Hosea: The Passion of God

by Tim Chester

In the message of Hosea we see the passion of God. We see the jealousy of God, the commitment of God, the heartbreak of God, the enthusiasm of God, the love of God. People often talk about what they feel about God. Hosea tells us what God feels about us. It is the author's prayer that as we explore the message of Hosea the Spirit of God would reveal God's passion so that He stirs our passion: our jealousy for God, our commitment to God, our heartbreak at sin, our enthusiasm to serve, our love for the lost.

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2014

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done commentary on the book of Hosea. Enjoyed it, especially the commentary on the first three chapters of the book. The Focus on the Bible series has been a quality series and I have enjoyed reading them and would recommend them to anyone who is interested in knowing God’s Word better! Recommended

[Natalie Herr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite Hosea commentary that I’ve read. Accessible, always connecting to the gospel, with thoughtful applications for today. Thank you, Tim Chester!

[Wassenario · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Tim Chester. He has a way of making OT books come alive. Fleshing out how passionate God is for his people through the book of Hosea was refreshing

[John Funnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished a study series on Hosea - this commentary was my companion throughout.

Wonderfully accessible, clear exegesis and application.

Superb!

Our church has been blessed

[Phil Butcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is what a devotional commentary should be - clear, well-applied, & gospel-centred. It did me a lot of good.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good commentary on this incredibly nuanced, paradoxically problematic and modern book of scripture.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having found the accessible and devotional format of these Focus on the Bible commentaries to be incredibly well written, I picked this one up alongside my study of Hosea.

It was both clear and always linking back to the powerful central theme of Hosea: the passionate, covenant love of God for a people who continually turn away from him. I liked how it emphasised that Hosea reveals not only what people think about God, but “what God feels about us,” highlighting God’s jealousy, commitment, heartbreak and enduring love - themes we don’t always dwell on but are so insightful and helpful in exploring aspects of God’s character.

One of the strengths of this commentary series is its balance between faithful explanation and practical application, and this was no exception. Chester draws out the historical and biblical context of Hosea while consistently connecting the message of the prophet to Christian faith and discipleship today.

While others in this series get a definite 5/5, this one lacked the strong scholarly depth of the Dale Ralph Davis ones, and the application was a bit weaker - perhaps as Tim Chester isn’t a scholar in this book of the Bible in the same way. However it was still a good and worthwhile read.

Overall, this is a strong and helpful guide that deepened my appreciation for Hosea’s message and for the steadfast love of God.