HOSEA: PROPHET OF LOVE

HOSEA

• preached after the time of Amos.
• his messages was full of love and sympathy.
• also spoke of judgment and chastisement
• he is against idolatry the idolatry and faithlessness of the people.
• his strange & painful message taught him much about God's love for us.

MESSAGE:
God ordered Hosea to marry a woman and said that his wife will be unfaithful and his children will be just like his wife, also in the same way God's people will left him and become unfaithful.
So Hosea married a woman named Gomer. They had two sons namely Jezreel and Lo- Ammi they also have one daughter named Lo- Rouhama. All of Hosea's sons and daughter are named by God.
By being the faithful and loving husband to an unfaithful wife, Hosea became a living image of God's tender love for the people who did not love him back. Gomer symbolizes Israel whom God faithfully loved and called to repentance agian ang again.
GOD WILL ALWAYS LOVE HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE--- ISRAEL AND US WILL NEVER LEAVE THEM.
Hosea 3:1

CONTEXT OF MESSAGE:
What was going on during this time?
- There were troubled times during Hosea's time causing the Fall of Samaria in 721 B.C.There were so much idolatry and faithlessness to God.
What social ills does the prophet talk about?
- Unfaithfulness of his wife.
- Unfaithlessness of the people of Israel.
- Unfaithlessness of the priests.
- Idolatry of Israel.
- Insincerity of the people.
- Rebelliousness of the people.

What criticisms and/or demands does he make?
- Hosea startes preaching in 746. After this he immediately started the 20 yrs of downfall and end of the hardship of Samaria. Here is Prophet Hosea to accuse and warn the people who were carefree, idolatrous like his wife, irrensponsible, double crossers and unconcerned about their commitment to God. He went preaching despite the ongoing downfall and criticisms. He acknowledge that God is the teacher and he will not let without reasons in the downfall of their country and because of this Israel will recover from its downfall, unfaithfulness and lack of love to God.

What consequences does he threaten?
- The consequence is the whole of Israel will fall.
Do you think the prophet's message is presented in a way that would cause the people tol listen? Why or why not?
- Yes, the message of the prophet was presented in a way that people will repent including his wife and go back to God.
How could this message relate to our own time?
- The modern times will show that we also tend to be idolatrous, unfaithful, unrepentant and rebellious. The church offers the seven sacrements for us to renew our life. We also do not take the opportunity to read the bible and reflect in God's message of salvation.