Hosea – Part 1
The Marriage
The book of Hosea opens with a narrative, the very personal story of Hosea and his family. God gives Hosea an unsettling command. God asks Hosea to marry Gomer, a woman who will be unfaithful to him. This marriage will be a symbol of Israel’s unfaithfulness of to the Lord. This section is the first of five cycles of Israel’s sin, followed by God’s judgment and future restoration. The children born to Gomer have names that carry the significance of Israel’s rebellion and God’s judgement. But just as God promises to judge, he also promises mercy. While we will be stopping in the middle of the story in this introduction, next week we will see that the judgment behind the children’s names is not the final word. God will point to His faithful love and the restoration of His people.
Hosea Part 7
The Way Home We are almost at the end of our journey. This week concludes the fifth and final cycle of sin, judgment, and restoration. Last week was a reminder of Israel’s past and God’s enduring love to his unfaithful people. This week, we will see what happens when...
Hosea Part 6
Look Back & Learn This begins our fifth and last cycle of sin, judgement, and restoration. This week, Hosea will remind the Israelites of their past. They will be reminded of Jacob, one of the patriarchs and the namesake of their nation. They will be reminded of...
Hosea Part 5
Wandering and Returning The judgment continues this week. The idol worship that has consumed the land and the joining to foreign nations will be their downfall. Exile is in their future. Again, Hosea uses imagery to describe the people and their sin. We will explore...
Hosea Part 4
Fickle and Faithless Last week, we saw that in spite of Israel’s sin and stubbornness, God desires for them to know Him and return to Him. This week, we will begin the fourth cycle of sin, judgment, and restoration. Both Israel and Judah continue to break their...
Hosea – Part 3
Acknowledge and Return Last week, we watched Gomer leave her husband, just as Israel has done to God. This week will be the third cycle of sin, judgment, and restoration. We will be like witnesses in a courtroom, as God has specific accusations to make against His...
Hosea Part 2
The Lovers and the Lover Last week, we were introduced to Hosea’s family and the beginning of first cycle of sin, judgement, and restoration. This week, we will complete the first cycle that began at the introduction to the study, and go through the second cycle of...