What message from God did Hosea deliver to the people of his day?

Question:

What message from God did Hosea deliver to the people of his day?

Answer:

Hosea remains a prophet often overlooked in much of Bible study compared to the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) and yet, Hosea has a most unique story. To understand God’s message delivered through His prophet Hosea, one is required to begin with the shocking command God gave him - marry an “adulterous wife”. The Hebrew word used zânûn [pronounced zaw-noon] is unquestionably a harsh word that clearly communicates intentional infidelity and perhaps even a continual wilful adulterous individual. What a challenge Hosea was called upon to marry such a woman! With such a definitive and harsh God-given command, we must ask ourselves what the meaning is behind such a command. The prophet type that God set forth here is a clear illustration of Israel’s treatment of God and His continual rebuking and calling back which originates from the Love of God (Hosea 6:1-3, Hosea 3:1). In effect, Hosea became a living illustration of the relationship between God and Israel – one that was adulterous and sinful resulting in Hosea’s prophesying of judgment and restoration to God.

Simply put, God called out Israel (Hosea 4:1) for their lack of faithfulness (Hosea 5:7, 6:4, 11:12), love (Hosea 12:6), and knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6). The manifestations of these 3 criticisms came in the form of idolatry (baal worship – Hosea 9:10), lack of dependence on God (Hosea 3:4-5), lack of acknowledging God (Hosea 4:6) and more.

In the end, the hope that we have is God’s secure love for His people. We can hear the words of God spoken through Hosea clearly as we read: ‘“In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call me ‘my husband’; you will no longer call me ‘my master.’’ (Hosea 2:16). What a wonderful statement! He calls His church ‘wife’ and asks us to call Him ‘husband’ (from the Hebrew “ishi”). This speaks of that amazing intimacy He offers and says to no longer call Him “master” (from the Hebrew “baalli”, the root being the call out to the idol baal). It reminds me of the passage from John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

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