Davy
Well-Known Member
You make a remark, but do not answer it.
Paul quoted the passage from Hosea 1:10 and/or 2:23 to the Gentiles in Romans 9:24-26.
So what's your thought about this, Davy, since it seemed that the Hosea verses were referencing the Northern tribes, but Paul and Peter (1 Peter 2:10) both use Hosea's remarks toward the Gentiles?
And what makes the issue more curious is the rest of Hosea's chapters are God prophesying His reuniting the Northern kingdom with Judah and having one Head (small h or capital H).
What say ye, Davy?
Just where... was your question in the first place??? This is the first time I'm reading that you even asked me this question.
But it's no problem to answer.
The Book of Hosea was... 'specifically' written only to the ten tribe "house of Israel". Anyone near blindness can read in Hosea 1 that God is pointing to the ten tribe northern kingdom, called the "house of Israel", and even linking Jeroboam, king of Israel, that He gave ten tribes to back in 1 Kings 11.
Furthermore, those ten tribes were not in the holy land at Lord Jesus' 1st coming. They were still scattered, beyond Euphrates the Jewish historian Josephus (100 A.D.) had said. And per 2 Chronicles 11, a small remnant of the northern ten tribes refused Jeroboam's gold calf idol worship, and went south to Jerusalem and joined with Judah. (for those who think to pull a fast one with trying to put the ten tribes still in the holy land at Jesus' 1st coming, only those small remnants were, and they became religious Jews just like the tribes of Benjamin and Levi did).
What God did to the ten northern tribes under Ephraim was similar to what happened to Joseph when he was separated from his brethren in Egypt. Joseph is who God's Birthright went to, and then after him to Joseph's two sons Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Chronicles 5). And per Genesis 48, the younger Ephraim was put over his elder brother Manasseh. And thus Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim was chosen by God Himself to be king over the northern ten tribes, and GOD called that Kingdom 'Israel'! It kind of points out that to God, wherever the MAJORITY of the Israelite tribes are, THAT... especially represents HIS Israel.
Jacob even said that Ephraim would become "a multitude of nations"! (Genesis 48:17-20) This is also why God's blessing through Moses about Joseph has Ephraim connected in it per Deuteronomy 33:13-17. God even said that Ephraim was "the strength of Mine head" (Psalms 60:7), and God said that Ephraim was His 'firstborn' (Jeremiah 31:9). And in Jeremiah 31:20, God called Ephraim his "dear son", and said He will have mercy upon him. Even in Ezekiel 37, God uses the tribe of Ephraim to represent the "stick of Joseph" that He will in final join back together with the "stick of Judah" (Ezekiel 37:19).
Is that not enough Bible prophecy then to understand that God scattered the majority of Israelites, the ten northern tribes, and they became weaved among the Gentiles, and The Gospel of Jesus Christ went to both, and they both became 'one' body through Faith in Jesus Christ?
So of course Apostle Paul would quote from the Book of Hosea about God's mercy upon the ten tribe house of Israel in final, joined with believing Gentiles in The Gospel of Jesus Christ!
But don't forget, the 'majority' of the southern "kingdom of Judah" that went captive to Babylon stayed in Babylon after their captivity. Then they, like the ten tribes of Israel, were also scattered through the countries, never to return. Many of those became Christians with believing Gentiles also, especially in the traditional western Christian nations. God fulfilled that "multitude of nations" prophecy to Ephraim with That Gospel. When you look at the first nations to receive The Gospel on grand scales after the Passion of Christ, that was that prophecy being fulfilled.
I tell you then, you guys that don't study your Old Testament Books sure have missed a lot of God's Truth in His Word. I'm a Gentile and I say that!