The prophet Hosea holds the distinction of opening the Minor Prophets with the longest of the twelve books. His work begins with a detailed introduction, revealing that his father was Beeri, meaning man of the well, and perhaps metaphorically, expounder or enlightener. Hosea's wife was named Gomer, and they had two sons, Jezreel and Lo-Ammi, and a daughter, Lo-Ruhamah, whose prophetic names, given by God, foretell the fate of the unfaithful nation of Israel. Hosea served during the reigns of four Judean kings—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah—and one Israelite king, Jeroboam II, placing his ministry roughly between 755 and 710 BC, a time spanning Israel's decline from wealth to destruction by Assyria. His name, meaning help or salvation, reflects the central theme of his prophecy: despite Israel's recurring unfaithfulness, their eventual salvation is promised. God uses Hosea's marriage to Gomer, a wife of harlotry, to mirror His relationship with His people; though Gomer is unfaithful, God commands Hosea to take her back, symbolizing His intent to restore Israel. The prophecy expands on this theme with calls for repentance and includes Judah alongside Israel, addressing all twelve tribes. God accuses both Ephraim, also called Samaria, and Judah of turning to nations like Egypt and Assyria for help instead of to Him, and of pursuing idols rather than their Maker.

Hosea, the prophet, was chosen by God to deliver a powerful message to Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II, around 760 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. At a time of unprecedented prosperity in the northern Kingdom of Israel, moral and spiritual degeneration had taken hold, with idolatry grieving the heart of God most of all. When the nation paid little attention to the warnings of Amos, God spoke again through Hosea, whose name means "Jehovah is salvation." God directed Hosea to marry a woman named Gomer, daughter of Diblaim, as a living object lesson of His relationship with unfaithful Israel. Their union, initially blessed with a son named Jezreel—symbolizing impending judgment on Jeroboam's dynasty—soon faced turmoil as Gomer grew restless and distant. Hosea continued preaching to the wayward nation, urging them to return to the Eternal, but his message was ignored. Meanwhile, Gomer's unfaithfulness became evident with the birth of two more children, Lo-Ruhamah, meaning "Unpitied," and Lo-Ammi, meaning "Not My people," reflecting both her adultery and Israel's alienation from God. Despite Gomer's repeated betrayals and eventual departure, Hosea's love for her remained unshaken. Driven by a profound love mirroring God's own, he sought her out, finding her destitute in a slave market and redeeming her for fifteen shekels of silver and barley. He brought her home, restoring her as his wife, embodying the depth of forgiveness and love that God extends to His people. Through Hosea's life and unrelenting devotion, God illustrated His never-ending love for Israel, pleading for their repentance amidst their spiritual idolatry.

When the prophet Hosea came on the scene, Israel was enjoying the greatest peace and prosperity since the division into the two separate nations of Israel and Judah. They were affluent and living in luxury, yet during this time, there was a great decline in Israel's morality and wealth. The kings of Israel were wicked, following the sins of Jeroboam I, refusing to repent and turn to God. Murder, idolatry, and immorality were rampant, and few were interested in hearing the Word of God. Hosea's prophecy reveals God's indictment of Israel and His warning of her coming punishment. The more prosperous the Israelites became, the more they turned from God, and now they and their children must suffer a bitter harvest of their sins. The nation is blighted, having no roots and bearing no fruit. Israel is termed a spreading or luxuriant vine in chapter 10, but her fruit is not what God desires, as it is one of idolatrous religion and self-indulgence. Hosea analyzes the people's sin in each chapter, focusing in chapter 10 on Israel's divided and deceitful heart. Their heart is described as smooth, implying oily, slick, and double-tongued behavior, where they went through the motions of worship while intent on other desires. Israel's purported love for God contrasted with her true unfaithfulness, illustrated by Hosea's marriage to Gomer, which symbolizes faithfulness and unfaithfulness. Israel came to God's altars pretending to worship Him, yet multiplied false altars and dedicated sacred stones against His will, committing spiritual adultery with idols. Additionally, Hosea highlights Israel's profession of truth versus actual falsehood, as the people made false promises and agreements they had no intention of keeping, leading to lawsuits springing up like poisonous weeds. Their duplicity extended to professing righteousness while practicing evil, with God seeing their secret wickedness and declaring their altars as high places of wickedness soon to be destroyed. Hosea's prophecy also notes Israel's reliance on idols over God, as they mourned the loss of their calf idol rather than their offense against Him. During Hosea's time, the Israelites had set up idols in place of God, leading Him to call them the people of the calf, reflecting their choice to rejoice in the idol rather than in Him. Despite their impenitence under God's discipline, Hosea appeals to Israel to sow righteousness and reap mercy, urging them to seek God by cultivating true righteousness for His unfailing love and reward. Though ancient Israel did not repent and faced judgment, Hosea's message emphasizes God's enduring love, shifting in later chapters to focus on His sovereign and triumphant love, paralleling the redemption in Hosea's marriage to Gomer.

Hosea, known as the deathbed prophet of Israel, delivered the last prophecy before the Northern Kingdom fell to Assyria around 722 BC. His ministry came after a golden age of peace and prosperity in the northern kingdom, a time not seen since King Solomon, yet this led to moral decay as Israel forsook God for idols. God commanded Hosea to marry a harlot, whose unfaithfulness mirrored Israel's disloyalty to Him. Hosea then articulated God's grievances against Israel, warning of impending punishment unless the people returned to the Eternal and remained faithful to Him. His book reveals the profound depth of God's love for His people, a love that brooks no rivals. Hosea's prophecy is the first among the minor prophets in the Biblical order, not in terms of when it was written or spoken, but in the significance of its message. He preached during the reigns of four kings of Judah in the southern state and during Jeroboam II's reign in the northern state of Israel. The book of Hosea, written between approximately 753 and 722 BC, was primarily directed to the northern kingdom. Hosea's ministry likely spanned a long period, possibly 50 or 60 years. Living contemporaneously with Isaiah, who prophesied to Judah, and Amos, who came from Tekoa to the northern kingdom, Hosea witnessed an era of relative economic prosperity, luxurious materialism, and visible religious activity, yet it was marred by shallow religion and rampant corruption. Hosea's personal life, as reflected in his marriage, symbolized Israel's unfaithfulness. God directed him to name his children with symbolic names reflecting judgment: Jezreel, meaning God scatters, indicating the impending dispersion of Israel; Lo-Ruhamah, meaning not pitied, signifying a withdrawal of God's mercy due to persistent sin; and Lo-Ammi, meaning not My people, foretelling a time when Israel would no longer be recognized as God's own. Despite this, Hosea remained faithful, embodying God's enduring love and discipline toward His wayward people. Later, God promised a transformation of these judgments into blessings: Jezreel would mean planted, indicating restoration; Lo-Ruhamah would become Ruhamah, meaning pitied or loved; and Lo-Ammi would become Ammi, meaning My people, signifying a renewed relationship with God. This hope of restoration, detailed in Hosea's prophecy, underscores God's unwavering commitment to ultimately redeem and restore His people despite their unfaithfulness.