<P> The Book of Hosea says that, during Hosea's lifetime, the kings of the Northern Kingdom, their aristocratic supporters, and the priests had led the people away from the Law of God, as given in the Pentateuch . It says that they forsook the worship of God; they worshiped other gods, especially Baal, the Canaanite storm god, and Asherah, a Canaanite fertility god . Other sins followed, says the Book, including homicide, perjury, theft, and sexual sin . Hosea declares that unless they repent of these sins, God will allow their nation to be destroyed, and the people will be taken into captivity by Assyria, the greatest nation of the time . </P> <P> The prophecy of Hosea centers around God's unending love towards a sinful Israel . In this text, God's agony is expressed over the betrayal of Israel . Stephen Cook asserts that the prophetic efforts of this book can be summed up in this passage "I have been the Lord your God ever since the land of Egypt; you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior" (Hosea 13: 4) Hosea's job was to speak these words during a time when they had been essentially forgotten . </P> <P> The Book of Hosea contains a number of YHWH prophecies and messages for both Judah and Northern Israel (Samaria). These are delivered by the prophet Hosea . </P> <P> A brief outline of the concepts presented in the Book of Hosea exist below: </P>

Who was the book of hosea written to