Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

BOB – Hosea

by Stephen Rodgers

HOSEA IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Prophet’s marriage to prostitute reflects God’s relationship to Israel.”

TITLE

Like almost all the other prophetic books, the book of Hosea takes its name from the prophet respon­si­ble for its con­tent.

Per the MSB:

The title is derived from the main character and author of the book. The meaning of his name, “salvation,” is the same as that of Joshua (cf. Num. 13:8,16) and Jesus (Matt. 1:21). Hosea is the first of the 12 Minor Prophets. “Minor” refers to the brevity of the prophecies, as compared to the length of the works of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

While not all commentators automatically agree that Hosea personally wrote the book that bears his name (see for example, the NIVSB), Constable sees no reason to doubt it:

The prophet’s name is the title of the book. The book claims to be the word of the Lord that Hosea received (Hos. 1:1). Thus he appears to have been the writer.

The MSB gives us more background on Hosea, although honestly, there’s not much available:

The book of Hosea is the sole source of information about the author. Little is known about him, and even less about his father, Beeri (Hos. 1:1). Hosea was probably a native of the northern kingdom of Israel, since he shows familiarity with the history, circumstances, and topography of the north (cf. Hos. 4:15; 5:1,13; 6:8,9; 10:5; 12:11,12; 14:6). This would make him and Jonah the only writing prophets from the northern kingdom. Although he addressed both Israel (the northern kingdom) and Judah (the southern kingdom), he identified the king of Israel as “our king” (Hos. 7:5).

The original audience of Hosea’s oral message would have been the northern kingdom of Israel. After they were overrun, his words would have been preserved as a prophetic warning of judgment, a call to repentance, and a promise of restoration.

DATE

The MSB gives the standard conservative position on the dating of Hosea:

Hosea had a lengthy period of ministry, prophesying ca. 755–710 B.C., during the reigns of Uzziah (790–739 B.C.), Jotham (750–731 B.C.), Ahaz (735–715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (715–686 B.C.) in Judah, and Jeroboam II (793–753 B.C.) in Israel (Hos. 1:1). His long career spanned the last 6 kings of Israel from Zechariah (753–752 B.C.) to Hoshea (732–722 B.C.). The overthrow of Zechariah (the last of the dynasty of Jehu) in 752 B.C. is depicted as yet future (Hos. 1:4). Thus he followed Amos’ preaching in the north, and was a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah as well, both of whom prophesied in Judah. Second Kings 14–20 and 2 Chronicles 26–32 record the historical period of Hosea’s ministry.

Constable gives some additional information as well as illuminating a number of variant dates. Rather than expressly contradicting the traditional view, I find it interesting how consistant the overall opinion of most scholars is on this issue:

Hosea’s ministry spanned the reigns of four Judean kings (Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; cf. Isa. 1:1) and one Israelite king (Jeroboam II; Hos. 1:1). King Uzziah (Azariah) of Judah began reigning in 792 B.C., and King Hezekiah of Judah stopped reigning in 686 B.C., spanning a period of 107 years. Probably Hosea’s ministry began near the end of Jeroboam II’s (793-753 B.C.) and Uzziah’s (792-740 B.C.) reigns and ended in the early years of Hezekiah’s sole reign (715-686 B.C.). Hezekiah evidently reigned for 14 years as co-regent with his father Ahaz (729-715 B.C.; cf. 2 Kings 18:1). This would mean that the prophet’s ministry lasted perhaps 45 years (ca. 760-715 B.C.). It also means that Hosea’s ministry extended beyond the fall of Samaria in 722 B.C. since Hezekiah began ruling in 715 B.C. Hosea did not date any of his prophecies. Other possible dates are between 760 and 753 to 715 B.C. (38 to 45 years), [Leon Wood, “Hosea,” in Daniel-Minor Prophets, vol. 7 of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p. 163, and idem, The Prophets of Israel, p. 276.] 760 to 720 B.C. (38 years), [Douglas Stuart, Hosea-Jonah, p. xliii.] 760 to sometime during Hezekiah’s reign (715-686 B.C., about 45 years), [Hobart E. Freeman, An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophets, p. 175.] and about 60 or 65 years. [C. F. Keil, “Hosea,” in The Twelve Minor Prophets, 1:15.]

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Hosea ministered during a very turbulent time in Israel’s history. Under Jeroboam II, Israel enjoyed economic and material prosperity until his death in 753 BC. That seemed to signal a rapid and chaotic downturn however, going through six kings is 20 years. At the end of that time, Israel (by then a vassal state of Assyria), attempted a rebellion which was subsequently crushed, with the ten tribes of the northern kingdom being carried off into exile, never to return.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are three major themes running through the book of Hosea:

  • God’s Faithfulness, Mercy, and Unfailing Love. Hosea’s love for his unfaithful wife represents God’s love for Israel (Hos. 1:2; 2:9; 6:6; 10:12; 12:6).
  • Judgment for Sin. Because Israel would fail to acknowledge God and insist on their idolatry (Hos. 2:2-5; 3:3; 4:10-19; 5:3-7; 6:10; 8:9; 9:1), God would ultimately punish them with exile (Hos. 7:16; 8:14; 9:3,6,17; 11:5).
  • Repentance and Restoration. Hosea reiterates the recurring theme that repentance brings restoration (Hos. 1:10-11; 2:14-23; 3:5; 11:10-11; 14:4-7).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are a number of interpretive questions that have been raised regarding the book of Hosea, not surprisingly, all of them related to the person of Gomer, his “wife of harlotry:”

  • The first question is whether Gomer should be understood as a literal or an allegorical figure. Despite some of the problems that this answer raises, the vast majority of scholars tend to agree that she should be understood as a literal figure. There is nothing in the prose account of Hosea 1-3 that indicates she is not meant to be understood as a real person.
  • The second question raised is whether Gomer was a prostitute at the time Hosea married her, or if she only became an immoral woman later in their relationship. Scholars are somewhat more divided on this issue (compared to the issue of understanding her as a literal person), but the majority view seems to be that she was faithful at the time of their marriage, but became unfaithful at some later point in time. Some of the verses in Hosea (Hos. 2:15 and 9:10 vs. 11:1) seem to suggest that understanding.
  • Lastly, there is some confusion as to whether the woman in chapter 3 is the same adulterous wife from chapters 1-2, but like the literal issue, the vast majority of commentators and scholars agree that she is, and that alternative interpretations make very little sense in light of the analogy being illustrated.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The overall genre of the book is prophecy, and most of the book consists of oracles of judgment, with only a few interspersed oracles of salvation. Its main literary form is satire (in this case, sharp and bitter). Virtually the entire book is embodied in poetry. The overall format is that of a legal or judicial indictment, as God presents a detailed case against his covenant people.

OBJECTIONS

Aside from the standard anti-supernaturalistic objections that are raised automatically when the subject of prophetic literature is raised, there aren’t any serious objections to the authenticity of Hosea. Some older stock objections (alleged issues involving the mixing of first- and third-person perspective, the juxtaposition of judgment and salvation passages) have since been discredited as ancient Israelite and ANE writings have been studied in greater depth.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Hosea 6:6
  • Hosea 8:7

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Hosea’s children had some very unusual and symbolic names: “God scatters,” “she is not loved,” and “not my people.”

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Hosea”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Hosea”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Hosea”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Hosea”
  • NET Bible, Hosea
  • NIV Study Bible, Hosea
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Hosea”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Hosea”
  • Know Your Bible
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Missionaries: Unsung Heroes

by Elder Mike Chon

As our Argentina team was preparing to leave , I was reflecting on all the missionaries that are currently doing the work of spreading the gospel to parts of this world that are unreached. I am so thankful for these missionaries that have committed themselves to go into another part of this world so that the gospel can be preached and that salvation would be offered to those that would have otherwise never heard. As I sit here in San Diego, my heart and prayers are with those that are preaching the gospel and even risking their earthly lives for the sake of Christ. I have read so many articles on missionaries either injured, severely tormented, or even killed because of sharing a message about our Lord Jesus Christ. These are ordinary men who have been called by God to do an extraordinary work of sharing the gospel throughout the world. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:15)

When we talk about heroes, we usually think about those that are well known or have done something remarkable in this world. There have been very well known men and women who have done remarkable things for our God in the past and even currently. We should applaud these men and women for what they have done and be thankful to our God for using them in this way. But let us not forget to pray and also be thankful for the missionaries who quietly serve our Lord and may be the only light and ambassador for the gospel in that part of the world. They find themselves as lambs in the midst of wolves. They find themselves with limited resources and limited comforts. They find themselves tired, hungry and thirsty. They find themselves alone and secluded. They find themselves in danger and under constant persecution. They find themselves completely dependent on God. They find themselves empowered by the Holy Spirit. They find themselves understanding what it means to die to self. They find themselves rich even though poor. They find themselves understanding joy in times of trials. They find themselves praying unceasingly. They find themselves experiencing the comfort from the God of all comfort. They find themselves in the perfect will of God. These are the heroes who cannot be forgotten. These are the heroes who we need to be sharing with our friends, our spouses, our children so that they can have real heroes in this life. These are the heroes who we must pray for so that the work of spreading the gospel can reach those that have never heard. “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Rom. 10:15)

Take time to remember these missionaries and pray for them today. Even though we may never hear about them or even ever know them, they are the true heroes in this world. May our prayers be heard and felt by our fellow brothers as God works through and in them to do the work of the ministry, for “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send our laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)

AR2012 – Update #4

by Eugene Park

So we started the campaign on Tuesday in a community called Amalia, which is where the church is located. Our schedule during the campaign starts with us going around door to door in the morning and sharing the gospel. At times there are contacts that the church wants us to visit. Typically these contacts are parents who send their kids to church events, but do not come themselves. So when we get the opportunity to share the gospel, the conversations can quite often last for up to an hour or more. We typically try to involve them in the conversation when sharing the gospel with them.

After the morning session we meet back at church for lunch, which has been delicious. We have had pastel de papas, milanesa, etc. Then after lunch we will typically go back to the hotel and rest up during siesta. We could go out again but most people are sleeping so it wouldn’t be worth it.

After siesta we go out again and continue to go door to door. We also spend time inviting people out to the evening program. Most people are receptive to going to some sort of program that is held in the community. And for the evening program we try to make it part fun, but also instructive. This year the evening program changed depending on what was going on. For the skit we would either do our skit based on the four soils parable or the youth of the church would do a skit called “Salti“. After the skit I would sing the song “Jesus, Thank You” both in English and Spanish. But some nights there wasn’t a guitar so if that happened, someone would share their testimony instead (we had to exhibit a lot of flexibility). Then after that one of the guys would share the gospel with the crowd. Then after the gospel presentation we would go out into the crowd and start sharing the gospel again but in small groups or a one on one context.

Each day we did the same thing but in a different barrio. On Wednesday we went to 24 de Septiembre. On Thursday we went to San Pablo. And on Friday we went to SMATA. Each of these days gave us the opportunity to glorify God through the sharing of the gospel. And even though everyone didn’t accept the message, we knew that as messengers our role was to give the message as clearly and accurately as possible. Overall the team was really blessed this week as all of us had fruitful opportunities to share the gospel.

But even though the campaign is over, the missions trip is not. We still have the opportunity to encourage the church and support the leadership these last few days so hopefully we will make the most of our time.

The tradition of Cesar losing a foot race also continued. And as a result he had to shave. So just warning you that when we return he’s gonna look different. And the orange peel fight tradition lives on, even though I find myself participating less and less each year. Must be the maturity setting in.

On Saturday we took a trip to Tafi del Valle. It is a resort area that is about a three hour drive from the church. During the summer it’s jam-packed with people. But now that it’s winter down here, it was practically deserted because it gets seriously cold there. But when we got there we saw that it was a really nice place that was next to a big lake surrounded by mountains. It was definitely cold, but it was also very picturesque and so we spent the next hour taking pictures down by the lake. Then after the picture time people split off and did different things like play volleyball, soccer, or just hang and talk.

Lunch was pretty awesome as we got to enjoy asado, the traditional argentine grilled steak. Just watching the guys setup the grill and cut the raw meat to pieces made me feel manly.

After lunch we boarded the buses again and started the long drive home. And that’s where I am now, in the bus as it winds its way down the mountain. I had better stop before I lose my lunch. Hope to update you again at least one more time before we head back to the US of A!

Weekly Links (7/13/2012)

For if the history of the world clearly teaches us anything, it is this: that God has a quarrel with His creature. There is disagreement, separation, conflict between God and His world. God does not agree with man, and man does not agree with God. Each goes his own way, and each has his own idea and will about things. The thoughts of God are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Is. 55:8). Therefore the history of the world is also a judgment of the world…

The testimony of history to the justice of God is confirmed by the fact that mankind has always looked for, and still looks for, a lost Paradise, for a lasting bliss, and for a redemption from all evil that oppresses it. There is in all men a need for, and seeking after, redemption.

No matter how much effort makes the life of a man a pleasanter and richer thing, there lives in mankind a sense that all such progress and civilization does not satisfy for the deepest human needs nor rescue them from their worst distress. (Herman Bavinck, Our Reasonable Faith)

by Stephen Rodgers

As part of the irregular updates for the month of July, I wanted to make sure that you were aware of a few time-sensitive offers, along with the regular ones that are just plain awesome.

See you Sunday!

Pro Rege

AR2012 – Update #3

by Eugene Park

So on Sunday we had service in the park as we’ve typically done these past few years. First we sang some songs together. Then I went up and introduced a new song, “Jesus Thank You.” Yes, I know we sing this song back at home but I was able to get a translated copy of the song. The people of the church really enjoyed singing that song and how the truths of the lyrics helped them to understand the reasons why we should be thanking Jesus.

After singing that song together, I gave a sermon based on 1 Timothy 4:6-9, talking about the importance of being in spiritual shape for the purpose of godliness. I told them that it wouldn’t be easy. But in the same way that getting into physical shape isn’t easy, getting into spiritual shape takes hard work.

Afterwards we enjoyed a nice lunch of hamburgers with chimichurri. Then after that it was all about soccer. A few of us played with the Argentines and we had a lot of fun. Even the ladies got a match going with Naomi and Elisabeth diving in and playing with them. I’m sure we’ll be playing a lot more soccer before this trip is done.

In the evening there was a youth event. Josh got the opportunity to share his testimony and tried to encourage the youth to do all to the glory of God, even in things like sports and studying. Jonathan then shared a message on trusting in Christ. It was a nice reminder to all of us to trust in Christ in all situations.

The next day was July 9 which is Argentina’s independence day. On that day, Tucuman becomes the capital of Argentina because their declaration of independence was signed in Tucuman. It was a huge deal as the president of the country came to Tucuman to participate in all the festivities. (On a side note, this is why those air traffic controllers went on strike last week because they knew it would affect a lot of people trying to travel to Tucuman) There was a plan to go down to the 9 de Julio park and take in the parade. But for some reason the parade was cancelled. Instead we heard a parade go by our hotel, but they were protesting something. Sheesh, it seems like that’s all they do.

So that gave us a chance to hangout with the translators and get to know them. Some had just arrived that Monday morning on a 16 hour bus ride from BA so it was important to spend some time with them. We even treated all of them to ice cream. Even when the weather is cold, ice cream is always good.

That evening there was an event in the park where the youth did some sort of skit. Afterwards Cesar shared the gospel and then we all fanned out and started talking to people one on one and continued to share the gospel with them. It was nice to meet some of the people of the barrio and share the gospel with them. Hopefully some seeds were planted!

After dinner we went out into the central square with many members of the youth group and just walked around. Then someone got the bright idea to have ice cream a second time that day. So back we went, but this time with all the youth, to enjoy some ice cream together despite the chilly weather. And you know what? It was still good!

Today we start the campaign. We are praying that God would soften the hearts of people to hear the truth of His word. I hope you can join us in praying for that as well. You can also pray for the health of our team. Some are suffering from allergies and others are suffering from head colds and headaches. Carlos says he’s handing out the Advil like it’s candy. I figure that it’s because we are still trying to recover from the lack of sleep as a result of all the delays we’ve encountered. Hopefully this won’t affect us too much during the campaign. Thanks for reading! Hope to update you again by the end of the week.

AR2012 – Update #2

by Eugene Park

So why do crazy things happen to us?

So we stayed at the airport that night, knowing that we had a flight the next morning at 6:30am. We got in line at 5am, checked in our luggage, and then boarded the plane. So we are thinking, “Yes, we are finally going to Tucuman.” But then someone came over the intercom and said that we are going to be delayed for a while. And they kept on getting on the intercom telling us that we can’t leave yet. Then finally, after siting on the plane for two hours, they told us that the flight was cancelled. Oh yay. So we went back and went through the whole process again and they booked us on the afternoon flight that was going to leave at 3:30pm that afternoon. So we stayed at our same spot in the food court again. I think the security guys were wondering why we were still there. Someone even overheard one of them ask another security guard, “Son los chinos de ayer?” Translation: “Aren’t they the Chinese from yesterday?” I guess they didn’t notice Cesar.

So we just hung out at the food court for another 4 hours and then Eduardo came to eat lunch with us. Before we left for lunch we tried to check in our luggage. But then we found out that our flight was cancelled again. Eduardo went around to the different people related to the airline and asked what could we do. We finally rescheduled our flight for the next morning again at 6:30am.

So to help us get over the disappointment of not leaving, we went to Siga la Vaca for lunch. Siga la Vaca is an all you can eat place with all the meats you want on an open grill. Yes, we enjoyed it.

We weren’t going to stay another night at the airport so we got hotel rooms. And after showering for the first time in 3 days, we walked around downtown to the usual spots we typically go to.

The next morning we got to the airport at 5:20am and found that the place was packed with people trying to get to Tucuman. Even though things were rushed, we were able to board the plane and this time we actually left! Finally!

Seeing Pastor Jorge waiting for us at the gate was a nice sight to see. We went to the hotel, dropped off our stuff, and then went over to his place and enjoyed some awesome asado steak for lunch. It was also a great time of fellowship together as both his family and the Barrionuevo family got to share with us the highs and lows they have been experiencing. For six of the team members, this is the first time they got a chance to hear about the ministry in Tucuman.

That night we went to the church and they had a welcoming service for us (the one that was supposed to happen two nights ago). There was a time of singing, team introductions, and then I shared with the church the different reasons we come to Argentina: to preach the gospel, support the local church, and support the leaders of the church. Then afterwards we had the traditional empanada dinner. It was really encouraging to see the team engaged with the people of the church and talking with them. Even though I see it year after year, it’s still surprising to me to see how fast people become close to one another. Some of the team members didn’t even speak Spanish that well but did their best to communicate. Although it was delayed, it was a great start to our time in Tucuman.

Thanks for reading. Keep praying for us! Hope to give another update soon!

AR2012 – Update #1

by Eugene Park

Wow. Waking up at 4:30am is not a fun thing to do. But that’s what we had to do in order to get to LA on time for our flight. But I was really encouraged by how many people came out at 5:30am to see us off. I know that I would have had a hard time getting out there that early so I understand if you didn’t make it.

So the flight down to Buenos Aires was pretty uneventful. Well, except for the fact that we had to walk about 2 miles to get to our connecting flight in Miami. And that I slept for about 15 minutes on the plane because I can’t sleep on planes. Man, can’t wait until we get to Tucuman tonight so I can sleep…oh wait…

When we arrived in BA we were picked up by our usual driver Juan Carlos and he took us over to Eduardo Buldain’s place which also doubles as the Centro de Capacitacion Pastoral (Pastoral Training Center). It’s so encouraging to see the work being done there in training up pastors to preach the word of God. It was also neat to hear Eduardo share about his vision for the CCP and the plan to plant churches all over the place. I also got a chance to see some old friends from my days at Palabra de Vida.

So we left the CCP and headed over to the national airport (Aeroparque) to get on the plane and head up to Tucuman. Unfortunately our original flight was cancelled so they started putting us on the next flight a couple of hours later. Okay, I can accept that. But then after four of us got our tickets, we found that the flight was booked and the rest of the team couldn’t get tickets. So we were basically forced to turn in the tickets we had and exchange them for a flight the next morning at 6:30am so all of us could stay together. And because it’s an early flight I made the decision to just stay overnight at the airport. The team was very supportive of this decision which I appreciated. But for some reason Elisabeth was really excited when she heard that we were staying overnight. Ha! I guess she wants the full missions experience.

So that’s where we are right now. Hopefully we don’t have any issues getting up to Tucuman tomorrow. And hope to keep you all updated on the adventures of the “Argentina 9.” Until then, see you on the flip side.

Let God Be True, and Every Beacon Editor a Liar

by Stephen Rodgers

In my previous post, I cheerfully declared that we would be on hiatus for the month of July. It turns out I spoke too soon.

As opportunity allows, Eugene will be sending updates regarding the Argentina missions trip, the first of which will follow hot on the heels of this post. I hope these will not only give you insight into the trip, but also will remind you to keep the team in prayer.

So to clarify: we won’t be on hiatus after all, but we won’t be sticking to our regularly-scheduled updates either.

That’s my (new) story, and I’m sticking to it (for now).

Pro Rege

July Hiatus (2013)

by Stephen Rodgers

As we’ve done in years past, we’ll be taking a brief hiatus for the month of July. In case anyone is curious as to the reasons behind that, in no particular order they are:

  • This is a time where a number of our members who support the Beacon directly and indirectly are unavailable: many collegians are out of town, summer mission team members are out of the country, etc.
  • This is a time where we like to give our pastors, elders, and ministry coordinators a little bit of a break from writing articles. Some use it to catch up, others to get ahead, but they really do appreciate a few weeks off.
  • Last but not least, this gives us on the Beacon staff an opportunity to update, upgrade, and generally tweak some of the code under the hood, without the fear that we’ll inadvertently bring the site down and prevent you from receiving fresh content. (We just inadvertently bring down the site and prevent you from receiving any content whatsoever).

In the meantime, I’d encourage you to take the opportunity to explore and catch up on some past articles you may have missed.  Here’s a few of my favorites:

That’s it for now. See you in August!

Pro Rege

The Lord Is Slow to Anger, and Great in Power

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Nahum 1:3

Jehovah ‘is slow to anger.’ When mercy cometh into the world she driveth winged steeds; the axles of her chariot-wheels are red hot with speed; but when wrath goeth forth, it toileth on with tardy footsteps, for God taketh no pleasure in the sinner’s death. God’s rod of mercy is ever in His hands outstretched; His sword of justice is in its scabbard, held down by that pierced hand of love which bled for the sins of men.

‘The Lord is slow to anger,’ because He is GREAT IN POWER. He is truly great in power who hath power over himself. When God’s power doth restrain Himself, then it is power indeed: the power that binds omnipotence is omnipotence surpassed. A man who has a strong mind can bear to be insulted long, and only resents the wrong when a sense of right demands his action. The weak mind is irritated at a little: the strong mind bears it like a rock which moveth not, though a thousand breakers dash upon it, and cast their pitiful malice in spray upon its summit. God marketh His enemies, and yet He bestirs not Himself, but holdeth in His anger. If He were less divine than He is, He would long ere this have sent forth the whole of His thunders, and emptied the magazines of heaven; He would long ere this have blasted the earth with the wondrous fires of its lower regions, and man would have been utterly destroyed; but the greatness of his power brings us mercy.

Dear reader, what is your state this evening? Can you by humble faith look to Jesus, and say, ‘My substitute, Thou art my rock, my trust’? Then, beloved, be not afraid of God’s power; for by faith you have fled to Christ for refuge, the power of God need no more terrify you, than the shield and sword of the warrior need terrify those whom he loves. Rather rejoice that He who is ‘great in power’ is your Father and Friend.

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