Connecting with the Eternal

Context

Hosea's ministry was between 755-715BC and it started near the end of the reign of King Jeroboam II (793-753BC). 2 Kings 14:23-29. Hosea's ministry saw five (5) kings of Northern Israel come and go, and after King Jeroboam II, Hosea's would warn the people and four more kinds of Northern Israel, they being: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

After the long and prosperous reign of King Jeroboam II ended, there was a lot of political turmoil, and Northern Israel rapidly destabilizaed. The kings of Northern Israel after King Jeroboam II are:

• Zechariah, son of Jeroboam II, reigned for 6 months, 753BC, 2 Kings 15:8-12
• Shallum, an userper to the throne (was assassinated by Menahem), reigned for 1 month, 753BC, 2 Kings 15:13-15
• Menahem, extremely brutal king, was the first king to formally submit to Assyria and paid a heavy tribute to Pul (Tiglath-Pileser III), reigned for 10 years, 752-742BC, 2 Kings 15:16-22
• Pekahiah, son of Menahem, continued the sins of Jeroboam I, and was assassinated by Pekah, onf of Pekahiah's military officers, reigned for 2 years, 742-740BC, 2 Kings 15:23-26
• Pekah, strongly anti-Assysrian, formed alliance with Syria (Damascus), attached Judah, and Assyria retaliated for forming the alliance with Syria (Damascus) and annexed much of Norther Israel's territory, reigned for 20 years, 752-732BC, 1 Kings 15:27-31, 2 Kings 16:5, Isaiah 7:1-9
• Hoshea, last king of Northern Israel (aka Samaria, Ephraim). Hoshea was installed as king of Northern Israel by Assyria, Northern Israel becomes a vassal to Assyria. Hoshea later led a rebellion by appealing to Egypt, which ultimately led to the fall of Northern Israel, reigned for 9 years, 732-722BC, 2 Kings 15:30, 2 Kings 17:1-6, 2 Kings 18:9-12

Other prophets that God sends to Northern Israel include Amos, Isaiah, and Micah. Amos prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, and prophesied of the impending judgement and collapse of Northern Israel: Amos 7:9-11, 8:2-3, 9:1. Isaiah mentions Pekah and Hoshea contextually in: Isaiah 7:1-9, 8:4, 10:9-11, 28:1-4. Micah addresses Northern Israel's corruption near its fall in 722BC: Micah 1:1, 1:5-7, 6:16. However, the warnings to the tribes of Northern Israel are 'antitypes' of what is occuring today in the time we are living in at the moment and God's people in this time (January 2026) should study the Bible and be led to the convicion of this antitype.

The dominant geo-political power of that time was the Neo-Assysrian Empire, and Hosea's ministry was during the time of Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727BC), Shalmaneser V (727-722BC), and Sargon II (722-705BC). Northern Israel (aka Ephraim) was conquered by Shalmaneser V at the end of his reign, and Sargon II at the beginning of his reign.

Northern Israel ast this time was deepend involved in: Baal worship (aka fertility cults), Asherah worship, high places and calf worship at Bethel and Dan (from Jeroboam II), and corrupt priesthood. Hosea frames all of these types of 'worships' as signs of: spiritual heresy, covenant unfaithfulness, a broken marraige between God and Israel.

Hosea, as God's messenger, had a very specific message at this time to Northern Israel which was: the possibility of salvation was still open, if only the nation would turn from idolatry and back to God.

As we know, Northern Israel, despite God's appeals and warnings through His prophets, did not return to God and in 722BC, the Assyrian Empire conquired Northern Israel. At this point, the Israelites, comprising of 9 tribes, were taken out of their country, and transplanted to very far lands, and other people would be transplanted in the territory of Northern Israel.

Hosea repeatedly echoed a threefold message: 1) God abhors the sins of His people, 2) judgement is certain, and 3) God's loyal love stands firm.

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.

2 The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.

3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.

4 And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.

5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.

6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel

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