Granite Creek Community Church Sermons: Audio Podcast

We are continuing our journey we just left week 19 of Isaiah and now are heading into week 20 with Hosea. Hosea wrote this book to remind the Israelites—and us—that ours is a loving God whose loyalty to His covenant people is unwavering. In spite of Israel’s continual turning to false gods, God’s steadfast love is portrayed in the long-suffering husband of the unfaithful wife. Hosea’s message is also one of warning to those who would turn their backs on God’s love. Through the symbolic presentation of the marriage of Hosea and Gomer, God’s love for the idolatrous nation of Israel is displayed in a rich metaphor in the themes of sin, judgment, and forgiving love. The Book of Hosea can be divided into two parts: (1) Hosea is a description of an adulterous wife and a faithful husband, symbolic of the unfaithfulness of Israel to God through idolatry, and (2) Hosea contains the condemnation of Israel, especially Samaria, for the worship of idols and her eventual restoration. The first section of the book contains