Hosea E-Book

Lydia Brownback

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: Knowing the Bible
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 109

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

The Knowing the Bible series is a resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. These 12-week studies lead participants through books of the Bible and are made up of four basic components: (1) reflection questions help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlight the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" show how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of redemption, culminating in Christ; and (4) "Theological Soundings" identify how historic orthodox doctrines are taught or reinforced throughout Scripture. With contributions from an array of influential pastors and church leaders, these gospel-centered studies will help Christians see and cherish the message of God's grace on every page of the Bible. The story of Hosea and Gomer parallels the relationship between God and ancient Israel, helping readers understand the extent of God's redeeming love for his people. This accessible study walks readers through the biographical and symbolic elements of the book of Hosea, revealing God's desire to lovingly restore his people to a right relationship with him through Jesus Christ.

Leseprobe

HOSEA

A 12-WEEK STUDY

Lydia Brownback

Knowing the Bible: Hosea, A 12-Week Study

Copyright © 2016 by Crossway

Published by Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Some content used in this study guide has been adapted from the ESV Study Bible, copyright 2008 by Crossway, pages 1619–1642. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Cover design: Simplicated Studio

First printing 2016

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-4849-9 EPub ISBN: 978-1-4335-4852-9 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-4850-5 Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-4851-2

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

TABLEOF CONTENTS

Cover PageNewsletter Sign UpEndorsementsSeries PageTitle PageCopyrightSeries Preface: J. I. Packer and Lane T. DennisWeek 1:    OverviewWeek 2:    Hosea’s Family (1:1–3:5)Week 3:    Legal Proceedings (4:1–19)Week 4:    Punishment Coming (5:1–6:3)Week 5:    Transgressors of the Covenant (6:4–7:16)Week 6:    Israel’s Hypocrisy (8:1–14)Week 7:     No Worship in a Foreign Land (9:1–9)Week 8:     Unfaithful Israel (9:10–11:11)Week 9:     Misplaced Dependence (11:12–12:14)Week 10:   Rejection of Hope (13:1–16)Week 11:    Final Appeal (14:1–9)Week 12:   Summary and Conclusion

SERIES PREFACE

KNOWING THE BIBLE, as the series title indicates, was created to help readers know and understand the meaning, the message, and the God of the Bible. Each volume in the series consists of 12 units that progressively take the reader through a clear, concise study of that book of the Bible. In this way, any given volume can fruitfully be used in a 12-week format either in group study, such as in a church-based context, or in individual study. Of course, these 12 studies could be completed in fewer or more than 12 weeks, as convenient, depending on the context in which they are used.

Each study unit gives an overview of the text at hand before digging into it with a series of questions for reflection or discussion. The unit then concludes by highlighting the gospel of grace in each passage (“Gospel Glimpses”), identifying whole-Bible themes that occur in the passage (“Whole-Bible Connections”), and pinpointing Christian doctrines that are affirmed in the passage (“Theological Soundings”).

The final component to each unit is a section for reflecting on personal and practical implications from the passage at hand. The layout provides space for recording responses to the questions proposed, and we think readers need to do this to get the full benefit of the exercise. The series also includes definitions of key words. These definitions are indicated by a note number in the text and are found at the end of each chapter.

Lastly, for help in understanding the Bible in this deeper way, we would urge the reader to use the ESV Bible and the ESV Study Bible, which are available online at esv.org. The Knowing the Bible series is also available online. 

May the Lord greatly bless your study as you seek to know him through knowing his Word.

J. I. PackerLane T. Dennis

WEEK 1: OVERVIEW

Getting Acquainted

Hosea is primarily a love story, specifically one of redemptive love. The pain Hosea has endured in his marriage to unfaithful Gomer uniquely qualifies him for his prophetic ministry to the Lord’s unfaithful people. Failing to trust the Lord, Israel has sought security in foreign powers and false gods. Yet, as Hosea is eager to show, Israel’s unfaithfulness has not diminished God’s love for them. Hosea paints Israel’s spiritual adultery with vivid images, calling God’s people with both warnings and heartfelt appeals to turn back to the Lord. Failure to repent will result in punishment, but God takes no delight in that prospect. Rather, he desires them to turn from idols to him, their true husband and the only one who can provide for their needs.

The book, primarily poetry, is dominated by oracles of judgment. The first three chapters are autobiographical, recounting how Hosea responded to the unfaithfulness of his wife, Gomer, redeeming her from the slavery into which her unfaithfulness had led. In the remainder of the book, chapters 4–14, Hosea uses his experience as a parable1 to depict the Lord’s broken relationship with his covenant people and his intention to redeem them from their enslavement to sin. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible, pages 1619–1622; available online at esv.org.)

Placing It in the Larger Story

Hosea prophesied during a dark time in Israel’s history. Worship of the Lord had been abandoned in favor of idol worship, which led to exile from the Promised Land. But in God’s plan, exile became the means to eventual restoration. The book of Hosea shows the wickedness and folly of idol worship and points by contrast to the one true God, who not only can provide all that his people need but is willing to do so despite their rejection of him. Both Hosea’s personal story and the overall historical context to which it points demonstrate God’s way of salvation in Christ. God stands ready to forgive and restore those who turn to him, and he has provided the ransom2 from slavery through Jesus Christ. The marriage theme in Hosea finds its fullest expression in Christ’s love for the church (Eph. 5:25–27).

Key Verse

“I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them” (Hos. 14:4).

Date and Historical Background

Hosea, one of the Old Testament’s 12 “minor prophets,” ministered during the latter half of the eighth century BC, prophesying primarily to Ephraim (the northern kingdom of Israel) in the decades leading up to the fall of Samaria to the Assyrian Empire. Israel’s kingship had grown increasingly ineffective, while foreign powers, particularly Assyria, had grown in power and become a dominant threat. Worship of Baal, the weather and fertility god worshiped in Syria-Palestine, was rampant and involved God’s people in open immorality at pagan shrines. Failure to repent of this apostasy resulted in Israel’s downfall and captivity in 722 BC.

Outline

   I. Biography: Hosea’s Family (1:1–3:5)

A. Introduction (1:1)

B. Command to marry (1:2)

C. Birth of children (1:3–9)

D. Covenant renewal at Jezreel (1:10–11)

E. Legal proceedings against the wayward wife (2:1–13)

F. Covenant relationship reestablished (2:14–23)

G. Command to remarry, with the expectation of a king like David (3:1–5)

   II. Hosea Spells Out His Parable with Accusations, Warnings, and Promises (4:1–14:9)

A. Legal proceedings continued (4:1–19)

B. Adultery in high places (5:1–14)

C. Appeal: return and be raised (5:15–6:3)

D. Transgressors of the covenant (6:4–7:3)

E. Four similes for unfaithful Israel: oven, cake, dove, treacherous bow (7:4–16)

F. Israel’s hypocrisy (8:1–14)

G. Warnings: no worship in a foreign land (9:1–9)

H. More similes for unfaithful Israel: grapes, vine, calf, toddler (9:10–11:11)

I. Dependence on alliances (11:12–12:1)

J. Further indictment based on historical review (12:2–14)

K. Worship of man-made gods (13:1–8)

L. Rejecting the only hope they have (13:9–16)

M. Closing appeals (14:1–9)

As You Get Started

What is your understanding of how Hosea advances the storyline of the Bible?

How does this book clarify our understanding of God’s love for us in Christ?

How does Hosea deepen our understanding of the nature and spiritual danger of idol worship?

As You Finish This Unit . . .

Take a few minutes as you begin this study of Hosea to ask God to humble your heart and open your eyes to comprehend more fully both the depth of your sinfulness and the extent of God’s redeeming love for you.

Definitions

1Parable – A story that uses everyday imagery and activities to communicate a spiritual truth. Jesus often taught in parables (e.g., Matthew 13).

2Ransom – A price paid to redeem, or buy back, someone who had become enslaved or something that had been lost to someone else. Jesus described his ministry as serving others and giving his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).

WEEK 2: HOSEA’S FAMILY

Hosea 1:1–3:5

The Place of the Passage

In this first section, God instructs Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who will prove to be unfaithful to him (Hos. 1:2). Hosea’s marriage is meant to serve as a vivid illustration of the broken covenant1 between the Lord and Israel, as do the names of the three children Gomer bears (1:4, 6, 9), two of whom are not fathered by Hosea. The prophet then builds a legal case against his adulterous wife, which points to how God will deal with his adulterous people (2:1–23). God then instructs the prophet to go and reclaim his wife and bring her home (3:1–5), which foreshadows what God has planned for his people. Although Israel has forsaken the Lord, God will remain faithful to his covenant and restore his people to himself.

The Big Picture

Hosea 1:1–3:5 shows God’s heart toward his people as that of a husband toward his beloved and likens Israel to an unfaithful spouse.

Reflection and Discussion

Read through the complete passage for this study, Hosea 1:1–3:5. Then review the questions below and write notes concerning this introductory section. (For further background, see theESV Study Bible, pages 1623–1627; available online at esv.org.)

1. Hosea’s Wife and Children (1:1–8)

God instructs Hosea to marry Gomer, who will prove to be an unfaithful wife (Hos. 1:2). Hosea’s broken marriage will reflect Israel’s unfaithfulness to God. What does God’s instruction reveal about the nature of his covenant with Israel? (See also Ex. 6:6–8; Ezek. 16:8–14.)

“He went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son” (Hos. 1:3). Hosea was told by God to name his firstborn son “Jezreel” (v. 4), which points back to the wicked Israelite king Ahab, who murdered Naboth, a godly man from Jezreel (see 1 Kings 21). Ahab’s primary evil was to promote worship of Baal as the national religion of Israel. How do the naming of Hosea’s child and the story from 1 Kings 21 reveal the nature of Israel’s current unfaithfulness?

“She conceived again and bore a daughter. . . . she conceived and bore a son” (Hos. 1:6, 8). The wording used to describe the birth of Gomer’s second and third children suggests that Hosea was not their father, which is reinforced by the names given to the children: “No Mercy” and “Not My People.” What do these names reveal about what Israel stands to lose because of her unfaithfulness to the Lord?

“Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered” (Hos. 1:10). Hosea echoes the promise God made long ago to Abraham (Gen. 22:17; 32:12), a promise God would keep despite Israel’s ongoing disobedience. What do the things promised in Hosea 1:10–11 reveal about the nature of salvation?

2. Israel’s Unfaithfulness Punished (2:1–13)

“Plead with your mother, plead . . . that she put away her whoring from her face” (Hos. 2:2). As if speaking to his illegitimate children, Hosea speaks God’s words to Israel, clarifying where their unfaithfulness is taking them and what will happen if they refuse to repent. Why is this worded as a plea?

The nature and results of idolatry are uncovered in this section, first in the words of Gomer/Israel (2:5) and then in God’s response (2:6–13). Based on this passage, how do idols deceive their worshipers, and how does God’s judgment increase in intensity when idolaters refuse to repent? Where do we see these patterns in our culture and our own lives?