Well
Hosea was puzzling me. But I looked him up in Dummelow's Commentary of the
Bible, and I am satisfied for the moment.
He tells
me that Hosea and Amos mark the beginning of literary, as distinct from purely
oral, prophecy. The message was first orally delivered and then written down.
No doubt there was more than one sitting to the delivery of the message.
Dummelow also gives an overview of the historical situation at the time. Scanning what he has
written, one finds these words: death, anarchy, terror, captivity,
assassination, slain, weakness of king, murdered, seized the throne, ravaging,
conspiracy, invaded. Anything but a reign of peace with so many seeking to
rule. Not exactly the peaceful time of Isaac we are reading about in this
week's Christian Science Lesson-Sermon!
Hosea
used his own life experience to point out the errors of the Israelites' ways.
And “tenderness” stands out as a dominant quality in the man's approach both to
his wife's harlot-type ways and those of the Israelites.
About
that tenderness, Dummelow says, “Those who imagine that the God of the Old
Testament is only a God of justice and wrath might well study this book
attentively.” Isn't that great?
He also
says that St Paul explains some of Hosea's prophecies as fulfilled in the
Christian church. So I must look up those references:
Rom
9:25, 26 “As he saith also in O'see, 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.”
And I
Cor 15:55: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” Paul
relates to Hosea 13:14 (in part): O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I
will be thy destruction.”
Did
anyone listen and heed Hosea's message?
Joyce Voysey
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