Hosea
Hosea was the prophet who gave God’s final appeal to the Jews to repent of their unfaithfulness to him. God’s relationship with Israel was one of covenant love so loyalty was a key part. God was looking for glad, eager obedience that wanted to live the way he wanted her to live. Hosea had to experience what God was suffering by marrying a woman who would be unfaithful. But, like God, he was to remain true to her. The sins of Israel listed are Infidelity – in their marriages as well as to God; going after other gods as Hosea’s wife went after other men; Independence – they had set up their own independent kingdom; Intrigue – lies and deceit, treaties outside the people of God; Idolatry – worshipping a golden calf; Ignorance – when they should have known about God, they didn’t bother; Immorality - drunkenness, promiscuity and violence were rife; Ingratitude - he had redeemed them but they were ungrateful. The Priests, false Prophets, false Princes and the Profiteers were accused by Hosea. He warned of suffering ahead – Barren women, Bloodshed and Banishment from the land.
Obadiah and Joel 1
David Pawson says that, though some of the Minor Prophets occupy just one page in our Bibles, they are very important. “Minor” refers to the size of the book rather than their message. These written prophets seem to all relate to the exile of the people of Israel, either warning of its coming – before the event, (Obadiah then Joel were the first 2 in this category); seeking to comfort them once it happened, or encouraging them to get settled back in their own land when the exile finished. David says a prophet speaks for God which means that he has also heard from God, so he needs both the sensitivity to hear, and the courage to deliver. God usually sends prophets when something is going wrong, and it is part of his goodness that he warns people before bringing punishment. Obadiah actually didn’t speak to God’s people but to one of Israel’s neighbours, Edom. At this time it was a radical thought that the God of Israel was the God of all other nations as well, and judgment would come from him. Edom was the first nation to be warned that they would be judged for what they had done to Israel. There is no trace of the Edomites in the world today.
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