When was Genesis through Judges written? What is significant about Hosea’s use of Genesis through Judges?

“The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel”—Hosea 1:1 NIV

Jeroboam son of Jehoash of Israel reigned from 793 BCE to 753 BCE, and Hezekiah of Judah reigned from 715 BCE to 686 BCE, so Hosea’s prophetic years ran for at least for a minimum of 38 years, in the 8th century BCE, that is, from 753 BCE to 715 BCE. One thing that is significant about the Bible book bearing Hosea’s name is his use of Genesis through Judges, thus lending proof to the fact that these books had to have been written quite some time sometime prior to Hosea in the 8th century BCE. The reason that this is significant is that many “scholars” consider these books, Genesis through Judges, to be from the 6th century BCE, or even more recent. Another point of significance is that Hosea’s treatment of these Bible books shows how they were viewed through God’s interpretation of them during later Old Testament times, and also, in turn, gives us a better view of how the New Testament interprets the Old Testament.

Here are some examples:

Hosea 1:10—-Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 15:1-5; Genesis 17:2-4; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:17; Genesis 27:29; Galatians 3:8; Hebrews 6:13-20; Hebrews 11:8-13. “You are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed'” (Acts 3:25 NIV). The promises to Abraham, while undergoing fulfillment during the Christian era, still await their final fulfillment.

Hosea 12:2-4,12—-Genesis 25:23-34; Genesis 28:11-16; Genesis 32:24-27; Acts 7:8; “God chooses people according to his own purposes” Romans 9:10-13 (NLT); Hebrews 11:20,21,39,40. God’s dealings with Jacob are applicable and relevant to his servants, even to Christians today.

Hosea 8:13; Hosea 9:3,6—-Genesis 15:12-16; Exodus 12:40; Amos 5:25-27; Acts 7:6,7,17-19,39-43. Israel’s Egyptian bondage was a type, or representation, of its coming bondage to Assyria.

Hosea 11:1; Hosea 13:4-6; Matthew 2:14,15—-Israel’s deliverance from Egypt was a sign of God’s great love, mercy and compassion, and pictured Jesus being ‘called out of Egypt’.

Hosea 10:5-8; Hosea 11:1-5; Acts 7:42,43—-Israel’s exodus from Egypt would soon be reversed in it’s coming exile and captivity.

Hosea 1:11; Hosea 2:15; Hosea 3:5; Hosea 11:11; Hosea 12:9; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:1-13; Jeremiah 23:4,5; Ezekiel 34:23,24—-The exodus from Egypt would be repeated, but in a much greater, and permanent, spiritual way, in the restoration under the Davidic Messianic King, Jesus Christ.

Hosea 4:1,2; Hosea 13:4; Exodus 19:5-8; 20:1-17; Leviticus 18:24-28; 20:23,24; Deuteronomy 28:15-68 —-The Ten Commandments and the entire Law Covenant were the God’s rules by which the nation was to live, and by which it would be judged, and which Israel had willingly agreed to live by. The curses that Israel agreed to under the Law Covenant, were predicted to come upon them, and they did when Yahweh God brought the fulfillment of these covenant curses upon them.

Hosea 8:1-3,12—“Put the trumpet to your lips! Like an eagle, disaster is swooping on Yahweh’s home! Because they have violated my covenant and been unfaithful to my Law, in vain will they cry, ‘My God!’ In vain, ‘We, Israel, know you! Israel has rejected the good, the enemy will pursue them. However much of my Law I write for him, Ephraim regards it as alien to him” (NJB).  God’s covenant with Israel . . . Hosea 2:8,18-23; Hosea 13:4; Hosea 14:4-8—Was a source of great blessings . . . Hosea 4:6; Hosea 8:1-10; Deuteronomy 28:15-68—-But would also bring curses on those who broke it.

Hosea 9:10; Hosea 13:4-6; Exodus 16:1-28; Exodus 17:1-6; Exodus 32:1-20; Numbers 13:27-14:45; Numbers 16; Numbers 25;  Psalm 106:13-42; Acts 7:39-43; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13—-Israel’s tendency toward apostasy was reflected in the people’s idolatry during the 40 year wilderness wanderings and continuing on into Hosea’s day. 

Hosea 10:9; Judges 19:12-30—-The city of Gibeah was a notorious example of wickedness in the past, and also in Hosea’s day as well. It also shows us how God views wickedness today.

Hosea 11:8; Deuteronomy 29:23; 2 Peter 2:6; Jude 7—-Sodom , Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim were notorious examples of God’s judgment, and serve as a warning of God’s future judgment of the ungodly.

Thus, Hosea’s use of Genesis through Judges, is just one of thousands of examples proving that the more time that goes by, the more the Bible is proven true, and its critics, be they “scholars”, or “experts” in various fields, or otherwise, are proven false!