[CS-FSLUG] TD: CS-BibleStudy: Hosea Chapter 1

[Jukka Y]

On Monday 16 August 2004 09:19, Timothy Butler wrote:
[snip]
> Icebreaker: Have you ever been called by God to do something difficult
> and perhaps didn't make the least bit of sense at the time? How did you
> respond?
I am not sure...but I think some difficult decisions I have made were at least 
inspired by what I felt was God's will.

> Study Questions:
> 1.) Why do you suppose that God wanted Hosea to live out, symbolically,
> the problems of Israel by marrying an adulterous wife and having
> unfaithful children (other prophets didn't have to do this!)?

I think God wanted to show symbolically what people were like when they sinned 
+ worshipped other gods and there were going to be a change in jewish history 
(assyrians attacked to a nothern part of jewish nation (israel) soon after 
that, taking them into exile - from which they have not returned since then).

> 2.) God says the people aren't His people but then, in verse 10
> indicates that will change and the people will become known as "Sons of
> the living God." What do you think this return to a relationship to God
> will be?
I believe it will be when jews accept that Jesus is their Messiah.

> 3.) Judah and Israel/Samara never reunified.  Yet this passage promises
> reunification. Do you think this refers symbolically to the removal of
> separation through faith in Jesus in the future (for them) or perhaps
> something still in the future -- perhaps an end times reunification?
I believe it refers the removal of separation through Jesus.

> 4.) Before starting study in Hosea, do you have any preexisting
> feelings toward this book of the Bible?
Only that I haven't read it much before.

Blessings,
Jukka