Seeking the Merciful God Preaching the Book of Hosea Austin Sermon Seminar 2013

Frameworks Narrative Wisdom Prophetic self-definition

The Roles of the Prophets  Warning Israel (slaying and lacerating; 6:5; 12:11; cf. Amos 3:7)  Standing watch for Israel (9:8)  Delivering Israel (12:14)  But these roles can go awry (4:5; 9:7)

The Actors: The King  Named rulers (1:1)  No king or dying king (3:4-5; 10:3 [?], 7, 15)  Malfeasant king (5:1; 7:3, 5, 7; 8:10)  King of Assyria (5:13; 10:6; 11:5)

The Actors: The King Where, where is your king, The one rescuing you in all your cities, Your judges about whom you said, “Give me a king and nobles”? I gave you a king in my anger, And I took away in my wrath. (Hosea 13:10-11)

The Actors: Assyria

The Assyrian King Worships His Gods From the British Museum

The Hunt The Assyrian King in His Might

Settings and Contexts XII 8 th century books AmosMicahHosea Later books Others

Endings of the XII Prophets  Hosea – מי חכם plus oracle of salvation  Joel – oracle of salvation for end  Amos – oracle of salvation  Obadiah – oracle of salvation  Jonah – question about salvation  Micah – מי אל כמוך plus oracle of salvation

Endings of the XII Prophets  Nahum – oracle of doom for Assyria, which equals an oracle of salvation for Israel  Habaqquq – praise in response to salvific act  Zephaniah – promise of salvation  Haggai – oracle of salvation re Zerubbabel  Zechariah – oracle of salvation  Malachi – call to obey Torah of Moses and heed Elijah the prophet (fit ending for XII? Bracketed with end of Hosea???)

Seeking the Merciful God Preaching the Book of Hosea Austin Sermon Seminar 2013

Possible Structures of Hosea 4-14 Modern ProposalMedieval Proposal 4:1-34:1-6:11 4:4-5:74:1-19 4:4-195:1-7 5:1-75:8-6:11 5:8-9:97:1-14:1 5:8-6:67:1-12 6:7-7:167:13-8:14 8:1-149:1-9 9:1-99: :10-11:119:17 9: :1-8 10:1-810:9-11:11 10:9-1512:1-13:11 11:1-1113:12-14:1 12:1-14:1014:2-8 12:1-1514: :1-14:1All verses follow the Hebrew numbering 14:2-9 14:10