In this message we will first give an introductory word and then begin to consider the symbol of a wife of harlotries.
In Hebrew Hosea, the original name of Joshua, means “salvation (of Jehovah),” denoting that Jehovah is the salvation (Num. 13:8, 16).
The time of Hosea’s ministry was 785-725 B.C., a period of sixty years.
The object of Hosea’s ministry was the adulterous and apostate kingdom of Israel. Adulterous refers to Israel’s condition, and apostate refers to Israel’s position. As to their condition they were adulterous; as to their position they were apostate. That was the situation of Israel as God’s wife.
The place of Hosea’s ministry was the northern kingdom of Israel. By the time of Hosea’s ministry, Israel had been divided into two kingdoms: the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.
The subject of the book of Hosea is Jehovah as the salvation to the adulterous and apostate Israel in receiving her back and restoring her. This book reveals that in spite of Israel’s adulterous condition and apostate position, Jehovah is willing to be salvation to her. Eventually, He will receive her back and restore her.
The central thought of this book is that regardless of how adulterous Israel is as the wife to Jehovah and how apostate Israel is as the people to Him, He still desires that she would return to Him. If she would return to Him, He would still receive her, bring her back, and restore her.
Israel was given up by God at the time of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and also later when Titus destroyed Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The children of Israel became desolate and homeless, wanderers among the nations. Although they have been somewhat established in the land of Palestine, God still has not received them back or restored them.
The book of Hosea reveals Christ in His first coming and in His second coming.
In His first coming Christ would be in union with Israel as the Son of God fleeing to Egypt and being called out of Egypt (11:1; cf. Matt. 2:13-15). This indicates that although Israel became exceedingly evil, Christ still became organically one with them through incarnation to be a real Israelite. Christ is the Son of God, and the Israelites were sons of God. Christ joined Himself to them in this matter of being sons of God. In His humanity He was a genuine Israelite.
In His second coming Christ will go forth as the dawn and come to Israel as the rain, as the latter rain which waters the earth (Hosea 6:3b; 10:12). At that time the people of Israel will be the earth watered by Christ as the rain.
The book of Hosea has three sections: a wife of harlotries (chs. 1—3); a people of apostasy (chs. 4—13); and the restoration of Israel (ch. 14).