Hosea: Everlasting Love

The Message of Hosea: God’s everlasting and steadfast love for Israel in spite of her continued unfaithfulness. Israel was enjoying both political peace and material prosperity, as well as moral corruption and spiritual bankruptcy (MacArthur).

Hosea’s marriage to his wife Gomer was intended to be a vivid illustration of Israel’s sins and God’s steadfast love for them.

In spite of Israel’s sins, God continued to love them and promised them restoration and salvation. He would judge their sins but He would never stop loving them.

Key Verse

1 “Come, let us return to the Lord. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.
2 “He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.
Hosea 6:1-2 (NASB)

Available Lessons

Content Outline

Setting and Timeline

“God had blessed his people; prospered them both materially and spiritually. But they had begin to live for pleasure.

They had abandoned hard work, morality, and integrity in order to live for themselves.”
Dr. James Montgomery Boice

“Israel was enjoying great prosperity, but Hosea could see that the nation was rotten to the core; for honest government, pure religion, godly homes, and personal integrity had vanished from the land.

Judgment was inevitable. Hosea faithfully preached the Word, but the nation refused to repent and was finally swallowed up by Assyria.”
Dr. Warren Wiersbe

“The Lord’s true love for His people is unending and will tolerate no rival.

Hosea’s message contains much condemnation, both national and individual, but at the same time, he poignantly portrays the love of God toward His people with passionate emotion.”
Dr. John MacArthur

About the Author

References

The Minor Prophets Volume 1 (Hosea – Jonah): An Expositional Commentary by James Montgomery Boice
Be Amazed: an OT Commentary on the Minor Prophets by Warren W. Wiersbe
The MacArthur Bible Commentary: by John MacArthur
The Bible Project: Hosea