Introduction to the Book of Hosea.
The Book of Hosea stands first in the division of the Bible called the Minor
Prophets, a name referring to the brevity of these books as compared to Isaiah,
Jeremiah, and Ezekiel.
Hosea lived in the tragic final days of the northern kingdom.
His prophetic ministry would be God's last loving appeal to the northern kingdom of
Israel to repent before its destruction in 722 B.C.
The book narrates the difficult family life of Hosea as a symbol to convey the
prophet's message from the Lord for his people.
The book narrates the difficult family life of Hosea as a symbol to convey the
prophet's message from the Lord for his people.
God orders Hosea to marry an adulterous wife, Gomer, and their three children were
each given a symbolic name, embodying part of the ominous message.
God commands the prophet to continue loving his unfaithful wife, and he takes
her back and keeps her in isolation for a while.
The story graphically represents the Lord's relation to the Israelites,
who had been disloyal to him by worshiping Canaanite gods.
Israel was to go through a period of exile, but the Lord still loved his
covenant people and longed to take them back, as Hosea took back Gomer.
Yet, despite God's condemnation and the harshness of language with which the
unavoidable judgment was announced, the major purpose of the book is to
proclaim God's compassion and love that cannot, finally, let Israel go.