The Book of Hosea

The Book of Hosea

The Book of Hosea
By Richard St.James
Bible 1611.Com / Old Paths Baptist Mission © 2023




Preface:

Since 1973, I have had but one mission … to bring honor and glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I will be with them that will say: “Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” [Revelation 5:13b]

This a commentary of the book of Hosea. 

Hosea © 2023

By Richard St.James


Hosea is the first of the Minor Prophets.  [The Minor Prophets are not minor in importance but in the length of their prophecies.]

There are 14 chapters in the book of Hosea.

There are 197 verses in the book of Hosea.

There are 5174 words in the book of Hosea.

The name Hosea is also spelt Oshea or Osee in the Authorized King James Bible of 1611.

See for this in the third book of Moses, called Numbers, in chapter thirteen, verse eight: “Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea, the son of Nun.”  [Numbers 13:8]

Thus, we see the name Hosea is also known as Joshua or Jehoshua.

For this skip down to verse sixteen in that same chapter:

“These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua.” [Numbers 13:16]

In the New Testament the Apostle Paul references Hosea’s prophecy calling him Osee:

See the book Romans 9:24-26:

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.

And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.” [Romans 9:24-26]

Thus, we have: Hosea = Oshea = Joshua = Jehoshua= Osee.

The name Hosea means GOD IS SALVATION or SAVE, O GOD!


Hosea, chapter one:Chapter 1

Verse one: “The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.

The word of the LORD

The word of the LORD is TRUTH: T-R-U-T-H:

·         “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” [John 17:17] 

·         “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  [John 8:32]


Hosea, chapter two:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah.”

Now, notice something here in this verse, the word brethren is in the plural, which signifies many brothers.  Ammi is the son of Gomer.  Notice here also, the word sisters is in the plural, which signifies many sisters.  Ruhamah is the daughter of Gomer. 

Thus, the prophet Hosea is commanded to speak to the brethren [Ammi], which brethren represent all the men of Israel, and to all the sisters [Ruhamah] which sisters represent all the women of Israel.


Hosea, chapter three:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.”

Do you see what I see?  God is their friend!  God loves them!  Israel is the apple of his eye. [See Zechariah 2:8 and Deuteronomy 32:10]


Hosea, chapter four:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.”

It is all about hearing.  I do not mean just hearing with the ears.  It is about hearing with the heart! 


Hosea, chapter five:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor.”

Mizpah [is near Mt. Gilead] and it is where Laban had overtaken Jacob as he fled from Ur of the Chaldees. 


Hosea, chapter six:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.”

After the night is passed, the sun rises.  After the judgment, then comes the blessing.  After the chastisement is over, then comes the restoration.  The LORD God heals the wounds!   The LORD God binds up the open sore!


Hosea, chapter seven:Chapter 1

Verse one: “When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.”

They could have been healed.  But they were not healed.  Why, because God saw what was below the veneer.


Hosea, chapter eight:Chapter 1

Verse one: Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.”

Set the trumpet to thy mouth.

There is something eerie about “the sound of a trumpet”.

Take note of this, we see God has a “voice” [in Genesis 3:8], which “voice” forms a sound as a wind instrument.


Hosea, chapter nine:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.”

The other people here are of the nations of this world. 

They are the unrighteous, the unsaved people of the world [1 Corinthians 6:9]. 

When the unrighteous rejoice for joy, they are signifying that they are enjoying the pleasures of sin.  This is unlike what Moses’ chose:


Hosea, chapter ten:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.”

Israel is an empty vine.

An empty vine offers nothing to God.  An empty vine offers nothing for others.  An empty vine only takes care of itself.  This is the opposite to the mission of Jesus Christ, the Son God, when he came to this earth, and lived amongst men for thirty-three and a half years:

 “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” [Mark 10:45]


Hosea, chapter eleven:Chapter 1

Verse one: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

Called my son out of Egypt:

We have here, in verse one, one of the many prophecies in the Old Testament which in the New Testament [Matthew 2:15] was fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and proving to Israel that HE is the SON of GOD, their Messiah


Hosea, chapter twelve:Chapter 1

Verse one: “Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.”

Feeding on the wind?  Daily increasing lies?  Yet reaping desolation and poverty?

The question rises here.  Where is Ephraim [or Israel] placing all their trust?  What are they trusting in?  The answer is really clear here.  They are trusting in man rather than trusting in God.  That is a big mistake!

Hosea, chapter thirteen:Chapter 1

Verse one: “When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.”

The children of Israel began well [in Moses’ and Joshua’s day] in having within themselves a spirit of humility to seek the LORD.  Now, this spirit of humility came from the fear of the LORD that was in them.  

This fear of the LORD is what propelled them to riches, and honour, and life. 


Hosea, chapter fourteen:Chapter 1

Verse one: “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.”

The prophet Hosea filled with the Spirit of God makes a plea to the children of Israel to return their husbandGomer, return unto me!

There is coming a day when they will return to the LORD with all their heart. 


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