Talk:Hosea

His “divorce” of Israel (Jeremiah 3:8) pains His heart for Israel. Despite their whoredom He exclaims:

“Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord.I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the Lordyour God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord.Return, O faithless children, declares the Lord; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion” (Jeremiah 3:12-14).

God’s emotional pain is palpable as he cries out for the nation He rescued from obscurity. Interestingly, God’s cry, as described by Jeremiah, fits the emotional suffering of Hosea perfectly, as he realizesthat his pure love has been spurned by his adulterous wife. This is fitting, as Hosea’s experience was intended to be a testimony to the emotional suffering God was forced to endure as described in Jeremiah 3:

“HowI would set you among my sons, and give you a pleasant land, a heritagemost beautiful of all nations. And I thought you would call me, My Father, and would not turn from following me.Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the Lord.” A voice on the bare heights is heard,the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the Lord their God. "Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness." "Behold, we come to you, for you are the Lord our God. Truly the hills are a delusion, the orgies on the mountains.Truly in the Lordour God is the salvation of Israel” (Jeremiah 3:19-23).

Throughout the Bible, especially in the prophets, God is depictedasbeingtorn between his hatred of sin, and his love for sinners. The prophets Hosea and Jeremiah demonstrate God’s love for His people, and his reluctance to give up hope that they will