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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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
husband. Gomer, return unto me!
There is coming a day when they will return to the LORD with all their heart.
Friend
If you
know the Bible Is True,
And you
never received
Jesus
Christ as your personal Lord and Savior...
And you
want to come to Him for Salvation now ... Then:
1. Admit
... To God that you are a Sinner...
Deserving Hell Fire...
2. Believe ... that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God...
Who died on the Cross for
You! ...
3. Repent! ... Ask
Him to Forgive You of Your Sin...
4. Receive Him... By
Asking Him to come into Your Heart...
And You
Will Receive the Gift of Eternal Life!
Born of God! You Are in The Narrow Way ... To HEAVEN!