Hebrew Hoshea, "salvation" — the same name (differently transliterated) as Joshua. Eighth-century BC prophet in the northern kingdom of Israel, contemporary with Amos, though his ministry extended longer (mid-750s to around 720 BC). His book opens with God's stunning command: "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the LORD" (1:2). Hosea married Gomer, who bore him three children (possibly only the first his own), then left him for other lovers. Hosea's personal marriage became a live-action parable of God's relationship with unfaithful Israel.
Hosea is the prophet of the broken heart of God. No other book in the OT so combines the wrath of a betrayed husband with the tenderness of a love that refuses to let go. God speaks: "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away... Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms... I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them. They shall not return to the land of Egypt, but Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me... How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? ... My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger" (Hosea 11:1-9). God, divorced and betrayed, will not stop loving. Hosea buys Gomer back from slavery (chapter 3) as a picture of what God will do through the Messiah — redeem the unfaithful bride at His own cost. The NT quotes Hosea repeatedly — "Out of Egypt I called my son" applied to Jesus (Matthew 2:15), "I desire mercy, not sacrifice" applied by Jesus to His table fellowship with sinners (Matthew 9:13), "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people'" applied by Paul to the inclusion of the Gentiles (Romans 9:25). Hosea is the gospel in Old Testament grief.