”Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she …
Worship and the Idolatrous Heart: Spiritual Harlotry in Hosea
One of the pervasive themes in Hosea, chapters 1-3, is that God's people have become like a promiscuous spouse through their idolatry. Like a harlot seeking after other lovers, God's people turned to other gods, seeking good things in them as lovers, even though God is the source of every good thing they have. This …
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Hosea’s family: biography, allegory, parable, or something else?
One of the key interpretive issues in the book of Hosea is whether the account of Hosea's family – his marriage to Gomer and three children – in chapters 1 and 3 is based in true events from the prophet's life or whether it is a prophetic parable or allegory with a teaching purpose yet …
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A Prayer for the Church from Hosea 1-3
Almighty God, Our Creator and the Lover of our Souls, You have called us to Yourself by Your grace and truth that we might know You, live for You, and show You to the world. We admit that we often fall into temptation and sin, losing our way like an adulterous spouse, straying in our …
Matthew Erickson 