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HOSEA
Bruce Leonard
NAME: Hosea means “Jehovah is salvation”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
Hosea was the last to prophesy before the northern kingdom fell to Assyria (about 722 B .C.).
When he began his ministry the northern kingdom was experiencing a peace and prosperity not
experienced since the days of Solomon. This prosperity led Israel to moral decay. They turned
from God to worship idols. God instructed Hosea to marry a wife of whoredom. Her
unfaithfulness would serve as a living illustration of Israel’s apostasy and God’s love for this
unfaithful nation. Hosea then gives God’s complaint against Israel and warns that punishment
would come if they did not return to God and be faithful to him. Hosea shows the deep love God
has for his people and that he would not tolerate idolatry.
DATE:
Prophesied in reigns of:
JUDAH ISRAEL
Uzziah 783-742 B.C. Jeroboam II 786-746 B.C.
Jotham 745-735
Ahaz 735-715
Hezekiah 715-687
THEME: Hosea characterizes the loving-kindness of God. Therefore, Hosea is called “the
prophet of love” or “the prophet of a broken heart.”
MEMORABLE EPIGRAMS:
1. 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I
reject you from being a priest to me.
2. 4:9 – I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
3. 6:4 – What shall I do with you, O Ephraim? What shall I do with you, O Judah? Your love is
like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes early away.
4. 6:6 – For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt
offerings.
5. 8:7 – For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.
6. 10:7 – Samaria’s king shall perish like a twig on the face of the waters.
7. 10:12 – Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the LORD that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.
8. 11:1 – When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
9. 12:1 – Ephraim feeds on the wind and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply
falsehood and violence; they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.
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10. 13:14 – Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol? Shall I redeem them from Death? O
Death, where are your plagues? O Sheol, where is your sting? Compassion is hidden from my
eyes.
STEPS TO RUIN:
The successive steps taken by Israel that led them down the road of ruin and led to helplessness
and destruction:
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II. THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE – 4:1 – 6:3
A. The Sin of the Land – 4:2 -19
1. The Sins of the People – 4:2-5
2. The Sins of the Priests – 4:6 -10
3. The Sin of Idolatry – 4:11- 14
4. A Warning to Judah – 4:15- 19
B. Judgment on the Land – 5:1-15
1. Impartiality of the Sentence – 5:1
2. Basis for the Sentence – 5:2- 3
3. Necessity of the Sentence – 5:4- 5
4. Certainty of the Sentence – 5:6- 10
5. Portraits of the Judgment – 5:11- 15
C. An Appeal for Repentance – 6:1 -3
1. First Exhortation and Incentive – 6:1- 2
2. Second Exhortation and Incentive – 6:3
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4. A Final Rejection – 9:16-17
C. God’s Judgment on Apostate Religion – 10:1- 11
1. Israel’s Sin – 10:1- 2
2. Israel’s Sorrow – 10:3 -5
3. Israel’s Shame – 10:6
4. Israel’s Suffering – 10:7- 8
5. Israel’s Sentence – 10:9- 11
D. A Call for Repentance – 10:12-15
1. The Exhortation – 10:12
2. The Explanation – 10:13
3. The Urgency – 10:14 -15
4. The New Beginning – 11:1
E. The God of Love – 11:2- 11
1. The Pain of God’s Love – 11:2
2. The Picture of God’s Love – 11:3- 4
3. The Punishment for Rejection God’s Love – 11:5 -7
4. The Perplexities of God’s Love – 11:8- 9
5. Predicted Results of God’s Love – 11:10- 11
EPILOGUE – 14:9
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SUGGESTED OUTLINES:
1:2 – 3:5 The sin against trust
4:1 – 6:11 The sin against truth
7:1 – 13:16 The sin against troth
14:1 -9 The final appeal
LESSONS OF VALUE:
1. Nothing can quench the love of God.
2. God experiences deep pain when He is abandoned by his people.
3. The marriage relationship is sacred..
4. Tragedy follows when one heeds unworthy teachers.
5. There is no double standard of morality in God’s plans.
6. Sin destroys man’s ability to make moral decisions.
7. Divorce is not a solution. It is merely an effort to escape.
8. Worship of God is not acceptable unless one worships with the right spirit (attitude).
9. Corrupt leaders will quickly corrupt a nation .
10. Good relationships are important because one can become like those whom they associate.
11. Forgiveness and restoration to God’s favor is found in genuine repentance.
12. A nation’s inward corruption causes it more harm than external adversaries.
13. Unfaithfulness to God is the root from which all other sins spring forth..
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QUESTION OF HOSEA
CHAPTER 1
6. What kind?
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15. Whose house would be punished?
27. What would the “number of the children of Israel” be like? (v. 10)
29. What will the children of Judah and Israel do? (v. 11)
CHAPTER 2
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4. What is she not?
5. What is he not?
a.
b.
c.
11. Why?
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24. What had these things been used for?
46. What would she call him at that day? (v. 16)
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47. What would she not call him?
55. What would the Lord do in that day? (v. 21, 22)
56. Upon whom would the Lord have mercy? (v. 23)
57. What would he say to those who are not his people?
CHAPTER 3
8. What would the children of Israel dwell without for many days? (v. 4)
a.
b.
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c.
d.
e.
f.
CHAPTER 4
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16. Who would God forget?
13
39. What were they not to swear?
42. What did they do when their drink was gone? (v. 18)
CHAPTER 5
10. What did their deed prevent them from doing? (v. 4)
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17. Who would they seek?
31. Why?
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40. What would the Lord do?
CHAPTER 6
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17. What did he not desire?
CHAPTER 7
1. What was discovered when the Lord would have healed Israel? (v. 1)
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11. What was their hearts like? (v. 6)
26. What would the Lord do when they go? (v. 12)
a.
b.
c.
a.
b.
c.
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28. From what had they not cried? (v. 14)
36. Why?
CHAPTER 8
11. What did they make with their silver and gold?
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13. What did God reject? (v. 5)
15. Where did the one come from who made the idol? (v. 6)
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46. What would God remember?
CHAPTER 9
2. Why?
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15. What will be in their tents?
19. Why?
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38. What is the result of Ephraim being stricken? (v. 16)
41. Why?
CHAPTER 10
6. Why?
11. Why?
13. Why?
16. How?
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17. What would be destroyed? (v. 8)
19. What would they want the mountains and hills to do?
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40. What would happen in the morning?
CHAPTER 11
12. Why?
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22. Who was in their midst?
CHAPTER 12
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13. Who were they to turn to? (v. 6)
28. How did the Lord bring them from Egypt? (v. 13)
CHAPTER 13
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4. What did they make?
a.
b.
c.
d.
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23. What is hidden from God’s eyes?
CHAPTER 14
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14. What would his beauty be like? (v. 6)
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carson, D. A. New Bible Commentary : 21st Century Edition . 4th ed. Leicester, England; Downers Grove,
Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
Freeman, James M. and Harold J. Chadwick. Manners & Customs of the Bible. Rev. ed.]. North
Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1998.
Haley, Homer. A Commentary on the Minor Prophets. Grand Rapids: Baker gook House, 1972.
Henry, Matthew. Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One
Volume. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991.
Hughes, Robert B. and J. Carl Laney. Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary. The Tyndale reference library.
Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.
MacArthur, John. MacArthur Study Bible NASB , Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville, TN, 2006; 2008.
Wiersbe, Warren W. W iersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books,
1993
Smith, James E. The Minor Prophets . Joplin, Mo.: College Press, 1992.
The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001.
The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.
Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.
Yates, Kyle M. Preaching from the Prophets . Nashville: Broadman Press, 1942.
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Hosea’s Marriage and Children – 1:1 – 2:1
Y E B B C V P A E S O H
M C M S R H E R O B H E
O G R A T G I T C C O W
D G D E N I C L O H U A
E O A B M A M N D T S M
R M U J L I C M N R E V
O E G L E E A I O A E S
H R H T I Z O L S C A N
W E T V R P R U B V T B
O S E V P D R E E I J W
N D R A A E V I E C D I
S A I D D J E H U L Z E
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Israel is Punished and Brought Back to the Lord – 2:2- 23
D G N I R D F L P D G S F E T S P
A A N X I H E O B L T Y K M S I E
J K R E M W T S R S I A E E H T H
F I O A D Y R O A E M E N A U S U
L L B N D E R E R T S D T L S M N
A L E S T O F L L T E T H A B I T
X S F T H M R A E K E F E A A R H
S L E L O A V N A W D B R B N T I
T B S O E I M N E E E L E R D H R
S U N H S S L E C D V J F E N U S
E S D H T L R L F L O N O W A E T
L Y E T I A A E N U O L R S K G Y
U D F W T R B T H N L V E N E D C
M O T H E R B B I T U L E A D E R
E U K S N M J A A J B K Y R M H E
S I G H T T R X A S L O O W S R M
D C D P B G A T W P L E A D P S R
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Further Assurance of God’s Redeeming Love – 3:1 -5
R A I S I N S G G A M
U H M I N E E T F I F
L E B L E T H E C H U
P D A V I D D W E L L
P D H O U S E H O L D
I A D U L T E R E S S
L K B H O M E R L T T
L E P H O D C A K E S
A S S E N D O O G K O
R G O S R B O U G H T
D F F W I T H O U T M
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The Charges Against Israel – 4:1- 19
C H E K L A C K L B Y J O I N E D S
O F S A S Y N G U I L T Y G Y H F E
N T U I K G O J B A R U S L S H C V
T Y C O U J I B M L A N P I Y E J I
E S C S F G T R A S E D R A H I I G
N R A V O K N O L O D E E F S F N K
D E S E R W E A K R H R I R I E F G
L V T R S B T D L C S S E S N R O B
I O U I A U N U P E E T K W U J R O
A R B U K R O Y T M H A N O P B G U
S T B Q E N C U T G K N O L Y L E N
E N O N N T T C U T W D W L G O T D
D O R I L I I A B L B I L O T O Y S
I C N U T B D M L U I N E F S D C Y
R R M S G V U T M C I G D M E S M F
B J O C E R O H W O V M G Y I H L I
Y R U Y D E E R G R C J E G R E Y S
P Y A L P Q A D U L T E R Y P D K H
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Israel and Judah are Unrepentant – 6:1 – 7:16
A F O D H E D G Z W X B I Y B W U G
A D N T R U O V O D S O C A A A H N
N I U I O E P U O D B W N G S U G I
B V S L S E L V N O N D B X K Y U O
R E C A T D E A K E I L N E A X O G
D E K P U E B Z L T A H U R E I D M
G V Y P L G R L S Z D G G S R K I E
A I E R C I A E E D I B R U B A L Z
S L H O K F G S R R E E X C R B F H
H H T A N L T H T S O B P H I N G A
F E G C E A K N T D S S P R O U F I
A A N H A E I O L S E E R I O H H R
L T I Z D H V I E C I O S H C W E S
S A L D I E V X N S H I T C E R W B
E A L E N E I I W A R L H L A E N G
L D A E G M R O B E A V O B S K G C
Y A C D R P N V D R I E H T E A E B
Y M G S Y K G N I N R O M C S B L D
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Israel’s Defeat Because of Sin – 10:9 -15
T S U M P H S E R H T B Q S
C D H A E B I G N E Y B R N
G F A I R F W S P A R E D P
A S S E N S U O E T H G I R
D N E Y Q P D S B T D E N I
E G S S R C H E O F L D J N
T W F D A A O M P B A W U I
S O K N L E F N U A G J S Q
U L E M J N L O T D E F T U
R P A G A M D P J I Q R I I
T N U T L U M U T U N K C T
Y D E S T R O Y E D Y U E Y
N E C K W O L L A F C F E J
U T S U J N U H A R R O W D
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God’s Case Against Jacob’s Heirs – 12:1 -8
U W S A P B T P E W T A P
P L T C D M I N H P N C H
U D O O S E B S G D E C G
R O L N T R W E S O M O R
S O A T R C I C R O T R E
U H I I O H N N O H C D H
E N R N V A S A B E I I T
S A O U E N D L A S D N O
B M M A G T E A L L N G R
W W E L N U E B G A I C B
A Y M L E G F A D F L W P
C F W Y H E E E S L A F B
L L D L O H H L W I N D D
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The Lord is Angry with Israel – 13:1- 16
S G L F S I O N E S P H E C U B S
M H R S P G C M M A L D O P E N N
H D E A Y V W R O I V R E R E H W
V T E O Z O B I A S S N I B D Z P
S B R L L E R D E F N T E W B F V
K S R I L G D T E D T A P M S O L
B L I E B I N G S R R S R A V S R
S B F K A D F I B E R O M L S G C
L K B R Z S L D S E D U U E K N R
G U I C L E T I I I A T C G N A E
N R N L P E G E H E R R G N H P P
I W O W L L O U M C D E D U I T L
T E O I I F A P I D E A T H C W E
S B M D V S U G A L P S G H H I H
G R O W N A E L U R T U L G A N Z
U C E D S I S W L E D R M C F D W
K R U L M S W B W Y S Y N D F O E
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