Exegesis of Hosea 11: 1-11

Exegesis of Hosea 11: 1-11

Hosea 11: God's Love for Israel

"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.

But the more I (or they) called Israel, the further they went from me (or them).

They sacrificed to the Baals and they burned incense to images.

It was I who taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by the arms;

but they did not realize it was I who healed them.

A led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.

"Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?

Swords will flash in their cities, will destroy the bars of their gates and put an end to their plans.

My people are determined to turn from me.

Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them.

"How can I give you up, Ephraim?

How can I hand you over, Israel?

How can I treat you like Admah?

How can I make you like Zeboiim?

My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.

I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim.

For I am God, and not man -- the Holy One among you.

I will not come in wrath (against any city).

10 They will follow the LORD; he will roar like a lion.

When he roars, his children will come trembling from the west.

11 They will come trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria.

I will settle them in their homes," declares the LORD.

Thesis

The thesis of this paper is that when a nation goes deeply into sin and the worship of the gods of money and sex, then sends a prophet to warn the people who are participating in this great sin. This prophet must arise from the people who are sinning and let those who would turn away from the evil in society know how to come back to God.

The events in Hosea took place during the Assyrian Period. Following Amos in time (750-725 B.C.E.), Hosea, like Amos, prophesied in the Northern Kingdom. Being a native of the north, Hosea was the only non-Judean prophet besides Jeremiah. Because he was from the north, he knew the traditions of Elijah and probably Jeremiah, as Hosea frequently alludes to the Decalogue and the Sinai Covenant traditions. Jeroboam II was king of Israel when Hosea began prophesying, but upon his death anarchy prevailed and finally the kingdom was destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.E.

Scholars hold that the overall structure of the book of Hosea is made up of three parts: Hosea 1-3, about Hosea's marriage to Gomer, a prostitute, as a parallel for YHWH's relationship with Israel; Hosea 4-11, God's judgment against Israel, ending with YHWH's desperate warning that He cannot give up his people or allow them to be destroyed; and Hosea 12-14, giving a history of YHWH's relationship with Israel and begging for Israel to return to YHWH. Each part begins with a judgment and ends with restoration. Some say that the judgmental parts which make up the original book, have been softened by later additions of restoration assurances. This changes the whole feeling of the book from one that is extremely judgmental to one that declares more of God's love toward Israel.

Exegesis combination of warnings and declarations of love, ver. 1-11.

Was a child - When Israel was a young nation. I loved him - I showered my blessings upon it, showed paternal love. Called my son - I adopted him, provided for him, bought him. Out of Egypt - a foretelling of Christ's coming - as YHWH brought Israel out of Egypt, so YHWH would bring Christ.

They - Here YHWH is speaking of former prophets, as he was familiar with their traditions. Called - Urged and intreated to come by strong words. From them - the more YHWH begged, the further away they went from the prophets' counsels and the commands of YHWH. Baalim - the Israelites began worshipping Baal (the Bull calf) in the desert and would not stop.

A taught - Nursing, as a mother nurses her young. Taking them - Carrying them. They knew not - They would not look at me or recognize me.

Cords of man - as men do good to one another as men feel best doing. I was to them - Like a husbandman (farmer). When the oxen have labored the husbandman takes off the yoke and muzzle and allows them to eat, providing good food and water as they need it.

They - When given Ephraim as king, he rules with cruelty and strict laws. They refused - They continued in their stubborn worship of idols. The foretelling of Assyrian domination.

His branches - Smaller towns and villages. Their own counsels - Going by their own wisdom, rather than the wisdom sent by YHWH through the prophets.

They - the prophets. None at all - Hardly any one would hear and obey.

Give thee up - to allow utter annihilation. Admah and Zeboim were two of the four cities which were destroyed with fire from heaven. My repentings - God is hoping that Israel will repent and be spared the severe punishments which are about to be meted out, and turn back to YHWH to be spared.

Return - as an army might return to a city it has destroyed and burn it, God will not do this. Not man - God's grace is eternal, as man's is not. The holy One - Holy God, in promises, some among you believe them and have faith. Enter into the city - Come back to the city to destroy it, like Sodom.

10 They - the remnant believes and obeys. Like a lion - the Chaldee say the Lord shall roar like a lion. "Christ is called the lion of the tribe of Judah: and when he cried with a loud voice, it was as when a lion roared. The voice of the gospel was heard far, as the roaring of a lion; and it was a mighty voice." Tremble - They shall fear God's power. From the west - From the most distant places

11 They shall tremble - They will fly as birds to their own land from Egypt where they fled for shelter, some will fly from Assyria, fearful and fleeing, but God will shelter them in their own safe nests. This is a promise by God.

Argument

In this passage, Hosea is strongly warning and rebuking the northern Kingdom of Israel for their turning to idol worship and away from God's Covenant with them. Their corruption in matters of their worship and their morals is terrible to behold. In his personal life and in his preaching, Hosea is actively pleading and warning his fellow Israelites to repent and turn back to Jehovah God, a God who has loved them and sheltered them and kept them in times of terrible turmoil. Hosea warns them that if they do not do this, a terrible fate awaits them, as they shall be utterly destroyed.

However, Hosea was preaching in vain. The morals and culture around him had reached a point where nothing could prevent its final culmination of chaos and destruction. Hosea was crying out to a people who were deaf to his message. They did not want, nor could they hear, his warnings to turn back to what they considered a useless and restrictive god of the past. They were drawn to licentious behavior and foreign idols because of the luxuries and pleasure that these brought. Hosea was desperate. He had to do something to let his countrymen know what would happen and how much God loved them and wanted them to mend their ways before it was too late. This is why Hosea is called "The Weeping Prophet" in Israel and explains the overt sadness in the message that Hosea left.

Before Joash (Judah) and Jeroboam II (Israel), neither kingdom had political or social strength among the nations of the Near East. Their strength had been sapped by wars with and oppression by neighboring kingdoms, the Philistines and Syria. Furthermore, they warred with each other. Finally, King Uzziah appeared in the south and Jehoash, followed by Jeroboam II, in the north. They joined forces and built up their armies, barricaded the borders and stabilized the economy with agricultural products. Finally there was peace and prosperity. When Hosea was born in the northern Kingdom, the economy was strong and both kingdoms enjoyed peace and prosperity. There was little indication of the coming storm that Hosea sensed.

Hosea, a strong follower of YHWH, noted the increasing immorality around him. He saw that the people had adopted and incorporated idol-worship (of Baal, the bull-calf) into their own worship routines almost without thinking. It is true that Solomon had humored his many wives by building altars for them to worship at, for their foreign gods. The people of the kingdom, seeing nothing wrong with this, built their own altars throughout the land. Baal and Ashteroth were worshiped openly, sanctified by King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel. Sacred prostitutes were part of this new idolatry. It was one of these that Hosea took as a wife, and then utilized this imagery of God's love for Israel, in that he would rescue them by buying them out of a kind of slavery to which they did not even know they were enslaved.

In Chapter 11 of the Book of Hosea, God charges Israel with having abandoned Him, of running away from God's loving care. The hypocrisy and false idol worship that Israel has turned to in order to enjoy the pleasures and luxuries they found around them had lured them far from the sheltering arms of God. Hosea was warning them that they had gone too far, and God could no longer help them. In chapter 11:1-11, Hosea reminds them of the history of the nation and how God had brought them there and kept them safe in His love. He likens the nation to a rebellious child with images of his feeding them, of helping them learn how to walk, of the tender nursing and care he showered upon them. He reminds them that God's love is eternal for those few who follow him, and keep the Covenant. Like a child who throws down the gift that the parent has given, Israel turns away and forgets all the good deeds that Jehovah has done for them, healing them and guiding them with cords of love.