The MAJOR & MINOR Prophets - The 16 Writing Prophets Of The Hebrew Canon

prophecies. ´:KHUH $PRV WKXQGHUV RI WKH ZUDWK ZKLFK PXVW IROORZ ,VUDHO·V EUHDNLQJ RI *RG·V ODZV Hosea feels the whole tragedy as one of unfaithfulness and disloyalt \ LQ WKH IDFH RI *RG·V XQFKDQJLQJ ORYHµ - % 3KLOOLSV 3 ). +RVHD KDV EHHQ FDOOHG ´WKH SURSKHW RI WKH EURNHQ KHDUW µ D Y ery apt description that also describes both the heart and holiness of God: a dedicated heart will bring restoration of righteousness in those who are in rebellion. 4 What a story!

The story really starts in the heart of God and then is implanted in the heart of a prophet who can be His spokesman DQG D OLYLQJ SDUDEOH RI ,VUDHO·V VSLULWXDO FRQGLWLRQ $Q DSW description of the sorry moral and spiritual climate would be ´7KLV ZKROH FRXQWU\ KDV EHFRPH D ZKRUHKRXVHµ title given in The Message 5 for chapter 1). Seemingly at first this is a most extreme indictment, but nevertheless true of the national condition. How could God address this tragic situation? The Actual Story God chose a prophet who not only could speak clearly and forcefully to the situation, but who would actually portray in real life the heart, agony, and righteousness of God. Hosea was told to marry a wife that God knew would be unfaithful to him, illustrating that God will tolerate no rival.

:H PXVW SDXVH KHUH WR SRLQW RXW WKDW WKH H[SUHVVLRQ ´WDNH \RXUVHOI D ZLIH RI KDUORWU\µ 1.- or the blunt statement of The Message ´)LQG D ZKRUH DQG PDUU\ KHUµ +RVHD , is challenged by a number of scholars. That is, although the woman later did indeed become a promiscuous woman, a harlot, there has been considerable difference among Bible commentators about the nature of the marriage. One strong argument is that Hose D·V PLQLVWU\ ZRXOG KDYH EHHQ ´VKDWWHUHGµ LI KH KDG married an unchaste woman (Lev 21:7; cf. 2 Cor 6:14). Leon J. Wood reviews in his commentary four principal types of interpretation. 6 He chooses ´WKH SUROHSWLF YLHZµ ´*RPHU ZDV \HW SXUH DW WKH WLPH of the marriage and became adulterous only later µ :DOWHU & .DLVHU -U ZHOO -known Old Testament scholar, agrees with this interpretation and gives a thorough discussion of the Hebrew text. 7 Gleason + $UFKHU DOVR DJUHHV VD\LQJ ´«ZKHQ *RG KDG HQFRXUDJHG KLP WR PDUU\ *RPHU«ZKR +H IRUHNQHZ would be unfaithful to Hosea after he had married her, this amounted to a divine directive to marry D KDUORW µ 8 -RKQ 0DF$UWKXU FRPPHQWV ´,W DSSHDUV EHVW WR VHH *RPHU DV FKDVWH DW WKH WLPH RI PDUULDJH to Hosea, only lat HU KDYLQJ EHFRPH DQ LPPRUDO ZRPDQ 7KH ZRUGV ¶WDNH \RXUVHOI D ZLIH RI KDUORWU\· DUH WR EH XQGHUVWRRG SUROHSWLFDOO\ L H ORRNLQJ WR WKH IXWXUH µ 9 Hosea married Gomer, and their marriage produced three children, all with extremely gloomy --but prophetically significant--names: 3 Phillips, Four Prophets (NY: The Macmillan Company, 1963), p. 28. 4 See G. Campbell Morgan, Hosea: The Heart and Holiness of God (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974 Reprint), Chapter 1. 5 Eugene H. Peterson, The Message. 6 Wood, pp. 278-280. 7 Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Hard Sayings of the Old Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1988), Chapter 62. In contrast, another well-known OT VFKRODU - %DUWRQ 3D\QH VD\V ³*RG LQ +LV ZLVGRP VDZ ILW WR RYHUUXOH +LV XVXDO VWDQGDUG WKDW ZRXOG KDYH SURKLELWHG WKH PDUUL age of His servant to an XQJRGO\ SDUWQHU«IRU WKH VDNH RI UHYHODWLRQ 7KH YHU\ HQRUPLW\ RI +RVHD¶V VLWXDWLRQ LV ZKDW GULYHV KRPH WKH WKHPH RI *RG¶V XQGLYRUFHDEOH concern for

WKH XQZRUWK\ ´ Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1973), p. 394. 8 Gleason H. Archer, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982), p. 294. 9 John MacArthur, author & gen. ed., The MacArthur Study Bible (Thomas Nelson, 1982), p. 1252. 34