Hosea

Overview of the Book of Hosea.

I. The Prophet's Marriage and Its Lesson (1,1-3,5).

II. Israel's Guilt and Punishment (4,1-14,10).

Outline from the New American Bible.

Overview of the Prophet Hosea.

Hosea, known as the prophet of divine love, was the son of Beeri, an Ephraimite. Hosea (also known as Osee or Oze) is categorized as one of the “minor prophets”. Hosea was part of Northern kingdom of Israel, and was a prophet during the last years of Jeroboam II (786-746 B.C.) and into the reign of Hezekiah (715-687 B.C.). Judged on Hosea’s writings, his prophecy can be placed about 750-735 B.C., although in earlier days he was believed to be a contemporary to Isaiah. The book of Hosea follows the book of Daniel, and occurs in a time in which Israel is unfaithful to and separated from God’s will. God called on Hosea (meaning Salvation) as a prophet to save the people of Israel from their self-destruction, and to reunite them with God.

Hosea’s Marriage.

Many people today wonder why Hosea married Gomer, an adulteress, sinful harlot. It is thought that Hosea’s marriage symbolizes God’s relationship with Israel. In the book of Hosea, Israel is portrayed as the unfaithful spouse of the always loving and faithful God. At the time of Hosea, Israel had become a nation that had fallen into idolatry and many other sins. God used the marriage of Gomer to Hosea to show the people of Israel what they had become. Hosea was not willing to give up Gomer no matter how unfaithful she was, just like God, with unconditional love, would never give up Israel. Hosea’s role as a prophet was to reunite God with the unfaithful spouse that was the people of Israel. The concept of God and his marriage to his people was first used in the book of Hosea, but would later be used many other times in the Bible.

Key Ideas and Messages of Hosea

Hosea was the first to use the idea of a marriage to portray the relationship between God and his people. He spoke out against a world that was full of idolatry, and complained about the lack of knowledge in the land. Most of all, he pushed the idea of hesed, the return of God’s love in the covenant, in order to draw Israel closer to God.

Answers