7. The Parts of the Prophecy are two: I. Prophecies wrapped up in types, whereby both the corruption of the people, and the punishments imminent, and the promises thereupon, are set forth (Hosea 1-3). II. Simple Prophecies concerning the corruption of the Church, the judgments of God, a grace towards the Church (Hosea 4-12). A Synoptic Table of the book, and its Interpreters, ancient, Reformed, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Hebrew.
The Prophecies or Summaries of the Prophecy are seven. And, since they are set forth partly in types, partly in clear speech, it will by no means be strange to divide the whole Prophecy into two parts, the Former containing typical Prophecies (Hosea 1-3), the Latter simple Prophecies (Hosea 4-14).
I. Prophecies wrapped up in types, whereby both the corruption of the people, and the punishment imminent, and the promises thereupon, are set forth, Chapters 1-3. A twofold pericope, or Prophetic type, is seen in this.
1. Pericope I: chapters 1, 2, wherein:
a. After the title of the book (verse 1), the Prophet, by the type of marriage entered into at the commandment of God by himself with a harlot, whose name is Gomer, and by the type of the children gotten from her, Jezreel (verses 2-5), Lo-Ruhamah (verses 6, 7), and Lo-Ammi (verses 8, 9), sets forth the idolatry of the Israelite people and the three degrees of the judgments of God against it, according to the number and names of the children: chapter 1:1-9.
b. Blessings are to be supplied to the tribe of Judah and the remnants of Israel after the administering of those judgments; namely, adoption as the sons of the living God (verse 10), the regathering of Judah and Israel under one head (Hosea 1:11-2:1); and there is also a survey of the dispute of the true Church with her mother, upon whom punishments are denounced on account of harlotry and trust in human help (verses 2-13), the deliverance of the same from persecutions, the extirpation of idols, peace in the midst of enemies (verses 14-18), and finally the betrothal of God with the Church, and the manifold blessing of the same (verses 19-23): chapters 1:10-2:23.
2. Pericope II, wherein is adumbrated under the type of the Prophet, commanded to love an adulterous woman, the faithfulness of God towards the people, but the ingratitude of the people toward God (verses 1-3), the long desertion of the same, and their conversion in the last times (verses 4, 5): chapter 3.
II. Simple prophecies concerning the corruption of the Church, the judgments of God, and grace towards the Church, Chapters 4-14. This part comprehends the five remaining Prophetic Pericopes:
1. Pericope III, wherein God, convicting the children of Israel of manifold perfidy and impiety (verses 1-3), magnifies the scandals of the Prophets, Priests, and people (verses 4-10); and He, execrating whoredom (verses 11-14), dehorts Judah from the same, with feeding in a large place promised (verses 15, 16); and, finally, He, buffeting the commerce of Ephraim with idolatry, threatens the same with confusion (verses 17-19): chapter 4.
2. Pericope IV: chapters 5, 6: in which:
a. Are denounced against the Nobles of the people, Ephraim and Israel, on account of the multiplied scandals cast before infidels, hypocrisy, and a heart not knowing how to repent (verses 1-4), a fall (verses 5, 6), a new Moon devouring them, the noise of enemies, desolation (verses 7-9); on account of the injustice of moving boundary markers, an effusion of wrath like water (verses 10-12); on account of their trust in King Jareb, the frustrating of his help, a mangling, and also a returning of God to His place, until they repent (verses 13-15): chapter 5.
b. The faithful in a dramatization stir up one another to repentance, promising themselves the appearance of the dawn (verses 1-3); but then God, variously expostulating with Ephraim and Judah on account of their prevarication, denounces a grievous chastisement (verses 4-10), and sets a limited harvest for Judah (verse 11): chapter 6.
3. Pericope V: chapters 7-10: in which:
a. God, threatening destruction against the ten tribes on account of the notorious sins of the same (verses 1, 2), on account of the joy of the King and Princes in evil, and their insatiable adultery and drunkenness, denounces the fall of the same, and under the type of cake not turned the deportation of the half part into Assyria (verses 3-8), and, finally, an extraordinary fall of the Princes by the sword, on account their stupor, lies, hypocrisy, ingratitude after answered prayers, etc. (verses 9-16): chapter 7.
b. Against Israel, on account of hypocrisy, the erecting of a King without consulting God, idolatry, good works omitted, but not the evil multiplied, like trust in other nations, the multiplication of altars, and vain sacrifices, is denounced destruction by Assyria (verses 1-13), the sending of fire into the cities, and a devouring of palaces (verse 14): chapter 8.
c. The Prophet, rebuking the Israelites on account of their security in their whoredom, foretells to them their dispersion (verses 1-6), retribution on account of deceitful Prophets, and altogether certain punishment (verses 7-9); God also, convicting the Israelite nation of disobedience from the age of the Fathers (verse 10), declares to it privation of glory and woe (verses 11-13); and, finally, the Prophet, praying for them, is rebuffed (verses 14-17), and pronounces the definitive sentence of destruction (verse 17): chapter 9.
d. God threatens Israel, on account of the multiplication of altars, with punishments, deprivation of the glory of the King, and his cutting off like foam, the overthrow of the high places of vanity, and ruin (verses 1-11); He promises to the pious renovation (verse 12), and foretells to those slipping back to a new sin the wasting of fortifications, and the slaughter of their king (verses 13-15): chapter 10.
4. Pericope VI, wherein both a weighty grievance is moved concerning the ingratitude and impiety of the people, and punishment by the sword is announced (verses 1-7); and the grace and clemency of God towards believers, although ill deserving, is set forth out of pure mercy (verses 8-11): chapter 11:1-11.
5. Pericope VII, in which:
a. The defection of Ephraim and the constancy of Judah are described (Hosea 11:12-12:1); then a dispute is initiated also with Judah, to whom God both commends fidelity and constancy (verses 2-6), and, with their perfidy, ingratitude, vanity, etc., reproved, threatens retribution (verses 7-14): chapters 11:12-12:14.
b. The swift destruction of Ephraim on account of increasing idolatry (verses 1-3), and the indignation of God, coming against them like a leopard or bear, are set forth, with the cause of the suffering shown to be in Israel, but the cause of salvation in God (verses 4-11); and redemption from the hand of the grave is promised to him (verses 12-14), but destruction is pronounced against Samaria (verses 15, 16): chapter 13.
c. Israel is recalled to conversion and repentance (verses 1-3); and, with God foretelling superabounding healing and blessing to him (verses 4-8), the Prophecy is closed with a memorable striking conclusion (verse 9): chapter 14.