Hosea wrote the book of Hosea. The Hebrew Hoshea, “Salvation,” is probably shortened from Hosha’eyah, which means, “Yahweh has Saved.” Like most Minor Prophets, little is known of Hosea except that he was son of Beeri and lived in Israel during Jeroboam II’s reign (793-753 B.C.). Hosea ministered during the reigns of Uzziah (790-739 B.C.), Jotham (750-731 B.C.), Ahaz (735-715 B.C.), and Hezekiah (729-686 B.C.). Judging by his not mentioning Samaria’s fall in 723 or 722 B.C., Hosea’s ministry likely dates from 755 (or earlier) to 725 B.C. and was contemporary with Amos’s.
The Minor Prophets, so called because their books are shorter, but no less important, than the Major Prophets, begin with Hosea. Ancient Hebrew and Christian writers considered the Minor Prophets one book.
Jeroboam I instituted calf worship, perhaps a gateway to their next apostasy: the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, which involved child sacrifices and sexual immorality. Israel in Hosea’s day, perhaps the darkest time in its history, reaped the wickedness Jeroboam I sowed. Under Jeroboam II, the country expanded its borders and prospered as much as in the days of David and Solomon. Moral and spiritual decline plagued the kingdom, however. Deceit and distrust, injustice, oppression, adultery, debauchery, blasphemy, skepticism, and bloodshed characterized the opulent society. Corrupt priests led the people to worship creatures rather than their Creator. Hosea appealed to God’s mercy on the people’s behalf while reproving their wickedness. Not surprisingly, they disregarded Hosea’s cries for repentance. Israel ended up Assyria’s captive late in 723 B.C.
Woven throughout his descriptions of impending punishment, Hosea proclaims God’s love for His disobedient children and his joyful anticipation of the Messiah. Hosea’s rocky marriage to an unfaithful prostitute dramatized in real time Israel’s rebellious relationship with God, and so taught him the depth of God’s love. In light of that love, Israel’s sins appear even more wicked. Hosea describes in graphic detail the inevitable punishment the fickle Israelites would experience if they refuse to repent.
The time period in which the Minor Prophets ministered resembled our own in its pursuit of materialism and commercialism and the social evils that prevailed. Today, Hosea’s hopeful message is that God ever waits to welcome back the repentant sinner.