It is also important to note that this is just a summary!, which will help yorstand these books easily. Therefore, after reading this summary, it is good to read the specific book to fill in what little you got here. Reading this summary alone, without holding the Bible, will not benefit you. It’s even better to read the Bible without any summary than to read here and completely neglect the Bible. THE BOOK OF HOSEA The Book of Hosea was written by Hosea himself, and the meaning of the name Hosea is “Salvation.” Hosea was a prophet of God, just like Jeremiah, Isaiah, or Daniel. The Book of Hosea is believed to have been written over a period of 40 years. During this time, Hosea received a series of visions from God and wrote them down in this 14-chapter book. Prophet Hosea is one of the three prophets whose lives the Lord used as a sign… The others are Prophet Isaiah, who at one point was commanded to walk naked (to understand more why he was told to walk naked, click here >> WHY DID PROPHET ISAIAH COMMAND TO WALK NAKED?), and another is Ezekiel, who was commanded to eat bread baked over human excrement, and also lie on one side for many days as a sign to the children of Israel. But Prophet Hosea, God used his life as a sign in a different way, and that way was “in the area of marriage.” Normally, God never instructed people to marry prostitutes or harlots. But Hosea was told to marry a woman, a “prostitute,” a woman who could not remain faithful to one man. That was the woman God commanded Hosea to marry for a specific reason. The purpose of this command was to teach Israel how they appeared before God, that before God, they looked like a harlot, who cannot remain with her one husband. The nation of Israel is spiritually compared to a woman, and God is like her husband. Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah.” 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they broke, although I was a husband to them, says the Lord.” Did you see that?.. He says that from the day He brought them out of Egypt, He was their husband, but they broke His covenant… also Jeremiah 3:14 speaks of the same thing… Jeremiah 3:14 “Return, O backsliding children, says the Lord; for I am married to you: and I will take you, one from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.” So, in the way Israel was leaving God, spiritually, it was as if they were betraying their Husband, who is God. And all the wicked acts they were doing spiritually were interpreted as ADULTERY. Therefore, Hosea being told to marry a prostitute was to give Israel a message that just as he (Hosea) was suffering with the harlot woman (today she’s with him, tomorrow she runs away to engage in prostitution), so Israel was troubling God with the spiritual adultery they were committing. Now to understand this command given to Hosea in more detail, you can open here >>> Why Did God Command Prophet Hosea to Marry a Prostitute? So after all of Israel saw that Hosea married an unfaithful woman and the troubles he had with her, some of the children of Israel repented and turned to God, but others remained stiff-necked. The Book of Hosea can be divided into 8 main sections. PART ONE (Chapters 1 and 2) It deals with God’s instructions to Hosea to find a HARLOT WIFE named GOMER, and have three children with her. The first child, who would be male, he would name JEZREEL (Jezreel was the city of King Ahab of Israel and his wife Jezebel). That is where all the sins of Israel began. The second child, who would be female, would be named LO-RUHAMAH, which means “No Mercy.” The third child, a male, would be named LO-AMMI, which means “Not My People.” Through these three children and their mother, God sent a heavy message to all of Israel and Judah. (You can go through these two chapters personally, with the help of the Holy Spirit). PART TWO (Chapter 3) It deals with God’s instructions to Hosea to marry another unfaithful woman, but this time, she should already be loved by another man. The purpose of doing this was to show them how the children of Israel would be taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar and spend many years away from the presence of God, their husband. Hosea 3:1 “The Lord said to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.” 2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and a half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so, too, will I be toward you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king or a prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward, the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king; they shall fear the Lord and His goodness in the latter days.” PART THREE (Chapters 4-5) God pronounces woes upon Israel because of their sins. PART FOUR (Chapter 6) God gives a call for repentance, saying that if Israel returns to Him, He will show mercy. Hosea 6:1 “Come, let us return to the Lord; for He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up.” PART FIVE (Chapters 7-9) God continues to show Hosea the sins of Israel, especially how they relied on nations like Egypt and Assyria for help instead of relying on God. Hosea 7:10 “And the pride of Israel testifies to his face; but they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this.” PART SIX (Chapter 10) Prophecy of Israel being taken captive to Assyria. Remember, Israel was divided into two main parts: the northern kingdom was called Israel, and the southern kingdom was called Judah. The northern kingdom (Israel) was taken captive to Assyria because of their many sins. But before that happened, God sent many prophets to warn them to repent, leave their sins, return to God’s laws, and one of those prophets was Hosea, who told them: Hosea 10:5 “The inhabitants of Samaria fear because of the calves of Beth-Aven; for its people mourn for it, and its priests shriek for it, because its glory has departed from it.” PART SEVEN (Chapters 11-12) God reminds Israel of His mercy (how He had mercy on them when they were in Egypt), but now they have forsaken Him and do not realize they are in danger. Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt, I called My son.” PART EIGHT (Chapters 13-14) God continues to call Israel to repentance and warns them of the judgment that will come. Hosea 14:1 “O Israel, return to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity.” To conclude, the Book of Hosea is a book of warnings for Israel to return to God, and to repent. And we (God’s people) are likened to a woman, a bride, and Jesus Christ is our Lord. 2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Let us be mindful that as the Bride of Christ, if we deliberately engage in sin, spiritually, it is interpreted as committing adultery before the Lord. If you are a thief, a liar, a drunkard, or live in willful sin while claiming to be saved, know that you are making the Lord jealous through this spiritual adultery. God bless you.