Who Was Hosea in the Bible? 
If you have ever wondered who was Hosea in the Bible, you’ve come to the right place. A prophet of Israel and a married prostitute, he denounced idolatry and wrote a polemic against it. Here’s a quick look at the prophet’s life and the events that shaped him.
Hosea was a prophet of Israel
Hosea was a prophet of God in the Bible who lived in the 8th century BC. His book is one of the twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Though Hosea is often considered a prophet of doom, he also contains prophecies about restoration and peace.
In his book, Hosea addresses a number of issues, including Baal worship. Baal, a fertility god in the Canaanite religion, was viewed as a male fertility god and worshipers believed they could “arouse” him by performing sexual acts at his temple. Because temple prostitutes were plentiful, this practice tended to pander to the lusts of the flesh and shattered marriage and family life.
Hosea’s message is a prophetic discourse, composed of poetic orations. However, defining the units of a prophetic speech can be difficult, so stylistic differences have led to the suggestion that the book is written by two separate prophets. Chapters 1-3 are dominated by the motif of harlotry, while the rest of the book is dominated by the motif of repentance and the return of the wife to her husband.
The book also contains a biographical narrative of Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, an adulterous woman. The marriage was meant to symbolize the breakdown in the relationship between God and his people, as they turned to idols instead of following God. Hosea, however, still loved Gomer, and bought her freedom.
While Hosea’s ministry was mostly focused on adultery, he also focused on apostasy and idolatry in Israel. The names of his children, Lo-Ruh amah and Gomer, both arose from his wife’s adultery and were prophetic names expressing the Lord’s judgment on Israel. Lo-Ammi and Lo-Ruhamah, which mean “not my people”, imply that the people of Israel would be judged for their unfaithfulness.
He denounced idolatry
Hosea denounced idolatry in two separate prophetic writings. The first is similar to Amos’, but it uses different language and imagery. The second combines a political model with a marital model, and combines them into one book. This is why Hosea denounces idolatry as an evil and dangerous spiritual practice.
In this book, Hosea denounces idolatry by urging the Israelites to return to their first covenant with God. Israel has betrayed its covenant with God. This disloyalty leads to a host of societal and personal problems, including murder, stealing, and sexual perversion. Worshipping idols has been condemned by God and Hosea uses emotional language to call people back to their covenant with him. No other biblical book includes this kind of detailed description of God’s inner feelings.
Hosea’s language condemns idolatry as an evil and dangerous behavior, but it is also a diagnosis of the human condition. Idolatry, and its destructive consequences, are the root cause of human sin, and God has promised to correct this in Jesus Christ. The prophets look forward to a day when idols will be abolished and true worship will replace them.
During Hosea’s time, the world was divided. The kingdom of Israel had grown under Jeroboam II’s reign, but the kingdom was divided between the northern and southern kingdoms. The two nations were under Assyrian vassalage. The Assyrian king found a conspiracy among the Israelites, and later besieged Samaria for three years.
Hosea’s personal history influences the form of his teaching. Unlike other prophets, Hosea had an exemplary domestic life. His marriage to Gomer resulted in three sons, all named after symbols. The first of these was named Jezreel, symbolizing the Lord’s vengeance against the Jehu dynasty. Jehu had overthrown the previous king of Jezreel and massacred the descendants of King Ahab.
He wrote a polemic against it
Hosea’s unfaithful wife Gomer is the focus of this polemic against Hosea in the Bible. She is silent in Hosea 1 and chapter 3 but is remembered as the unfaithful spouse of the prophet. This is an excellent example of a biblical polemic against a biblical figure.
In Hosea 1:1-4, God calls the people of the Northern Kingdom “Lo-ammi,” meaning “not my people.” The name “Lo-ammi” indicates the Northern Kingdom was in a state of shame after being rejected by God.
Hosea’s book is full of metaphors about marriage and sexuality, including a sexual metaphor that culminates in possible allusions to goddesses. The prophet also emphasizes death, both personal and national. His book condemns social injustice. He is also gifted with satire. His use of a baker’s oven metaphor to describe the city of Samaria shows that he was not a perfect man.
The prophet Hosea was a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel. His message was intended for the people of Israel, who had been committing sin and idolatry. The message was meant to bring about change and salvation. Throughout the book, Hosea refers to Judah seventeen times. However, in this book, he mostly focuses on the northern kingdom. The southern kingdom was a continuation of the northern kingdom. In this way, Hosea was trying to encourage people to return to the Lord.
Hosea is an Old Testament book written around 760-720 BC. It is an important book that is a mixture of mystical and social consciousness. It contains both lyrical beauty and horror. It is the first of the Minor Prophets and is the first to introduce the drama of destruction and exile and promises the coming of the prophet Elijah. The book consists of three parts:
He urged Israel to return to God
The book of Hosea contains numerous references to the return of the people of Israel to God. The Hebrew word SHvb (which means “turn”) is used several times throughout the book and has many derived meanings, including “repent,” “turn back,” “return to,” and “change.” As is so often the case with the Old Testament, turning back toward God is possible only through a change of heart.
Hosea’s actions in the book of Hosea suggest the importance of repentance in the Jewish faith. In one instance, the prophet married an immoral woman named Gomer, but then bought her back because he loved her. This act became a popular tradition in Second Temple Judaism and showed how God is able to show mercy to those who turn to Him after repenting.
Hosea uses Israel’s history and spiritual past to warn about impending judgment. The people of God were undergoing an exile, and they were losing their most important possessions, including their nationhood. During such times, God uses deprivation to motivate people to return to Him.
Hosea also referred to the sin of harlotry, a major transgression in the Pentateuch. In addition, he held political and religious leaders accountable for leading their people astray and turning to human alliances as their security. The prophet was a strong advocate of a return to God, but he believed it was too late for Israel to repent. In addition to calling for repentance, Hosea also predicted the destruction of the nation by Assyria.
Despite the lack of specific details in the Book of Hosea, it can be concluded that the prophet was most active in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His prophecies focused on the fate of Israel, including the destruction of its king.