Hosea’s Message. 

        Five points may be especially disentangled from Hosea’s prophecy.

        1. The immorality of Israel, using the word in the widest sense. It is clear that matters had become worse than in the time of Amos. Priests (4:8; 6:9), princes and king (4:18; 7:3) were among the ringleaders.

        2. The corruption of true religion especially as shown in the calf images (8:5f; 10:5f) and in the conception of Jehovah as a Baal.

        3. Lack of trust in Jehovah as seen in Israel’s foreign policy (5:13; 7:11; 8:9f; 12:1; 14:3). To seek foreign aid implied seeking the aid of foreign gods.

        4. For Hosea the very existence of the Northern king­dom was sin (8:4; 13:11). While it is true that God chose Jeroboam as a punishment for Solomon’s sins (IKings 11:26-40), a careful reading of IKings 12 will suggest a deeper hostility to the Davidic line than can be explained merely by high taxation; 12:2f, suggest premeditated rebellion. Hosea looks forward to re-union under a Davidic king (1:11; 3:5).

        5. The heart of Hosea’s message revolves around the word chesed. This is found 247 times in the Old Testament, and is translated by mercy, kindness, loving kindness and eight other words of similar meaning. Though in many cases close enough, none of these terms really expresses the meaning of chesed, which is a covenant word, implying the loyalty and behaviour that may be expected from one with whom one stands in covenant relationship. Applied to God it means mercy and love, but it is always loyal love and covenanted mercies.

        Hosea’s marriage was a covenant in which he had shown Gomer chesed, loyal love, but he was not shown the chesed by his wife which he had a right to expect. Even so Jehovah nad made a covenant with Israel, had taken her as His wife, had shown her chesed, faithfulness and loving mercy, but Israel had not kept her side of the agreement. So He speaks through the prophet (6:4) “…your chesed is as the morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth away early;” and men (6:6):

For I desire chesed and not sacrifice:

And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.

It is immaterial whether we render by love, dutiful love (Cheyne), loyal love (G. A. Smith), the meaning is clear; the love of God to man will only be satisfied by the response of man’s love. R.S.V. renders steadfast love.

        Hosea does not merely use chesed of God’s love to man (2:19) and of the love that God asks of man, he also uses it of the love He expects man to show his fellow-man (4:1; 12:6; perhaps 10:12). Since all Israelites were linked to God in the one covenant, they were linked to one another too, and part of the covenant keeping is loyalty between all who stand within it.