Hosea - January 12

Traditions & Legends about Hosea


      Many centuries before Hosea, there lived the patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. If you recall, Jacob ended up being tricked into marrying Leah, the elder sister, when he loved Rachel, the younger. He was allowed to marry Rachel also (this was not a time when monogamy was the rule). Both of his wives, in their jealousy of each other, also gave him their slaves to bear him children, who would also be regarded as their own. Between the four women, Jacob had twelve sons and at least one daughter. Jacob, the older of two sons born to Rachel, was his favorite. He incurred anger when he told of a dream involving the sun, moon and eleven stars, (representing his parents and brothers) in which he was the one they all bowed down to.
     The non-biblical stories tell that during Rachel’s lifetime, Jacob had always kept her couch in his tent. After Rachel’s death, he told Reuben to put Bilhah’s couch in his tent. (Bilhah had been Rachel’s slave, whom she had given to Jacob to bear children on her behalf). Reuben was angry, feeling that his mother’s rights had been curtailed by Rachel and now even after her death was causing her annoyance. So he placed his mother’s couch in Abraham’s tent. Asher (son of Jacob with Leah’s slave) found out about it and told his brothers. The brothers were angry with Asher for being an informer, and would have nothing to do with him until Reuben himself confessed his transgressions.
     Reuben realized he had acted badly toward his father, so he fasted, put on sackcloth and repented of his misdeed. In this tradition, he was the “first” among humans to do penance and the story says that God acknowledged that he was the first and that a descendent of his, Hosea, would be the first to proclaim, “O Israel, return.”
     It was after this that the brothers determined upon killing their brother, Joseph. But, says this tradition, as the eldest, Reuben knew he’d be held responsible. Also, since his disrespect for Jacob, he had felt himself unworthy to be considered one of his sons, so was grateful to Joseph for having counted him among the sons of Jacob in the dream of the sun, moon, and stars. He tried to dissuade his brothers from murder, then proposed throwing him into a pit, for he planned to go back and rescue him. He hoped he might thus be pardoned for what he had done against Jacob. When he returned, the brothers had sold Joseph as a slave. Yet he was rewarded for his good deeds and intentions. The city of Bezer in the tribe of Reuben was the first of the cities appointed to safeguard the life of the innocent seeking help. Also God told Reuben that as he was the first to try to restore a child to his father, so his descendent, Hosea, would be the first to try to lead Israel back to his heavenly father.”
      Another tradition about Hosea is that he was the eldest of the prophets Hosea, Amos and Isaiah. That he was son of the prophet and prince, Beeri, who was carried away as a captive by Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria. Beeri’s prophecies only remain in two verses preserved by Isaiah.  (The book of Hosea does cite his father's name as Beeri).
     The story given for Hosea’s peculiar marriage says that when God spoke to Hosea about the sins of Israel, Hosea was expected to defend of excuse his people. Instead, Hosea suggested the great God of the universe should choose another people, instead of Israel. So to teach Hosea about the relationship of God’s people with God, Hosea was ordered to marry a woman with a dubious past.
     After they had been married and she had borne him several children, God asked Hosea why he had stayed married, (after all, Moses had denied himself the joys of family life after a call to prophecy.) And Hosea said he couldn’t send her away nor divorce her after she had borne him children. God answered saying that if he could act so with a wife with whom he couldn’t even be sure the children were his, how could God separate from Israel “My children,” the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hosea asked for pardon and God said he should instead pray for the welfare of Israel.
      Hosea is said to have died at Babylon at a time when a journey to Palestine was perilous Because he wanted his remains to rest in sacred ground, he asked that when he died his bier be loaded upon a camel and to let the animal make its way as best it could, then bury his body wherever it stopped. Without a single misfortune the animal arrived at Safed where it stopped still in the Jewish cemetery of the town. So Hosea was buried there.
     One tradition says that Hosea prophesied for ninety years

Regarding the non-Biblical stories:


     While neither the bible nor scholars see Hosea as the first of the prophets (there were prophets such as Elijah, Nathan, etc. who prophesied first), and Amos may have been slightly earlier than Hosea, the dates are often approximate. Among the prophet whose writings/sayings are preserved in books bearing their names, Hosea was among the earliest. And since the earlier prophets spoke more to kings and individuals, perhaps it might be loosely said that Hosea, Amos and Isaiah were the first to prophesy to the nation as a whole.
      While the legends and traditions passed down outside the Bible may be only stories, some certainly may contain aspects of history and ruth. These stories support a sense that can be gained in studying the biblical book of Hosea—that he was also on a spiritual learning journey about God. Both the book of Hosea and the traditions tell of the unbreakable relationship of God with the people. God was unhappy with their behavior and threatened ending the relationship, yet this never happened. By inference, the message of hope that comes to all people of faith today is that the same fierce spiritual connection is sometimes challenged by human behavior, but cannot be severed. Or, as a modern voice as put it: God loves you, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”


Historical Background:
     In 734 b.c. Israel and Syria, who had previously been long-term enemies, now joined together against Assyria. They tried to force Judah (the southern Hebrew kingdom) to join them. When Judah wouldn’t do this, they attacked the country and besieged Jerusalem. Who do you go to for support against your enemy? You go to the enemy of your enemy, so decided Judah. In this case, it was the Assyrians, who were happy to get involved. All three nations, Syria, Israel and Judah lost out in the struggle. These events are described biblically in 2 Kings 16:5-9 and in Isaiah 7.
     Hosea (of Israel, the northern kingdom) and Isaiah (of Judah, the southern kingdom) both had words about the situation. Though on opposite political “sides,” they say basically the same thing – that playing with worldly powers and politics is no way to solve their nations’ problems. If, on the other hand, they were to get their relationship straight with God, then the politics would take care of themselves. For Hosea and Isaiah, Assyria wasn’t the real enemy, but God might use Assyria to teach both Israel and Judah some lessons.
     In the fifth chapter of Hosea, there is statements of judgement on the royal house and the religious leaders. The people themselves are idolaters. They have looked to other powers for help and so are facing ruin. This section concludes with a statement that God will abandon them until they learn their lesson and come looking for God. Perhaps suffering itself will bring them to their senses.
     The sixth and seventh chapters include words about the false confidence of the people who are, apparently taking this too lightly. They say words about return to God, but it is not deep-rooted. They think their evil will be ignored. Even more than rituals and words, God wants faithful love and honest relationship. The chapter goes on to outline some of the regretful history of sin and unfaithfulness. The seventh chapter, in particular contains a number of metaphors that the scholars sometimes haggle over, but the main thrust of it remains the wrong choices of the people and their leaders who are basically stewing in a broth of their own devising. And instead of turning to the one who actually can help them, they continue going to powers such as Egypt or Assyria. Even when they say they are turning to God, they don’t do it the way they should; instead they worship as if they were following Ba’al.