Hosea is the first of 12 "minor" prophets that close the Old Testament canon. These books are not "minor" in significance, but rather "minor" in size. They are all relatively short.
Hosea begins with a real-life story and ends with a message of reality — God is faithful whether we are or not. In the opening chapters of the book, God directed Hosea to marry an immoral woman and be loyal to her, even in the midst of her continued adultry. The prophet's difficult marriage serves as a symbol of his prophetic message: God's love for his bride, Israel, is everlasting.
What does it say?
At the beginning of this book, Hosea is commanded by God to marry an adulterous woman named Gomer who would be an unfaithful wife to Hosea. His marriage was to be an object lesson for Israel, the adulterous kingdom which had been unfaithful to God. As with the story of Hosea, the story of God and Israel is one of one-sided love.
Hosea continues to love his wife in the midst of her consistent and ugly adultery. Gomer bears him three children, all given names as signs to Israel: Jezreel ("God Scatters"), Lo-Ruhamah ("Not Pitied"), and Lo-Ammi ("Not My People"). Gomer will eventually be wooed back by Hosea's love and into a faithful marriage.
After making the illustration, Hosea turns his attention directly to Israel's sin and applies the illustration. Israel has rejected the great love of God and will reap the fruit of her adultery. But because of God's endless love, he will eventually save and restore his wayward people.
Faces & Places
The principle characters in this book are Hosea, his wife Gomer, and the three children from their marriage: Jezreel ("God Scatters"), Lo-Ruhamah ("Not Pitied"), and Lo-Ammi ("Not My People").
Nothing is known of Hosea outside this book, but based on the kings listed in 1:1, he must have prophesied for at least 38 years. He is the only one of the writing prophets to come from the northern kingdom.
Hosea prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel and frequently mentions the capital city of Samaria.
Key Verses & Themes
The Sin of the People:
Hosea 4:1 "Hear the word of the Lord, you Israelites, because the Lord has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: 'There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land. There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed.'"
The Love of God:
Hosea 3:1 "The Lord said to me, 'Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes."
So what?
In Hosea's prophecy we are introduced to the immeasurable love of God through an illustration that nearly anyone can understand and appreciate. Hosea, whose name means "salvation," shows us the love of God that persists through all our unfaithfulness. God's love cannot be broken by our stubbornness. Once we are his, he will never let us go.
Hosea's prophecy also confronted us with the foolishness of sin. While our loving God waits for our return, we wander about in pursuit of something else, but to no satisfaction. And all the while what we really desire and what we really need has been waiting for our return. He has always been loving us, even in our sin.
