THE MINOR PROPHETS MAJOR   MINOR:     ISAIAH HOSEA JEREMIAH JOEL LAMENTATIONS AMOS EZEKIEL OBADIAH DANIEL JONAH   MICAH   NAHUM   HABAKKUK   ZEPHANIAH   HAGGAI   ZECHARIAH   MALACHI click here to view the Table of Dates for the Literary Prophets   PERIODS Early Assyrian   Assyrian   Chaldean   Post-Exile         Obadiah Amos Zephaniah Haggai Joel Hosea Nahum Zechariah Jonah Micah Habakkuk Malachi (BIBLICAL TIME SPAN REFERENCE BEGINS WITH 2 KINGS 14:23 AND GOES THROUGH EZRA AND NEHEMIAH)       IMPORTANT DATES B.C. Date   Event     932 -death of Solomon and dividing of kingdom -- 1 Kings 12:1-24 721 -Israel's exile 612 -fall of Ninevah 606 -battle at Carchemish, Babylon becomes dominant in the East 597 -fall of Jerusalem 486 -destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar 539 -Persian period begins 536 -decree by Cyrus, Zerubbabel returns 520 -Haggai and Zechariah stir up people to resume work on temple 516 -temple completed and dedicated 457 -return by Ezra 445 -Nehemiah rebuilds the walls of Jerusalem ASSIGNMENTS NECESSARY TO UNDERSTAND EACH BOOK UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL BACKGROUND AND THE TIMES IN WHICH EACH PROPHET SPOKE. UNDERSTAND WHY THE PROPHET WAS CALLED BY GOD TO SPEAK. SINCE THE DATES OF OBADIAH, JOEL AND JONAH ARE SOMEWHAT UNCERTAIN, WE WILL STUDY THEM FIRST, BECAUSE THEY REALLY SEEM TO FIT IN THE EARLY-ASSYRIAN PERIOD OF TIME -- BETWEEN 845 B.C AND 800 B.C. NOTE THE CHART COPIED FROM HAILEY'S BOOK ON THE MINOR PROPHETS FOR DATE AND PERIOD INFORMATION. HOSEA = "SALVATION" OUTLINE OF HOSEA Israel's adultery, chs. 1-3 Hosea and Gomer -- Jehovah and Israel: Israel the adulteress and her children, 1:2-2:1. The prophet's marriage to Gomer by divine command, and the three children who are given prophetic names, 1:2-9. Hosea charged to take a wife of "whoredom," vv. 2-3. Jezreel symbolizing the overthrow of Jehu's dynasty, vv. 4-5. Lo-ruhamah -- Jehovah will no more have mercy upon Israel, vv. 6-7. Lo-ammi -- the utter rejection of Israel, vv. 8-9. Restoration of children of Judah and Israel, 1:10-2:1 Chastisement of idolatrous Israel, conversion, and final restoration, 2:2-23. The threat of punishment, vv. 2-13. Condemnation of sinful conduct, vv. 2-7. Punishment more fully developed, vv. 8-13. Conversion and final restoration, vv. 14-23. The promise of their conversion, vv. 14-17. The renewal of a covenant and mercies, vv. 18-23. The prophet's second symbolic marriage, ch. 3. The symbolic action of the prophet, vv. 1-3. The application to Israel, vv. 4-5. Prophetic discourses: The ungodliness of Israel and its inevitable punishment, chs. 4-13. Jehovah's controversy with Israel, chs. 4-6. The controversy: over the national guilt, ch. 4. Moral corruption in everyday life, vv. 1-5. Lack of knowledge -- failure of the priests, vv. 6-10. Immoral religious practices, vv. 11-14. Ephraim joined to his idols -- but let Judah be warned, vv. 15-19. Corruption in all phases of life, ch. 5. Guilt of priests, people, and princes, vv. 1-7. Judgment must follow -- all to suffer the consequences; destruction slow, but sure, vv. 8-15. Insincerity -- an abomination before Jehovah, ch. 6. Israel's return, but without heartfelt repentance, vv. 1-3. Jehovah is not deceived -- there is no sorrow for sin on Israel's part, vv. 4-11. Israel's corrupt political condition and consequence, chs. 7-8. The national government internally -- moral degradation and anarchy, 7:1-7. The nation's corrupt foreign policy -- her appeal to foreign nations is to end in destruction, 7:8-16. Judgment -- national corruption and its consequences, ch. 8. Judgment has become inevitable -- idolatry is an abomination: as have sown, so shall reap, vv. 1-7. Appeals to the nations will not save Israel, vv. 8-10. Multiplied idolatry -- its harvest: condemnation and judgment, vv. 11-14. Israel's religious and oral apostasy -- its punishment, exile, and destruction, chs. 9-11. The degeneracy of Israel and ruin of its kingdom, ch. 9. The apostasy and its punishment: exile, vv. 1-9 As God found Israel and as they became, vv. 10-17 Guilt in rebellion against God, ch. 10. The built and the imminent destruction, vv. 1-8. Puppet kings and puppet gods, vv. 1-3. Their righteousness now becomes poison, vv. 4-5. Assyria is now named, the instrument of judgment, vv. 6-7. The terror of the judgment, v. 8. Israel's persistence in rebellion, vv. 9-15. Jehova's love for prodigal Israel vs. Israel's ingratitude, ch. 11. Israel's ingratitude (back to Israel's history a third time, see 9:10; 10:9; 11:1), vv. 1-7. Love vs. ingratitude, vv. 1-4. Ingratitude demands punishment, vv. 5-7. Deserved utter destruction -- but love of God tempers judgment with mercy, vv. 8-11. Israel's apostasy and God's fidelity, chs. 12-13. Israel's degeneracy into Canaanitish ways, 11:12-12:14. Worldliness -- Ephraim deceitful; Judah unsteadfast, 11:12-12:6. Faithlessness of Ephraim brings punishment on all posterity, 11:12-12:2. Example of forefather should have led to faithfulness, vv. 3-6. But Israel has become Canaan, 12:7-14. Israel's deep fall, ch. 13. Idolatry, the basis of Israel's destruction, vv. 1-8. Idolatry, the curse, vv. 1-3. Jehovah, their benefactor and judge, vv. 4-8. Distrust in Jehovah -- this was the destruction of Israel, vv. 9-16. Israel's conversion and pardon, ch. 14. God's grace once more to those who turn to Him, vv. 1-8. Call to repentance, vv. 1-3. The promise of healing, vv. 4-8. Epilogue, v. 9 -- Israel cries to Jehovah; He hears their cry and responds by an outpouring of rich blessings. (Taken from Hailey's "The Minor Prophets" ) . QUESTIONS COVERING HOSEA 1. During the days of what kings of Judah did Hosea prophecy?   2. Who was the king of Judah at this time?   3. What was the condition of Israel at the time Hosea prophesied?   4. What was Hosea commanded to do?   5. What word depicted the spiritual condition of Israel at this time? Why did God choose that word?   6. Whom did Hosea chose for a wife? Who were the two sons and daughter of Hosea and what do their names mean?   7. What do vv. 10-11, predict?   8. What does the word "Ammi" mean? (2:1). What does the word "Ruhaman" mean?   9. In 2:2-7, a narrative is given of the wife who plays the harlot. What does God intend to convey to Israel by this narrative?   10. Of whom is God speaking in vv. 8-13. What does He promise He will do to her?   11. Then in vv. 14-20, what does God promise He will do?   12. When this time is fulfilled, what will she call God (v. 16)? What does that mean?   13. To what will He betroth her? (vv. 19-20)   14. V. 21, affirms that "in that day" something would happen? What does God promise in vv. 21-23?   15. What was Hosea commanded to do again? (3:1)   16. What analogy is drawn from commanded action to Hosea and God's dealings with Israel?   17. Is it wrong to love cakes of raisins?   18. What price did Hosea pay for Gomer? What does the price say about the value of Gomer?   19. How was Gomer to act toward Hosea after being bought?   20. How was Israel to act toward God after being repurchased by Him?   21. Why did God have a controversy with the land of Israel? (4:1-2)   22. What would happen to the land as a result of what God had found in it?   23. Explain v. 6.   24. What takes away understanding?   25. Where do God's people ask counsel? What does that mean? (v. 12)   26. How extensive was their idolatry?   27. What two animals serve as the basis for an analogy in v. 16? In what way do they serve to illustrate God's point?   28. In chapter 5 God rebukes Israel's apostasy. Why does He mention both Ephraim and Israel?   29. Because of their whoredom, they will stumble but when they go to seek God, they will not be able to find Him. Why not? (vv. 3-6)   30. What does God mean by "now shall the new moon devour them with their fields"?   31. Where was the cornet and trumpet to be sounded?   32. The princes of Judah were like those who removed the landmark. Why was it bad to remove the landmark?   33. Because Ephraim was content to walk in man's commandments, God said He would be to them like what?   34. When Ephraim saw his sickness and Judah his wound, where did they turn for help? Was this of any real benefit?   35. God said He would not be available unto them until they did what?   36. To what was the goodness of Ephraim and Judah likened? Why?   37. What does God mean in v. 6? Did God not require sacrifices? Was He removing that demand from the law for Israel?   38. How was Israel defiled?   39. What was it that God remembered? (7:1-2)   40. God uses a figure of an oven heated in vv. 4-7. What lesson is He teaching by that figure?   41. Is Ephraim aware of his loss of strength and the growth of gray hairs?   42. How was Ephraim like a silly dove?   43. With what did God want them to cry unto Him? (v. 14) -- explain and elaborate.   44. What is the "rage of their tongue?" (v. 16)   45. Why was God coming against the house of Israel? (8:1)   46. Had God set up the kings of Israel?   47. What would be broken in pieces? What is its origin?   48. When they sow the wind, what shall they reap? What does this expression mean?   49. Into what nation does Hosea prophecy that Israel will go? Their being carried away was likened unto what? (v. 9)   50. What had Israel forgotten? (v. 14)   51. Explain how they had "loved hire upon every grain floor." (9:1)   52. To what place would Ephraim return? Explain the significance of that place.   53. Where would they eat unclean food?   54. Hosea said that Israel had corrupted themselves as in the days of ______________? What does this mean? (v. 9)   55. God said He found Israel like what? (v. 10)   56. What did they do when they came to Baal-peor?   57. What can Ephraim expect from God as a result of abominable behavior?   58. To what does God liken Israel in 10:1? What does He seek to convey by that figure?   59. Did they have respect for covenants?   60. Judgment would spring up as what? (v. 4) Explain this figure.   61. Why would the thorn and thistle come up on their altars?   62. How are they to sow and what will they reap? (v. 12)   63. How had they plowed and reaped? (v. 13)   64. Though God cared for Israel and loved him as a child, how had Israel responded? (11:1-2)   65. God specifically says that they will not return to Egyptian bondage but to what place?   66. Would God give them up totally?   67. How will they return to Him? (vv. 8-11)   68. How does God describe Ephraim's attempts to protect himself (12:1)   69. What two things does God remember about Jacob as the original ancestor of Israel? Why does he remember these things?   70. What is Israel encouraged to do in v. 6?   71. Though Israel thought of himself as rich, God said he would cause them to dwell in what?   72. By what did God bring Israel out of Egypt and preserve them?   73. How abundant were the idols at this time? (13:1-2)   74. What four figures did God employ to convey the brevity of Israel's security?   75. What animal figures does God use to convey His readiness to destroy Israel?   76. How severe will be God's destruction upon Samaria? (13:15-16)   77. What does God encourage Israel to do in ch. 14:1-2.   78. Can Assyria save them?   79. Upon what basis would God's anger be turned away?   80. Whose ways are always right? Who shall walk in them?

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