Welcome to Hosea.
This weekend at Northeast, we kicked off a brand-new Bible study series through the book of Hosea, one of the most powerful pictures of God’s grace in all of Scripture.
Tyler opened Hosea and took us on a Bible-study journey through Israel’s history to help us understand the context behind one of the Bible’s most shocking commands: “Go and marry a prostitute.”
God called the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, an unfaithful woman, as a living illustration of Israel’s relationship with God. Just as Gomer repeatedly ran from Hosea, Israel repeatedly ran from God through idolatry, rebellion, and covenant unfaithfulness.
Although Israel was enjoying political success and prosperity under King Jeroboam II, Hosea revealed a deeper problem: their hearts had drifted from God. They were worshiping idols, trusting other sources for blessing, and breaking their covenant with the Lord. But Hosea’s story is not ultimately about judgment it’s about grace.
Even after Gomer abandoned him, Hosea continued to love her. When she found herself broken, enslaved, and at rock bottom, Hosea paid the price to buy her back and bring her home.That redemption story points directly to Jesus.
Just as Hosea redeemed his unfaithful bride, Jesus came to redeem us. We are Gomer. We are the ones who wander. Yet Jesus refuses to give up on us. He pursues us, pays our debt, covers our shame, and invites us back into relationship with Him.
The heart of the message was simple: It’s time to come home.
No matter your past, your failures, or how far you’ve drifted, God’s grace is greater. Through Jesus, forgiveness, restoration, and a new beginning are available to everyone.
Jesus paid the price to bring us home; will we respond to His invitation?
Getting Started
This page will provide you with a variety of resources to understand this ancient text, starting with a 10,000 foot view and going all the way into studying key words and themes.
Start at the top and work your way down through the resources to go deeper in study.
These videos will help you understand key themes and the meta-narrative of Hosea.
NLT Study Bible
Don’t have a good study Bible? The NLT Study Bible translates both the words and the world of the Bible. The New Living Translation makes the message clear. The features of the NLT Study Bible bring the world of the Bible to life so that the meaning and significance of its message shine through.
Reading Plan
Ready to read? Here is our suggested reading plan for this book. Read at your own pace and don’t feel pressured to keep up with the suggested daily instructions.
For Families
The Bible Story Handbook
This handbook of 175 Bible stories is designed to assist teachers and parents in knowing what each story teaches and how to present it in a God-centered way.
Diving In
Old Testament scholar John Goldingay addresses Scripture from Genesis to Malachi in such a way that even the most challenging passages are explained simply and concisely. The series is perfect for daily devotions, group study, or personal visits with the Bible.
In this final volume of the series, Goldingay covers Daniel and the Minor Prophets, the final twelve prophetic books of the Old Testament. Daniel is an apocalyptic book, full of ideas about God’s plan for the end of the earth and humanity. The twelve Prophets—Hosea through Malachi—were shorter prophetic works that could be kept on a single scroll and address the period of massive change in the eastern Mediterranean in the 8th century BCE.
NIV Application Commentary: Hosea/Amos/Micah
The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today’s context.
To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today’s world, each passage is treated in three sections:
- Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context.
- Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible.
- Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved.