Hosea 1-3 – Hosea is a prophet primarily to the Northern Israel Kingdom – Hosea will prophesy until the captivity of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria – The ministry of Hosea will be very similar to the later ministry of Jeremiah when 100 years later the Southern Kingdom of Judah is taken into captivity by Babylon and Jeremiah is the prophet in the Southern Kingdom during their time of captivity – During much of the same time that Hosea is prophesying in the Northern Kingdom of Israel the Prophet Isaiah is prophesying in the Southern Kingdom of Judah — ‘Hosea 3:4-5 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a King, and without a prince [future King], and without a [Levitical] sacrifice, and without an image (Temple, Lit. pillar or statue), and without an (Priest’s) ephod, and without teraphim [household idols]: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David (‘Beloved’ – Jesus) their King; and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.’
The Gentiles will eventually acknowledge that the Jews are the Sons of God: Hosea 1:9-11 Then said God, Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not [visibly] My people, and I will not [visibly] be your God. Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the [Gentile] place where it was said unto them [Jews], Ye are not My people, *there it shall be said unto them, *Ye are the sons of the living God. Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together [May 14, 1948], and appoint [a president not a king] themselves one head, and they shall come up [from the Diaspora] out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel. {The valley of Jezreel is located near and connected to the "valley of Megiddo" where the end time battle "Har Megiddo" (Armageddon) is to take place.} - "Then [after a time of seemingly rejection by God, from the Gentile point of view] shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together." The Nation of Israel has been reborn, officially by the U.N. on May 14, 1948 and since that time the Jewish people have been in the process of being regathered by God back into their homeland of Israel. Many of the O.T. verses about the Diaspora, the dispersion of the Jews among the Gentiles and of the reprimand of the Jews by God has been fulfilled and now with the Nation of Israel once again in the Land of Israel and appointing their own leaders it is now a new era for the Jews just like the regathering of Israel back into the land after the Babylonian captivity to await the coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ the Jews have once again been regathered back into the Promise Land to await the Second Coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ.
Hosea lived during the last twenty five years of [Northern] Israel’s existence as a nation {The prophet Isaiah was a contemporary of Hosea. Isaiah was prophesying in the Southern Kingdom of Judah while Hosea was present and oversaw the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians. Hosea had a life and ministry in much the same way that the later Prophet Jeremiah (who was told not to take a wife) would have in his seeing the destruction of Jerusalem, the Temple and the captivity of the Southern Kingdom Judah into Babylon.}
Hosea lived during the last twenty five years of Israel's existence as a nation. During this time six Kings reigned through a period of near anarchy and bloodshed. Hosea 4:2 During this period Israel was being oppressed by the Assyrians under the leadership of Tiglath-Pileser III. Hosea prophecies against the covenant unfaithfulness of Israel and the sure and certain judgment of God upon Israel through his instruments the Assyrians. During these last years of Israel's existence the spiritual condition had deteriorated to the point where even the knowledge of Yahweh had been forgotten. (Hosea 2:5-13) Canaanite religion had been mixed with the worship of Yahweh until Yahweh could not be recognized. The fertility gods of the Canaanites were worshipped with ritual drunkenness and temple prostitution. Hosea 4:10-13 Baal worship had replaced Yahweh. Idolatry, adultery and drunkenness had replaced holiness. ... Interpretation: There is a difficulty which arises in the first three chapter of the book where Hosea is told to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. Israel's sin is compared to Hosea's marriage. For some the marriage of Hosea to Gomer is considered an allegory because God would never ask someone to marry anyone known to be unfaithful. Others take the account as literal history. There is no reason to doubt this view, as the story has all the markings of truth and it is not uncommon for the prophets to live out their prophecies in their own lives. This action by the prophet would be a vivid reminder of the unfaithfulness of Israel. Some of this dramatic effect would be lost if it were simply an allegory. To the question of God's commandment against committing adultery, they still remain binding. The actions of Hosea and Gomer do not make God the author of sin. What must not be lost in the debate is the fact that Israel was unfaithful as Gomer was unfaithful, but God is full of compassion and will receive sinners. If Hosea's story is not real then neither is the story of salvation. God brought His people to himself when they also were unclean and unfaithful to make them both clean and faithful. [link]
Hosea 4-6 – The Prophet Hosea takes an unfaithful woman (Gomer) to be his wife symbolizing that Israel is an unfaithful wife to God – Hosea representing God is at no time to reject Gomer – Hosea though separated from Gomer he still pays her bills and sends her gifts and in the end buys her back from her slavery and restores her to her rightful position as his wife — ‘Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed *for lack of knowledge [of the Laws of Moses]: because thou hast rejected knowledge [Law – the image of God], I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest [Levitical or Melchizedek] to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.’
'Hosea 5:15-6:2 I [Jesus] will go and return [back to Heaven] to My place, till they [Nation of Israel] acknowledge their offence, *and seek My face: in their [tribulation] affliction they will seek Me early [earnestly]. Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After *two days will He revive us [May 14, 1948]: *in the third day He will raise us up, *and we shall live [eternally] in His sight.' - 'Luke 13:35 Behold, your House [House of Israel, Levitical Priesthood] is left unto you desolate [disorganized]: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me (Jesus), *until the time come when ye [Nation of Israel] shall say, Blessed is He (Jesus) that cometh in the Name of the Lord.' - Preparing to meet the Messiah in both the first coming of Jesus Christ and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the Ministry of the Nation of Israel. The meeting and the greeting of the Messiah Jesus Christ is not a Ministry of the Christian Church. The Christian Church was not yet formed at the first coming of Jesus Christ and the Christian Church will already be in Heaven at the Second Coming [to the Mt. of Olives - Acts 1:9-12] of Jesus Christ. {It seems that the Christian Church is not to look for Jesus at the Mt. Olivet return as the two Angels basically told the people [Christians] when Jesus ascended into Heaven from Mt. Olivet that they shouldn't be there looking for Jesus to return so the Christians left Mt. Olivet and went back to Jerusalem.}
Hosea 7-9 – For desiring to be like the Gentiles instead of like the Children of God they are intended to be the Jews of Northern Israel are overcome and sent back into the land of the Gentiles — ‘Hosea 8:8 [Northern] Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.’
The day of God's taking account of the actions of the people of Northern Israel has arrived: 'Hosea 9:7-9 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence [compensation for a wrong action that has caused an injury] are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. *The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. *They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins.' - This is the final condition in the judgment of a people of God when the very people [prophets, priests and the spiritual man] have all turned against God in order to embrace the ways and actions of the pagan Gentile world. Exceedingly true even today in our own times and in our Christian Church that the very Pastors, Teachers, Evangelists and Prophets that once were for God have now forsaken God and have turned against God in order to seek the notoriety, wealth and ways of the world. - Note: Only the alert 'Watchman' remained faithful to God. It seems to be a good Biblical indicator that for us even today we are to be 'Watchman' aware, Biblically alert, engaged and in prayer regarding the current and future events of the day in part by knowing and understanding the past to help provide a context for the present. Really the blessings of the current Christian Church are the Watchmen and Watchwomen Ministries that are alert for God and are informing His people with prayer, devotions and information while the Corporation Christianity Pastors are the ones who are quickly selling the Church into an unholy, early, worldly demise.
Hosea 10-11 – Hosea having taken a wife shows the people of God that a relationship with God is more than a friendship and more than a father and son relationship – It is an intimate one to one *individual relationship more like a relationship between a husband and a wife — ‘Hosea 10:12 Sow *to yourselves [individuals] in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow [pale, unresponsive] ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain [the] Righteousness [of Jesus Christ] upon you.’
Because Northern Israel admired human strength a stronger country [Assyria] is going to take them into captivity: 'Hosea 10:13 Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because *thou didst trust in thy way, *in the multitude of thy mighty men.' - Northern Israel was overcome by the desire to be strong, accomplished and secular like the pagan Gentile countries around them. Unable to grasp the higher calling of Judaism over that of their pagan neighbors Northern Israel adopted the way of the pagans and having become like the pagans were overcome and sent into captivity by God. Later Judah the Southern Kingdom of Israel will also forsake their higher calling in God and will embrace not the strength of the world like Northern Israel did but will embrace the enchantments of the world and being overcome by the sorcery of the world the Southern Kingdom will be conquered and brought into captivity by the mystical Nation of Babylon (Iraq). -- '2 Peter 2:19 While they [worldly people] promise them [Christians/Jews] liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of [worldly philosophies] whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.' - Note: Shorty after Assyria's strong military rises to power as a Nation they will be defeated by Babylon and Assyria (Mosul) will become and remain a part of Northern Iraq even today. The Jews of Northern Israel (Samaria) that were taken into captivity to Assyria in 721 B.C. at the fall of Samaria would shortly become citizens of Babylon (Iraq) as Babylon would soon defeat Assyria and incorporate Assyria (Mosul) into Northern Iraq. When Babylon later defeated Judah and at the fall of Jerusalem in 539 B.C. the captives of Judah joined the captives of Northern Israel already in Babylon by way of Assyria. Then later when Persia (Iran) conquered Iraq and let the people return to their native lands all of Tribes of Israel (Northern and Judah) were free to return to Jerusalem and a remnant of all Israel did return to Jerusalem. - Also Note: The mystical [Hollywood, Disneyland] kingdom of Babylon proved to a stronger kingdom than the [biker, skinhead] kingdom of Assyria but neither are not match for the everlasting Righteous Kingdom of God in Jesus Christ.
Hosea 12-14 – Hosea the Prophet concludes his ministry to the people of Israel reminding the people that God is still there for them — ‘Hosea 14:4 I (God) will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.’
The final words of the Prophet Hosea: 'Hosea 14:9 Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall [go astray] therein.' - The words of God are wisdom and they are life! What is written out here in the pages of the Prophets is that God can punish people when it is necessary to do so however punishing people is not a desire and is not really even in the personality of God to do so. Everyone who knows God intimately also knows a secret about God and that is that He is really a softy who does not want to punish people. In fact God took our punishment upon Himself so it can't be any clearer or any more evident that God does not desire to punish people but rather He even took our punishment for us. What God can do and does do is that He is a rewarder and He rewards appropriate behavior more often and more abundantly than He punishes bad behavior. If you really want to get to know God then get to know that His ways and His words are truth and they are life and that He is as generous and as rewarding as His Word says He is.