THE PROPHESY OF HOSEA

Hosea is a book addressed to Israel as a whole, as divided between Judah in the south and what came to be refered as Israel in the North. In reference to the North, the Lord addresses a specific tribe, Ephraim. This is significant because Ephraim as a recognised tribe arose a generation after the twelve sons of Jacob who grew to become the tribes of Israel. With his brother Mannasseh, the other son of Joseph, Ephraim received a portion on the land of Canaan as a tribe in its own right.

Prophetically, Ephraim represents a generation that arises just when we think that the lot of the heritage of the house of God in its twelve principalities is already cast, divided and settled. His arrival though moves the heart of the father who draws him in and apportions him a heritage amomgst His sons. This is spiritually in reference to a specific nation, a principality born out of the land of bondage, and that finds favour before God. The nation though of a different seed than that of the sons of the promise gets a portion in the covenant and its heritage. The relationship between them and God is full of hurdles though, a lot of backsliding and falling to strange worship and deception. It was by Ephraim, the prophesy claims, that the image of jealousy was built to restrain Israel from going to Jerusalem. This idol, represented as the God who drew Israel out of Egypt led many into sin.

This nation of Ephraim in prophesy is alike in many ways to just preceded principalities of the earth. Easily deceived anf hard of hearing the nation has fallen into deception and into a season of destruction by an estranged principality. The story of Ephraim is prophetic of the story of our age, which draws to a close in the hands of an invader. All these though is not without hope, as the Lord swore salvation (Hosea 13:12-14). The same is the hope of our generation. The prophey is about a generation being baptized in fire, to sanctify it for a coming age of righteousness and glorious prosperity(chapter 14). This is our word too.