Is One of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. (Hosea Is Referred to As Am

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Leader Guide Guide #2-10 November 15, 2015 Hosea 11:1-9 Leader Guide

Hosea, meaning “he saves” or “he helps,” is one of the minor prophets of the Old Testament. (Hosea is referred to as a minor prophet not because of importance, but because of the size of the book – Hosea is 13 chapters long, as compared to the major prophet Isaiah’s 66 chapters.) Hosea prophesied about the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC.

The nation of Israel split into two kingdoms around 930 BC (1 Kings 12:1-17). The Northern Kingdom, consisting of ten of the twelve tribes, kept the name Israel. The Southern Kingdom, called Judah, was made up of the tribes Judah and Benjamin. As last week’s story of Elijah and the priests of Baal demonstrated, the leaders and their people in the Northern Kingdom have continued to rebel against God and fall further into idolatry. God sent the prophet Hosea to speak a word of judgment to the people.

The unfaithfulness of the people was not just an issue of worship, it was also an issue of justice toward others. The people left the commandment to worship only the God who brought them out of Egypt, and in doing so they have also left the rest of the commandments as well. They did not Scripture uses many images and love their God or their neighbors, and for metaphors to communicate God’s the suffering this caused, there needed to desired relationship with us. be consequences. God’s love for all of the people necessitated God’s anger when Jesus names God as Father God’s beloved were mistreated and throughout the Gospels. oppressed. Hosea 2 uses the image of God as husband. Hosea 11:3-4, Isaiah 49:15, God has every reason to be angry. and Matthew 23:37 use mothering However, as we read Hosea and feel images to express how God cares for God’s anger, we also see that God and nurtures us. tenderly loves and promises to redeem those he has exiled. Hosea preaches a These images help us to understand message of compassion and kindness something about the character of God from God even as the nation of Israel and the quality of the relationship God “refused to return” (Hosea 11:5) to God. desires with us. At the beginning of the book of Hosea, we see God telling Hosea to act out the

Kinsmen Lutheran Church © 2014-2015 Spirit and Truth Publishing – All Rights Reserved unfaithfulness that Israel is showing. God tells Hosea to marry Gomer, a prostitute, to symbolize how Israel has turned its back on God. Hosea and Gomer have three children, and God tells Hosea to give them names that illustrate Israel’s broken relationship with God: Jezreel (“God sows,” the name of an infamous battlefield), Lo- ruhamah (“Not pitied”), and Lo-ammi (“Not my people”) (Hosea 1:2-8).

The family theme continues in today’s text. Hosea begins by talking about God and Israel in terms of family. God is a caring parent; the nation of Israel (also called Ephraim and Samaria) is a beloved child. The language in verse 4 is especially affectionate. God, the Holy One in Israel’s midst, is as close to Israel as a mother is to her baby. And Israel turns away, worshipping other gods and committing injustice.

Still, in the face of Israel’s willful rejection of God’s way, God promises to not destroy them again. In verse 8, God says he will not hand the nation of Israel to destruction like the ancient cities of Admah and Zeboiim (which were destroyed with fire and brimstone at same time Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed; see Deuteronomy 29:22-24). Instead, God will make Assyria Israel’s king – God will send them into exile in Assyria as punishment for their disobedience.

? What effect does this image of God as a loving parent have on Hosea’s message here? Where else has this image been used in Scripture? ? How have you experienced God’s love for you as a loving parent? When have you been a rebellious child? ? What are some of the ways you have heard the loving voice of God in difficult places? Through God’s Word? Through the loving actions of friends, family, and neighbors? As you think back on those kinds of moments in your own life, think of ways you can encourage group members to look back on those moments in their own lives and to stay attuned to God’s voice even in those seasons of their lives when they might not expect to hear it.

 Hosea 4:1-3  Isaiah 49:15  Isaiah 66:13

? In today’s reading, we see the image of God as a loving mother or parent. Name some things that make the parent-child bond strong. ? Israel was disobedient and rebellious toward God. When was a situation in which you were rebellious? How did a parent or authority figure react? Have you ever been in the position of a parent with a rebellious child? If so, how did you react? A prophet in the Bible is a man or woman who speaks and acts on behalf of God, giving God’s message Read Hosea 11:1-4. to the people. Hosea is one of the Ephraim was one of the tribes of Israel (son of “minor” prophets of the Old Joseph along with Manasseh), which was a part of Testament. Hosea is referred to as a the northern kingdom of Israel, and therefore used minor prophet not because of as another name for that kingdom. importance, but because of the size of ? In verse 3, God says he “taught the book – Hosea is 13 chapters long, Ephraim how to walk.” Think of the as compared to the major prophet history of God’s chosen people. Isaiah’s 66 chapters. The other minor How did God teach the nation of prophets include Joel, Amos, Israel to walk? Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, ? In one word, describe how God feels Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, in verses 1-3. Ask each member to Zechariah, and Malachi. The major explain their answer. prophets are Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah ? A lot of traditional church language (who is also credited with the book refers to God as father. Discuss the Lamentations) and Daniel. image in verses 3-4 of God as a nurturing mother. Most, but not all, of the books of the

Read Hosea 11:5-7. prophets are grouped together at the end of the Old Testament. Samuel ? Talk about the specific things that was a prophet, and 1 and 2 Samuel anger God in these verses. appear earlier in the Old Testament. ? What is the relationship between love Elijah and Elisha were prophets, also. and anger in your own life? Have They do not have books named after you ever been driven to anger them; their works are written about in because of your love for someone? the books of 1 and 2 Kings. Please share as you are willing. How can God be both loving and angry at the same time?

Read Hosea 11:8-9. God’s love for the people does not exempt them from the consequences of their actions, but God promises that their relationship will continue. ? Hosea refers to the cities of Admah and Zeboiim. What happened to these cities? Read Deuteronomy 29:22-24. ? How have you experienced consequences for your behavior as a child? How have you experienced giving consequences to a child or someone you are responsible for?

If you have enough time, read Hosea 11:10-11. God promised that people of Israel would go into exile as a consequence of their idolatry and injustice. However, God’s love overpowers the sin of the people, ending this passage with a promise of return from exile. ? What hope gives you strength to make it through difficult times in your life?

 Many songs and hymns talk about God’s great love for us. What is a favorite song or hymn of yours in which you feel God’s love for you? Have each member who feels comfortable share their favorite song or hymn of love and try to sing (or at least read/recite the lyrics) a verse from each! Thank God for God’s great love for us all!

Last week we met King Ahab, one of the most disobedient kings of Israel. Ahab married Jezebel and worshipped her god, Baal. Elijah, God’s prophet, put Baal and Baal’s priests to the test on Mount Carmel, and asked Israel to choose between them (1 Kings 18:20-39). In next week’s lesson (Isaiah 5:1-7; 11:1-5), God is referred to as a vineyard owner and the people of Judah as a choice vine. God lovingly plants and tends the people, but does not get the expected fruit. And so God asks us to choose: what should God do with the wayward vineyard?