Hosea 1:1
The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
The verse names the prophet as Hosea, the son of Beeri, whose name means salvation, and places his ministry in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Joash of Israel. He was the last of the great prophets of the northern kingdom, contemporary with Isaiah in Judah and Amos in Israel, with his chief burden for Ephraim, the ten tribes. The message he bore was the word of the Lord spoken through a human instrument, confronting backsliding, idolatry, and departure from God as adultery. It warns of coming captivity and wicked alliances while pleading with tender entreaty, exposing the danger of mixing righteousness with sin and heaven with the world.
Prophet, Time, and Place
The prophet is Hosea, the son of Beeri, whose identity is known only through his father's name. His name means salvation.
His ministry came in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, or Jeroboam II, king of Israel. Knowing when a prophet lived helps readers understand the historical condition of Israel during his work.
The prophecy was written about 750 B.C., though the dating of his work is uncertain. Chronologists place its opening chapters around 785 or 748 B.C. and chapters 4-14 around 734 B.C.
He was contemporary with Isaiah, who prophesied in Judah, and with Amos, who prophesied in Israel. He lived about 200 years before Daniel.
He was the last of the great prophets of the northern kingdom. He likely belonged to Judah, though his chief prophetic burden concerned Ephraim, the name used for the ten tribes. The evil of the kings in that period accounts for the intensity of his style.
Message, Meaning, and Warning
The message given to Hosea was the word of the Lord, and Hosea served as the human instrument through whom God spoke. His message came as the word of the Lord, with God speaking through him.
The verse introduces a prophetic record whose burden is backsliding Israel. That burden includes Israel's backsliding, idolatry, and departure from God, which are represented as adultery. The first three chapters use Hosea's family as a figure of Israel's unfaithfulness to the God who had claimed and loved them. The children's names show the consequences of continued apostasy. Jezreel recalls the bloodshed connected with Naboth's vineyard and the later slaughter of Ahab's descendants, Lo-ruhamah signifies that mercy would be withdrawn from Israel, and Lo-ammi signifies that Israel would no longer be acknowledged as God's people.
The prophecy warns of the coming captivity and against wicked alliances. At the same time it offers hopeful remonstrance, tender expostulation, and earnest entreaty, with some prophecy of the future. During this period Hosea delivered a forceful message against the wickedness of both kingdoms, exposing their departure from God, idolatry, disobedience, and sin.
The chapter shows the danger of mixing righteousness with sin and heaven with the world. In that era Israel was rebuked for idolatry and for wearing jewelry as a sign of apostasy.