about the judgment that they would have to endure. God also sent this prophet to explain to them that God was just a God of love and because He loved them so much he sent Hosea there to warn them. The only way that God seemed to get the people of Israel to listen to them was to make things very hard for them. This way, they would have no other choice but to obey and come back to the God that never stopped loving them. The thing that is most important about this prophet is that he had a personal life that reflected exactly what God was going through with Israel. Hosea had a wife that was also a prostitute. Just like the people of Israel, Hosea’s wife, Gomer, was in a way, rebelling against Hosea. She was going around sleeping with other men and also getting pregnant. This is somewhat what the people of Israel were doing to God. Just like God, Hosea never stopped loving his wife. He kept the covenant that they had when they first got married. God told Hosea that he would have children but God said that He would like to name them. They first had a daughter which was named Lo-ruhamah that means not pitied. The daughter’s name was chosen because God wanted the Israelites to know that He did not like the fact that they continued to worship other Gods. Hosea and Gomer would also have son. God named the son Lo-ammi which means “not my people.” With this name, God continued to express the fact that He was upset about the people of Israel serving other gods. Like the Israelites, she was rebelling against Hosea. Just like God would do with Israel eventually, Hosea finally got his wife to come home and be the wife that she should have been. The most important message that I have received from Hosea is that God’s love is always there but you must seek Him in order for Him to be found. Hosea 10:12 says that “It is time to seek the Lord till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Another verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 55:6. It says that “Seek the Lord while He is near, call on Him while is He is near.” Amos was the prophet that came before Hosea. Amos was the third of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. The name Amos is a Hebrew verb that means “to lift a burden, to carry.” This name also means “burden bearer.”Amos had many professions before actually becoming a prophet. He was a herdsman, sycamore fig cultivator and also a wealthy shepherd. This prophet was from the Judah, which is in the southern kingdom. He lived closed to Bethlehem, in town called Tekoa. This town was big in sheep farming. Amos described his occupations in great detail. He said that he was shepherd (Amos 1:1), a herdsman (Amos 7:14) and also the cultivator of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14). By doing all of these occupations, it gave Amos an experience in many different fields. He traveled a lot and had an opportunity to learn about the military, social and economic conditions. He also learned about the way that the rich and poor people in his time operated. This actually helped his ministry. Unlike many prophets, Amos was not a prophet by profession or occupation. He was called by God to convey His message to the people. In Amos 7:14-16, Amos says that “I was no prophet, neither was I was a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.” His dates of prophecy is from 760-755BC. Amos was not related to any prophets nor had any special training. He was simply called by God to do a great work. Although Amos was not a kingdom of the northern kingdom, Israel, God had sent him to Israel to proclaim His word to the people there. Amos’ purpose was to “separate the man from the message.” This meant that although the people saw him one way, God sent him into many different cultures and situations to warn them. He was sent to the wealthy, unfortunate, lazy and the energetic. God wanted the people of Israel to be focused on what the prophet was saying not how he looked or what he had on. Amos wanted the rich and powerful to know how God required justice. Amos’ message was directed to wealthy people that didn’t have heart when it came to the people that were in need. Most of Amos’ work was done in the city of Bethel. He was not as nice and tenderhearted as the prophet Hosea. He was strict and mainly focused on the righteousness that God wanted in all people. Many people thought that Hosea was one that could be described as loving kindness, but Amos could be described by the word justice. Throughout the book of Amos there can be found three different divisions which breaks it down into two chapters each. The First two chapters describe oracles that have been against outside nations and ended with parallel oracles in Judah and Israel. Chapters 3-6 criticize sins that were widespread in Israel. Chapters 7-9 talk about how Amos was called and some of the visions that he experienced which reflect in the messages that he portrayed to the people of Israel as God instructed. The main things that God had this prophet discuss had to mainly deal with doom and destruction. The visions that Amos seen include locusts, fire, basket of summer fruit and Amos also say that he saw the Lord standing beside the altar (Amos 9:1).
Amos, Hosea and Today’s World The prophet Hosea was assigned by God to tell the people of Israel about their sin and how God felt about it.
This prophet makes you think about how we relate to the family of Israel. Would the things we are enduring today, please God? Would Hosea be assigned yet again to tell the people how displeased God was with their actions? Another question that comes to mind is about how acceptable the people would be? I personally think that the people today would react in the same manner as the people in Hosea’s time did. They thought he was crazy and that he did not really know what he was talking about. Hosea’s wife and children were a great inspiration to the people of Israel. They knew that although his wife and children were being disobedient to him. Hosea still loved them, just like God still loves us although we are disobedient. Hosea’s marriage was an example of how much God loves us even when we show our apparent …show more content…
disobedience. The prophet Amos was very much like Hosea, except he wasn’t married.
He was called to tell the nations about their sin and about how much God did not like it. Amos thought that he was not intelligent enough to be a prophet because he had not been schooled. When God called him out, he went and did exactly what God told him. He said exactly what he had been instructed to say and nothing more. It was up to the people to either accept it or not. In today’s society, Amos and Hosea would not be accepted, I think. There are many evangelists, preachers and prophets that try to proclaim God’s message and give the people a warning but they are not accepting what they are saying. People like to go on their own thoughts and wishes, instead of listening to what a prophet has to
say.
Bibliography
“Amos The Fearless Prophet.” AGS Consulting. 27 Apr 2011. <www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r5805.htm>
Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2009.
Gigot, Francis. “Amos.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 Apr. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01435a.htm>
“Hosea: Biblical People.” 27 Apr 2011. <http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p19.htm>
Maxey, Al. “The Minor Prophets: Hosea.” Hosea 27 Apr 2011. <www.zianet.com/maxey/proph2.htm>
Stedman, Ray C. “Hosea: The Prophet and the Prostitute.” 27 Apr 2011. <http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/3107/0228.html>
Professor Chris Newcomb
REL 124: Introduction to the Old Testament
April 27, 2011
Hosea was the son of Beeri. His name means “salvation is the Lord.” This name comes from the Hebrew language. Most historians believe that he was from Samaria. The actual occupation of Hosea was not known. “It seems to be clear that he occupied some position or place of distinction.” It has also been thought that he may have been a priest at some time in his life. The date of his prophetic ministry is from 753-715 BC which is around the 8th century. The prophet Hosea’s ministry occurred during the time of the last two kings of Israel but before the Assyrians had conquered and destroyed the land. Hosea was a modern-day version of previous prophets …show more content…
named Isaiah and Amos. The book of Hosea includes many of his sermons and things that he has done throughout the many years of his ministry. Hosea was a true prophet. Some called the prophet Hosea one of the tenderest prophets. He was also known as a prophet of grace and reminded many of Saint John from the New Testament. Some people called Hosea the “prophet of doom” because he gave messages about destruction and punishment. He was disgraced by Israel’s actions toward their God. He called what they did one simple word “whoredom.” This gives a summary of all the negative actions that have occurred in Israel. The people in Israel didn’t have all of the knowledge needed and were unaware of the Laws of God. They served false or idol gods. The women in Israel were serving as prostitutes. The people of Israel really did not have time for God or the covenant that they had with Him. The actions of the Israelites were certainly against what God desired. These people literally broke every commandment that God established. They lied, stole, murdered and committed adultery. They were also becoming dishonest in their business dealings. The nation of Israel was in total disarray. Hosea’s main purpose was to turn the people of Israel back to God, but this was a difficult task because the people were too deeply into what they were doing. The Israelites were not even trying to take heed of the warning that Hosea was there to give them. They were just going along without any thought, which was a great big mistake. God sent the prophet Hosea with a special message. He was to portray to the people of Israel the nature and character of God. He was to explain to them who God really is. He was to make sure that they knew that there was only one true God. One of the most favorable expressions of this prophet is loving kindness. Hosea was also to stress the importance about the covenant that was made between God and Israel. The covenant was important because God has specifically chosen Israel. The relationship between God and Israel was to be seen as a marriage or parent and child. The most important thing about Hosea and the covenant of Israel and God, Hosea stresses the idea that covenant had to do with mutual responsibilities. This means that the Israelites had to do something and in return God will keep His promise. Because of the actions of the people of Israel, Hosea had to prepare them for a punishment that would be theirs. Hosea spoke to the people of Israel about the judgment that they would have to endure. God also sent this prophet to explain to them that God was just a God of love and because He loved them so much he sent Hosea there to warn them. The only way that God seemed to get the people of Israel to listen to them was to make things very hard for them. This way, they would have no other choice but to obey and come back to the God that never stopped loving them. The thing that is most important about this prophet is that he had a personal life that reflected exactly what God was going through with Israel. Hosea had a wife that was also a prostitute. Just like the people of Israel, Hosea’s wife, Gomer, was in a way, rebelling against Hosea. She was going around sleeping with other men and also getting pregnant. This is somewhat what the people of Israel were doing to God. Just like God, Hosea never stopped loving his wife. He kept the covenant that they had when they first got married. God told Hosea that he would have children but God said that He would like to name them. They first had a daughter which was named Lo-ruhamah that means not pitied. The daughter’s name was chosen because God wanted the Israelites to know that He did not like the fact that they continued to worship other Gods. Hosea and Gomer would also have son. God named the son Lo-ammi which means “not my people.” With this name, God continued to express the fact that He was upset about the people of Israel serving other gods. Like the Israelites, she was rebelling against Hosea. Just like God would do with Israel eventually, Hosea finally got his wife to come home and be the wife that she should have been. The most important message that I have received from Hosea is that God’s love is always there but you must seek Him in order for Him to be found. Hosea 10:12 says that “It is time to seek the Lord till He comes and rains righteousness on you.” Another verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 55:6. It says that “Seek the Lord while He is near, call on Him while is He is near.” Amos was the prophet that came before Hosea. Amos was the third of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. The name Amos is a Hebrew verb that means “to lift a burden, to carry.” This name also means “burden bearer.”Amos had many professions before actually becoming a prophet. He was a herdsman, sycamore fig cultivator and also a wealthy shepherd. This prophet was from the Judah, which is in the southern kingdom. He lived closed to Bethlehem, in town called Tekoa. This town was big in sheep farming. Amos described his occupations in great detail. He said that he was shepherd (Amos 1:1), a herdsman (Amos 7:14) and also the cultivator of sycamore figs (Amos 7:14). By doing all of these occupations, it gave Amos an experience in many different fields. He traveled a lot and had an opportunity to learn about the military, social and economic conditions. He also learned about the way that the rich and poor people in his time operated. This actually helped his ministry. Unlike many prophets, Amos was not a prophet by profession or occupation. He was called by God to convey His message to the people. In Amos 7:14-16, Amos says that “I was no prophet, neither was I was a prophet’s son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycamore fruit: and the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel. Now therefore hear thou the word of the Lord: Thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not thy word against the house of Isaac.” His dates of prophecy is from 760-755BC. Amos was not related to any prophets nor had any special training. He was simply called by God to do a great work. Although Amos was not a kingdom of the northern kingdom, Israel, God had sent him to Israel to proclaim His word to the people there. Amos’ purpose was to “separate the man from the message.” This meant that although the people saw him one way, God sent him into many different cultures and situations to warn them. He was sent to the wealthy, unfortunate, lazy and the energetic. God wanted the people of Israel to be focused on what the prophet was saying not how he looked or what he had on. Amos wanted the rich and powerful to know how God required justice. Amos’ message was directed to wealthy people that didn’t have heart when it came to the people that were in need. Most of Amos’ work was done in the city of Bethel. He was not as nice and tenderhearted as the prophet Hosea. He was strict and mainly focused on the righteousness that God wanted in all people. Many people thought that Hosea was one that could be described as loving kindness, but Amos could be described by the word justice. Throughout the book of Amos there can be found three different divisions which breaks it down into two chapters each. The First two chapters describe oracles that have been against outside nations and ended with parallel oracles in Judah and Israel. Chapters 3-6 criticize sins that were widespread in Israel. Chapters 7-9 talk about how Amos was called and some of the visions that he experienced which reflect in the messages that he portrayed to the people of Israel as God instructed. The main things that God had this prophet discuss had to mainly deal with doom and destruction. The visions that Amos seen include locusts, fire, basket of summer fruit and Amos also say that he saw the Lord standing beside the altar (Amos 9:1).
Amos, Hosea and Today’s World The prophet Hosea was assigned by God to tell the people of Israel about their sin and how God felt about it.
This prophet makes you think about how we relate to the family of Israel. Would the things we are enduring today, please God? Would Hosea be assigned yet again to tell the people how displeased God was with their actions? Another question that comes to mind is about how acceptable the people would be? I personally think that the people today would react in the same manner as the people in Hosea’s time did. They thought he was crazy and that he did not really know what he was talking about. Hosea’s wife and children were a great inspiration to the people of Israel. They knew that although his wife and children were being disobedient to him. Hosea still loved them, just like God still loves us although we are disobedient. Hosea’s marriage was an example of how much God loves us even when we show our apparent …show more content…
disobedience. The prophet Amos was very much like Hosea, except he wasn’t married.
He was called to tell the nations about their sin and about how much God did not like it. Amos thought that he was not intelligent enough to be a prophet because he had not been schooled. When God called him out, he went and did exactly what God told him. He said exactly what he had been instructed to say and nothing more. It was up to the people to either accept it or not. In today’s society, Amos and Hosea would not be accepted, I think. There are many evangelists, preachers and prophets that try to proclaim God’s message and give the people a warning but they are not accepting what they are saying. People like to go on their own thoughts and wishes, instead of listening to what a prophet has to
say.
Bibliography
“Amos The Fearless Prophet.” AGS Consulting. 27 Apr 2011. <www.agsconsulting.com/htdbv5/r5805.htm>
Bandstra, Barry L. Reading the Old Testament: Introduction to the Hebrew Bible. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2009.
Gigot, Francis. “Amos.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 27 Apr. 2011 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01435a.htm>
“Hosea: Biblical People.” 27 Apr 2011. <http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p19.htm>
Maxey, Al. “The Minor Prophets: Hosea.” Hosea 27 Apr 2011. <www.zianet.com/maxey/proph2.htm>
Stedman, Ray C. “Hosea: The Prophet and the Prostitute.” 27 Apr 2011. <http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/3107/0228.html>