Date of Award

2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

College

Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary

Program

Religion, MA

First Advisor

Eriks Galenieks

Second Advisor

Cedric Vine

Abstract

Problem

In Hosea 13:11, God said that "I gave you a king in My anger and took him away in My wrath." Why did God say that? What is the meaning of this expression? It is obvious that God expressed a negative view in this verse. Regarding the reason, why God held such an attitude, there are four common understandings: (1) because of the sins of the Israelites, (2) because the Israelites did not trust God in demanding a king for themselves, (3) because God wanted to give the Israelites a lesson in their disobedience, (4) because God denied the monarchy as a political system. The fourth point of view is more logical for several reasons. It is reasonable to believe that the negative view of God was not toward a certain king, as an individual, but the monarchy as a political system. Thus, the monarchy concept is essential for exploring the significance of Hosea 13:11 and a detailed study needs to be conducted.

Method

The study was based on the hermeneutic analysis of Hosea 13:11 and related verses, and by examining the monarchy in the context of history, politics, and theology.

Results

The results of this study showed that the defects and the effects of the monarchy, as a political system, were the very reasons why God expressed a negative view in Hosea 13:11.

Conclusion

Hosea 13:11 reflects the denial of the monarchy as a political system because God's plan could not be fulfilled under the monarchy. Superficially, the monarchy was a betrayal of God and the foundations of Israel as a nation were shaken by the various system defects of the monarchy. The root cause was that according to the clues in Genesis 18:19, the goals that Israel as a nation should have practiced in God’s plan, could not be fulfilled under the monarchy. Thus, due to the monarchy, Israel as a nation failed in God's plan and God's negative view of the monarchy in Hosea 13:11 was reasonable.

Subject Area

Bible. Hosea 13:11--Criticism, interpretation, etc.; Monarchy--Palestine; Palestine--Kings and rulers; Jews--Kings and rulers; Jews--History--953-586 B.C.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.32597/theses/203/

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