We started a new series this past week. For the next few months we will walking through the book of Hosea. Hosea is often an overlooked book. Sometimes churches will even avoid it as the graphic illustration of Hosea’s life can make some feel uncomfortable. The reality is that Hosea is a beautiful love story between an underserving, unfaithful people and a gracious, all powerful, sovereign God. Despite Israel’s unfaithfulness God continues to pursue and call His people to himself.
Below is some background info on the book of Hosea…..
Series: Hosea, An Unfailing God for an Unfaithful people.
Author:
Hosea was a prophet who ministered during the latter half of the 8th century B.C. Hosea not only proclaims the reality of Israels unfaithfulness and God’s faithful pursuit of them, but he lives this out as God calls him to marry an unfaithful woman. The challenges that Hosea lives out and responds to serves as a real life illustration for Israel depicting God’s heart in this situation of their unfaithfulness.
Audience:
During the time of Hosea’s ministry much of Israel was experiencing financial prosperity. With this financial prosperity came also came a degree of complacency that cause their hearts to wander. Rather than turning to God, and praising God for all that He provides and gives Israel has turned toward Baal and other Gods. Israel has in many respects forgotten God.
Structure:
The basic structure of Hosea consists of 2 parts. Chapters 1-3 provide the personal history of Hosea and his general message. Chapters 4-14 contain sections of Hosea’s message to Israel. In this section is a more detailed breakdown of the basic message that we see in chapters 1-3.
Main Idea:
Hosea reveals God’s judgement and heart to see His people repent and turn away from their idols and towards him.
Hosea is a book that reveals what God thinks of Israel. God explicitly through Hosea’s preaching tells Israel of their unfaithfulness in a way that we can begin to understand the weight of our unfaithfulness. Israels unfaithfulness is not enough to overshadow God’s redeeming love that we see perfectly displayed on the cross.