Traditional Author: Hosea, son of Beeri.

Approximate Time of Writing: 760-720 B.C.

General Content: Historical Narrative and Prophecy. Hosea was the primary writing of the Northern Kingdom, starting well before and continuing until after its fall. He ministered during the last forty or fifty years of the Northern Kingdom where there was no legitimate priesthood functioning. The existing priesthood in the north was mixed with idolatry and corrupting influences from its inception. (See 1 Kings 12:25-33 & 2 Kings 17) Prophetic ministry was the only true ministry the people of the Northern Kingdom received in those days.

Even though this book is factually historical, most of the is written as an allegory of the Lord’s relationship with Israel. In the first chapter, Hosea is instructed to take a prostitute named Gomer for his wife. The book explains that Gomer is symbolic of unfaithful Israel, and faithful Hosea represents the Lord. The reader is made to understand that this is how the Lord sees His relationship with ancient Israel; with God steadfast in His committed love and Israel often running off to worship other gods, as a prostitute with other lovers.

It also contains the redemptive promises of marriage from God to the Jewish people, recited daily by many observant Jews. Hosea reveals Israel as the OT Wife of God as a type and shadow of the NT Church as the Bride of Christ. Christians need to consider the message of Hosea and understand that, like the Jewish people before us, we often are unfaithful in our devotion toward Him, but He is always faithful toward us.

Chapter 1 The call of Hosea and his prophetic marriage. v. 1 Hosea’s approximate ministry timeline is defined by the kings listed here. v. 2 He is given an odd prerequisite for the start of his long ministry. :2b "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord." NIV v. 3-9 Three Children with prophetic names. v. 4 A son named “Jezreel”, because of the murders of at Jezreel. v. 6 A daughter “Loruhamah” meaning “no mercy” for Israel. v. 9 A son, “Loammi” meaning “not my people” for apostate Israel. v. 10-11 The Lord prophesied a redemptive future for Israel in the same land. Romans 9:25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26 and, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'" NIV Chapter 2 God’s displeasure is to be mitigated with a redemptive goal. v. 1-5 God calls Hosea to speak to faithful and unfaithful Israel on His behalf. v. 6-13 The Lord is about to expose Israel’s unfaithful behavior. v. 14-20 Immediately, He looks toward a future reunion and betrothal with Israel. :16 "In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.' 17 I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked. 18 In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. 19 I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. 20 I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord. NIV v. 23 God will call a people from the Gentiles along with His people Israel. Hosea 2:23 I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'" NIV

Romans 9:23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25 As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26 and, "In the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'children of the living God.'" NIV

Chapter 3 Hosea’s prophetic act of God’s faithfulness in marriage. v. 1 The prophet is instructed to go find his adulterous wife and to love her. :1 The Lord said to me, "Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." NIV v. 4 Because of Spiritual adultery Israel will go many years without a king. v. 5 Messianic prophecy concerning what will come after this period.

Chapter 4 Israel’s adultery. v. 1 There remains no knowledge of Yahweh in the land of Israel. v. 6 God’s people are destroyed for a lack of the knowledge of Yahweh. v. 12 Idolatry is spiritual adultery.

Chapter 5 - 6 A call to repentance and future redemption. 5:1-3 The Northern Kingdom is under judgement and collectively called Ephraim. 5:14-15 God will put Israel under judgement until they repent and say, 6:1-3 Come let us return to Yahweh and He will revive and restore us. Hos 5:15 I will return to My place [on high] until they acknowledge their offense and feel their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction and distress they will seek, inquire for, and require Me earnestly, saying, 6:1 COME AND let us return to the Lord, for He has torn so that He may heal us; He has stricken so that He may bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us (quicken us, give us life); on the third day He will raise us up that we may live before Him. [Isa 26:19; Ezek 37:1-10.] 3 Yes, let us know (recognize, be acquainted with, and understand) Him; let us be zealous to know the Lord [to appreciate, give heed to, and cherish Him]. His going forth is prepared and certain as the dawn, and He will come to us as the [heavy] rain, as the latter rain that waters the earth. AMP

Hos 5:15 I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me. 6:1 " Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us. 2 "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him. 3 "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth." NASU

Hos 5:15 I will return again to my place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face. In their distress they will beg my favor: 6:1 "Come, let us return to the LORD; for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us; he has struck down, and he will bind us up. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him. 3 Let us know, let us press on to know the LORD; his appearing is as sure as the dawn; he will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." NRSV

Hos 5:15 Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me." 6:1 "Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. 2 After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. 3 Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." NIV

Chapter 7 God would have protected them, but they turned to Egypt. v. 11 Ephraim sought help from Egypt and Assyria, but not Yahweh.

Chapter 8 Idols have replaced Yahweh, but they cannot help. v. 1-3 Israel will beg for mercy, but judgement is decreed. v. 5-6 Jeroboam’s golden calf idols are specifically mentioned. (1 Kings 12:25-33)

Chapter 9 Israel will be taken captive by the Assyrians. v. 1-3 Bondage to Assyria is compared to bondage in Egypt. v. 16-17 Ephraim is defeated and God has cast them away. Chapter 10 Israel is an unfruitful vine. v. 1-2 Idolatry has destroyed Israel. v. 12 Even now,The Lord admonished them to repent.

Chapter 11 God’s plans will not be eternally thwarted for Israel. v. 1 God called Israel, His son, out of Egypt, as He would one day call Jesus. Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt 14 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." NIV v. 5 Assyria is again portrayed as type of Egypt. v. 9-12 Future mercy and redemption is spoken over Israel and Judah.

Chapter 12 Israel is both the name of a man and his descendants. v. 3-6 Israel/Ephraim is reminded of ’s encounter with God at Bethel. v. 10 God has spoken symbolically concerning Israel through His . v. 12-13 The Lord previously delivered Israel from bondage through a prophet.

Chapter 13 Idolatry is again condemned. v. 1-2 The golden calves as false gods are mentioned again. v. 4 There is no savior and no God but Yahweh. v. 9 Israel’s only hope is Yahweh. v. 14 God will yet resurrect Israel from their graves, and Paul quotes this. Hosea 3:14 I will deliver them out of the power of Hades, and will redeem them from death: where is thy penalty, O death? O Hades, where is thy sting? comfort is hidden from mine eyes. Septuagint Translation

1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." 55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" NIV

Chapter 14 The Lord calls Israel to return once again. v. 1-2 Israel will return to the Lord at His invitation. v. 3 They will one day repent for Idolatry and looking to others for help. v. 4 God will forgive their backsliding. v. 8 Ephraim will come to her senses and return to Yahweh. v. 9 The wise will be redeemed but transgressors will fall.

Traditional Author: Joel, the son of Pethuel.

Approximate Time of Writing: Unknown, but probably between the late 7th and early 5th centuries B.C. Some now believe that Joel postdates as the last OT book written.

General Content: Prophecy. He describes pending judgment on God’s people and their future restoration. Joel lived in Judah and also ministered before the fall of the Northern Kingdom. The specific date for his ministry is unknown, but it may have been earlier than Hosea’s. He called the people to repent and humble themselves before their God. His brief writings have strong Messianic content and many quotes from them appear in the NT. His ministry coincided with a severe locus plague that he portrayed prophetically as being symbolic of God’s pending judgment. Some have seen implications for the Christian church of the last days in patterns portrayed by the army of locusts.

Chapter 1 The locust plague. (See Deuteronomy 28:28&42) v. 4 Four different types of locusts are identified. Joel 1:4 What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten. HCSB

“Four species or stages of locusts, rather than four different insects, are meant. Literally, (1) the gnawing locust; (2) the swarming locust; (3) the licking locust; (4) the consuming locust; forming a climax to the most destructive kind. The last is often three inches long, and the two antennae, each an inch long. The two hinder of its six feet are larger than the rest, adapting it for leaping. The first “kind” is that of the locust, having just emerged from the egg in spring, and without wings. The second is when at the end of spring, still in their first skin, the locusts put forth little ones without legs or wings. The third, when after their third casting of the old skin, they get small wings, which enable them to leap the better, but not to fly. Being unable to go away till their wings are matured, they devour all before them, grass, shrubs, and bark of trees. The fourth kind, the matured winged locusts. The Hebrews make the first species refer to Assyria and Babylon; the second species, to Medo-Persia; the third, to Greco-Macedonia and Antiochus Epiphanes; the fourth, to the Romans. Though the primary reference be to literal locusts, the Holy Spirit doubtless had in view the successive empires which assailed Judea, each worse than its predecessor, Rome being the climax.” JFB Commentary v. 6 Although this is a locust plague, it’s also symbolic for the Day of the Lord. v. 13-15 The people are encouraged to turn to Yahweh for help. v. 19 Joel responds with prayer. Chapter 2 The plague symbolizes the Day of the Lord and maybe more. v. 1 The Lord calls for a battle trumpet, announcing the Day of the Lord. Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand; 2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. 3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. KJV v. 3-11 Many have suggested that these verses may be speaking of and describing God’s end time army of Christians in the Day of the Lord. Notice the unique language describing their behavior as having never previously been seen on earth, and the fact it will never be seen again. v. 12-17 This is a call for prayer and fasting for God’s favor to be applied. v. 18-24 The Lord responds with assurances of favor and restoration. v. 25 Joel reverses the order of the locusts from 1:4, restoring what was lost. v. 26 & 27 The Lord’s people will never be ashamed. v. 28-32 There is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit prophesied for all mankind that was partially fulfilled in Acts on the Day of Pentecost. Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. 32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call. KJV

Joel 2:32 And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; NIV

Acts 2:17 "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' NIV

Chapter 3 The Lord will come and restore the nation of Israel. v. 1 The Lord will return the previous captive Jews to Zion. v. 2 At that time, He will gather all Nations. v. 9-11a There is a call for war to the Gentiles, reversing the yet future 2:4. Isaiah 2:4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. NIV v. 11b “Bring down Your warriors there, Lord.” HCSB v. 14 The Day of the Lord and the Valley of Decision. v. 15 Oft repeated sign of darkness in the Day of the Lord. v. 16 A possible reference to earthquakes, also frequently associated with it. v. 18 This predicts a fountain that will flow from the Temple. Joel 3:17 "Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. 18 "In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD's house and will water the valley of acacias. NIV

Ezekiel 47:1 The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. 3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross.

Zechariah 14:8 On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter. 9 The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. NIV

Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. NIV v. 20-21 Joel ends with the restoration and security of Judah and Jerusalem.