Breaking up the fallow ground Hosea 10:12
The life and times of the prophet Hosea
The prophet Hosea is known as the first of the minor prophets. Minor in this context means that his prophetic book was comparitively small compared to major prophets such as Isaiah or Jeremiah. However Hosea and his fellow minor prophets brought major messages to God's covenant people. Hosea lived in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8th century BC.
Hosea means literally 'salvation'. The book of Hosea is found in the old testament between the books of Daniel and Joel.
The book of Hosea chapters 1-3 tell Hosea’s harrowing personal story
God told him to marry Gomer a promiscuous woman and raise children.
Hosea had even to buy her back from her lover.
Their third child a boy had a name something like ‘my daddy is not my daddy.’
Hosea keenly felt the pain and rejection of loving an unfaithful covenant breaking wife.
God keenly felt the pain and rejection of loving an unfaithful covenant breaking people.
Hosea identified with God’s breaking heart [1] over the sin of his people.
Our sin breaks God’s heart.
God’s tender love and mercy towards his people pours out of the book of Hosea.
Hosea chapters 4-14 give the prophetic message of Hosea to Israel
The land was filled with corruption amongst its rulers.
Families were unstable and immorality was widely accepted.
Society was divided and poverty was rife.
Idolatry was on the rise and the religious leaders had no answers.
Sound familiar? Could this be your country today?
In Part 3 we will begin study the text of Hosea 10:12 to understand how to break up the fallow ground in our hearts.
Footnotes