How does Hosea apply to an unrepentant world today? First, do you know who Hosea is? He’s an Old Testament prophet, sent by God to give a warning to His people. Sadly, things haven’t changed all that much. The message is all too relevant, even here in the year 2023. Almost 2,800 years later.

The home tragedy overtaking him earned him the title of “The Prophet of a Sorrowful Heart.” Through the wrongs he suffered he came to realize the sins committed by Israel against God, and the long history of unfaithfulness to Him. The accounts of Hosea’s marriage, the birth of his children and his wife’s unfaithfulness and restoration make sad reading. Hosea was called to express God’s message and to manifest His character. ¹

Here’s something you msay not have thought of about Hosea. It’s that part about Hosea being known as “The Prophet of a Sorrowful Heart.”

His heart was sorrowful, as shown by the heart in the adjacent image, because his life was an example of Israel’s relationship with God. Hosea recognized the reality that the relationship was bad. Awful. That is, both relationships. The one between Hosea and his wife as well as the one between the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, and God. As a result, Hosea felt the sorrow.

The people of Israel at that tie didn’t see it. Or maybe didn’t care enough to do anything about it.

However, as much as we might like to look back and ask how they could have missed that, are we any different? The relationship between many who claim to be Christian and God isn’t what it should be either. Given that, we should also have sorrowful hearts. But, do we? Or are we going on with life, the same way the Israelites did in Hosea’s time?

To the extent that we’re not really different, Hosea’s life, experiences, and the message of the book of Hosea also apply to us. But then again, will we recognize it?

How did Hosea apply to an unrepentant Israel in his time?

Hosea metaphorically portrayed the theme of covenant-breaking as a marriage, with his unfaithful wife, Gomer, depicting Israel’s unfaithfulness toward God. Israel manifested its unfaithfulness most poignantly in its apostasy (4:1–13). Instead of trusting in God, Israel’s leaders led the nation astray by seeking foreign alliances (Hos 5:13). Because of the nation’s spiritual adultery, Hosea pronounced many oracles of judgment that are recorded in Hos 4–12. These judgments are characteristic of the language conveyed in the Deuteronomical Curses (Deut 28:17–18; 32:24–28). The book of Hosea ends with a flicker of hope, however, stating that God, Israel’s faithful husband, will not give up on His bride. He promises to heal her and bring her back in the land (Hos 14:1–9). ²

How does Hosea apply to an unrepentant world today?

I’m sure many will read of the curses in Deuteronomy and think, that doesn’t apply anymore. This message can’t be for us today.

However, I believe that’s the wrong way to view the application of this book today.

Curses in Deuteronomy

Let’s take a look at those curses in Deuteronomy. There are more than 50 verses of curses in this one passage. The author above called out just two of them. I’m sure, as this series continues, we’ll get to more of them, if not all of them.

Curses for Disobedience

…

Dt 28:17 Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.

Dt 28:18 The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

…

Most of us, as individuals, can’t relate to most of those things. Other than children, fruit of your womb, many people might not even care about these curses. After all, most of us aren’t directly involved in most of that stuff. Even for children, many people turn to artificial insemination, surrogate mothers, etc. to get around ussies with their own bodies.

They just don’t have the impact on our society today that they did thousands of years ago.

The Song of Moses in Deuteronomy

The Song of Moses is 47 verses, which run the gamut from praising God to curses from God. Let’s take a look at the five verses mentioned above.

The Song of Moses

…

Dt 32:24 I will send wasting famine against them,
consuming pestilence and deadly plague;
I will send against them the fangs of wild beasts,
the venom of vipers that glide in the dust.

Dt 32:25 In the street the sword will make them childless;
in their homes terror will reign.
Young men and young women will perish,
infants and gray-haired men.

Dt 32:26 I said I would scatter them
and blot out their memory from mankind,

Dt 32:27 but I dreaded the taunt of the enemy,
lest the adversary misunderstand
and say, ‘Our hand has triumphed;
the LORD has not done all this.’ ”

Dt 32:28 They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them.

…

These verses contain some concepts that we can relate to today, as well as some we probably can’t imagine.

However, the key one here, and throughout the series is the last verse:

Dt 32:28 They are a nation without sense,
there is no discernment in them.

Maybe more than anything else above, this is what we must keep in mind.

Conclusion – How does Hosea apply to an unrepentant world today?

Why is realizing that we have no sense and no discernment so important? Because of the image at the top. The broken heart. Weeping over the condition of its owner with God. In Hosea, it was his heart.

However, today, if we’re Christian, it should be our heart. There may be people who think their relationship with God is great. However, we should know, as Christians, that not a single one of us should be content with our current relationship with God. We should want it to be better, Yes, even though we can’t have a perfect relationship with God this side of Heaven, we should all want better.

Even beyond that, let’s consider Hosea again. He was a prophet, yes, And He had a message from God for the people.

While we aren’t prophets, we are/should be something else. Disciples of Jesus. Does that remind you of anything? How about the passage below?

The Great Commission

Mt 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Yes, as Christians, we should be performing the Great Commission.

And how about this passage?

The Greatest Commandment – Matthew

22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31

Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Yes, as Christians we should be living like that. While we’re at it, we’re also an example for others. BTW, the Israelites/Hebrew/Jewish people were also supposed to be a light to bring others to God. And Hosea’s message from God was for them.

Doesn’t that mean, in today’s world, today’s covenant, even though some things are different, the message still applies? True, some of the curses won’t come in this life. But the curse of eternity in Hell for rejecting God is far worse than anything that can happen in this life.

By the way, in case you didn’t catch it yet, that sorrowful heart is, or should be, ours. But it’s not just sorrow over our own condition. It’s sorrow over the condition of our family, loved ones, friends, and anyone we know. But also sorrow over the condition of people we don’t know. Even of people we don’t like and who we consider enemies.

How’s your heart?

Coming next

We’ll continue with this series, going through chapters 6 and 7, which the NIV titles Israel Unrepentant. Then we’ll see how it also applies to an unrepentant world today.

It may be a surprise to some, but it all actually starts with a solution.

Israel Unrepentant

Hos 6:1 “Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

As we go through the passage, we’ll check out both what it meant back then and how it applies to us today.

Hope to see you along the way. If this sounds interesting, please subscribe to this site to get an email as new items are posted.

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