Hosea 1-5

“And I will betroth you to me forever … in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness” (2:19-20). God told Hosea to marry a prostitute in order to be a living example of God’s relationship to Israel. God’s people were unfaithful; they were “swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed” (4:2). Israel’s sins provoked punishment (2:13,4:9), but God promised that in the end, mercy would prevail (2:23).

“And in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," it shall be said to them, "Children of the living God" (1:10).