Starting with his name - Hosea is not an uncommon name which means "salvation", or "He saves", or "He helps"(see Wikipedia). What I didn't know is that Joshua, whom Moses sent to spy out the promise land, was originally Hoshea (same name as Hosea in Biblical Hebrew), son of Nun (Numbers 13:16).
He was told by God to marry a promiscuous woman whose name was Gomer - "for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord." (Hosea 1:2). She will bear him children whose names were like walking prophecies of the fall of the ruling dynasty and the severed covenant with God. His first son "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel" (Hosea 1:4); the second child, a daughter “Call her Lo-Ruhamah (which means “not loved”), for I will no longer show love to Israel, that I should at all forgive them." (Hosea 1:6); the third child, a son “Call him Lo-Ammi (which means “not my people”), for you are not my people, and I am not your God." (Hosea 1:9). Hosea's family life reflected the "adulterous" relationship which Israel had built with polytheistic gods. The relationship between Hosea and Gomer parallels the relationship between God and Israel. Even though Gomer runs away from Hosea and sleeps with another man, he loves her anyway and forgives her. Likewise, even though the people of Israel worshipped other gods, God continued to love them and did not abandon his covenant with them. (Wikipedia)
Hosea was one of the twelve "minor prophets" of the Old Testament in the Bible. He was said to be the only prophet from Israel (of the Northern Kingdom) who had left any prophetic writing. He was a contemporary of the prophets Isaiah and Micah. Although he is known to be a "prophet of doom", his life story speaks of God as the redeemer, even though our idolatrous nature would take us away from him repeatedly. These are some of my favourite verses (from Gotquestions.org):
Hosea 2:23, “I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.' I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'”
Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 14:2-4, “Take words with you and return to the LORD. Say to him: 'Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria cannot save us; we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say "Our gods" to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.' "I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them.’”
This book is a good reminder of the repetitiveness of my idolatry (my going after other gods that are man-made) and the need to go back to the only God who is ever so patient with me and who had redeemed me from my slavery to these things.
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:16)
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
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