End times Bible Prophecy | Hosea | Day of the Lord
Context:
Hosea was a contemporary of Amos in Israel, and of Isaiah and Micah in Judah, and his ministry continued after the first Assyrian captivity of the northern kingdom. When Hosea began his ministry, Israel was enjoying a temporary period of political and economic prosperity under Jeroboam II. One would have not thought that the end was near. Jeroboam II reigned from 793-753 B.C. (II King 14:23-29) and he was a strong ruler. Before the accession of Jeroboam, the situation had been quite a different one. Because of the military attack by Assyria, far to the east and Syria to the immediate north, Israel had been brought to abject humiliation. Recoveries from this low state had begun with Jeroboam’s father Jehoash.
The prosperity led to a widespread feeling of pride and Lord announces a disaster over them. When prosperity increased, wrong and degrading social and moral conditions developed in the society (Hos. 9:1-10). Extreme poverty also existed along with the wealthy; the strong took advantage of week (Hos. 12:7). Religious conditions were not any better; the pagan cult of Baal had a strong following. Apparently, ritual prostitution was still practiced (Hos. 4:10-18). So Hosea went on courageously and spoke out strongly against the evils of the day and pronounced the judgment of God upon Israel.
Reference:
In that day I will make a covenant for them, With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air, And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth, To make them lie down safely. Hosea 2: 18 (NKJV)
Message:
Apparently, the message of Hosea concerning the Day of the Lord is a peaceful one where not only will Israel be reconciled with God but other nations also will have peace on earth. Yahweh will make a covenant with all the creatures of the earth. Also the bow the sword, the two main weapons of Hosea’s day will be abolished so that all may live in safety.
In above verses it seems that Hosea tried to present the ‘Day’ as a peaceful day, but a closer study of Hosea 1:5 gives another picture.
It shall come to pass in that day, That I will break the bow of Israel in the “Valley of Jezreel.” Hosea 1:5 (NKJV)
The bow was a symbol of power in his days and it was a principle instrument of warfare. Thus broken bows symbolize the loss of power. Israel’s bow would be broken in the ‘valley of Jezreel’. The prediction here is that this valley would see a significant stage in Israel’s final defeat. Thus Hosea preaches about the doom of that day, a day when Yahweh will judge His people in his fury.
Lesson:
God used a unique method in delivering the message to Israel through Hosea. He was instructed by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. So he finds his domestic life to be an accurate and tragic picture of the spiritual unfaithfulness of God’s people.
Hosea has real compassion for his people because of his understanding of God’s grief over Israel’s sin through his personal suffering because of Gomer.
When the Word of God exhorts us to have the attitude of Christ, it may even be at the cost of our personal life. If we look at Hosea as an outsider, we may think that he has wasted his life for no reason. But when looked at through the eyes of God, his life was extremely meaningful because it signified God’s love for His people in spite of their spiritual adultery.
The ‘Day of the Lord’ is near and God will judge the earth. But today He wants us to take the message of compassion and salvation to the nations. He wants that our very own lives may be a picture of Jesus’ love.
Are you ready to pay the cost? Only a person who pays the cost is the disciple of Jesus.
Written By: Jobenson
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