lessons
which he learned from the sins of his unfaithful wife. (1) Through the
suffering which he endured because of her sins, he understood how God
was grieved at the wickedness of Israel and how her sins were not only
against God's law but an insult to divine love. (2) In love and at
great cost he restored his wayward wife and in that act saw a hope of
the restoration and forgiveness of Israel. His ministry extended over
more than sixty years and was perhaps the longest of any on record. It
continued 786-726 B. C., covering the last few years of the reign of
Jereboam II, to which Chs. 1-3 belong and the period of anarchy
following.

The Style and Method. His style is "abrupt, uneven, inelegant," but
also poetical, figurative and abounding in metaphors. His writings
must be interpreted with great care to get what is meant by his
symbolic speech. He reminds one of modern reformers and revivalists.
Through all the anger which the book reveals we see also the
surpassing beauty of reconciling love. One sees everywhere that the
supreme goal to which Hosea moves is the re-establishment of Israel's
fellowship of life and love with Jehovah.

Conditions of Israel. _Outwardly_ there was prosperity. Syria and Moab
had been conquered; commerce had greatly increased; the borders of the
land had been extended and the temple offerings were ample. _Inwardly_
there was decay. Gross immoralities were being introduced; worship was
being polluted and the masses of the people crushed, while the
Assyrian Empire was advancing and ready to crush Israel, whom, because
of her sins, God had abandoned to her fate.

They countenanced oppression, murder, lying, stealing, swearing, etc.
They had forgotten the law and their covenant to keep it and had
substituted the worship of Baal for that of Jehovah, thereby becoming
idolaters. They no longer looked to God in their distress but turned
to Egypt and Assyria for help, and thereby put security and prosperity
on a basis of human strength and wisdom instead of resting them upon a
hope of divine favor.

Analysis.

I. Israel's Sin. illustrated by the tragedy of Hosea's unfortunate
marriage, Chs. 1-3.

1. His evil wife and their children, Ch. 1.

2. Israel's unfaithfulness and return to God seen in the evil
women, Ch. 2.

3. God's love restores Israel as Hosea does his wife, Ch. 3.

II. The Prophetic Discourses, Chs. 4-14.

1. Israel's sin, Chs. 4-8.

2. Israel's coming p