Hosea, Prophet to Israel
(The Book of Hosea)
March 22, 2026
Sunday Recap
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Sunday Recap •
Hey Fams!
Although God had been faithful to the people of Israel, they were not faithful to God. The Israelites continued to disobey God, following worthless idols and acting wickedly. Israel even turned to other nations during times of trouble, trusting in the power of man over God. God warned Israel of their unfaithfulness and showed His faithful love through the prophet Hosea.
Though Israel was far from Him, God wanted to show a picture of His great love and relentless pursuit of His people through Hosea’s life. God instructed Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer, explaining that she would not be faithful to him. Yet, God told Hosea to remain committed to her.
Hosea obeyed God and married Gomer. As God said, she was unfaithful to Hosea and left their family. In the same way, the Israelites were unfaithful to God, worshiping idols, acting corruptly, and loving violence. However, God’s love did not relent, and He promised a day when He would forgive and restore them (Hosea 14:4-9).
To show the Israelites the depth of His love, God told Hosea to show love to Gomer, even though she had chosen a life of adultery (Hosea 3:1). Again, Hosea obeyed God. He paid the debts Gomer owed and brought her back home to their family.
On the cross, Jesus paid our debt of sin, restoring our relationship with God so we might be with Him forever. When we repent and turn to Jesus, He brings us into His family. Even when believers act unfaithfully, Jesus continues to be faithful and show unending love.
Encourage the children in your care to ask Jesus for forgiveness and praise Him for His unfailing love. God promised to be faithful to Israel, and He continues to be faithful to us. Point children to God’s promises to Israel and the way these words of hope echo into Jesus’ promises to followers of Christ to heal them, love them, and not be angry with them (Hosea 14:4).
** Next week: The Northern Kingdom was Destroyed (Read 2 Kings 17)
Family Discipleship Plan
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Family Discipleship Plan •
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Read the book of Hosea from the Bible.
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Hosea was a prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel for at least forty years. God sent Hosea to tell Israel of God’s hatred toward sin and of His coming judgment. God also sent Hosea to bring a message of love—a love that never gives up.
To get the message across to the Israelites, God used Hosea’s own life to show Israel what a never-gives-up kind of love looks like. The entire book of Hosea beautifully mirrors the love Hosea showed to his unfaithful wife to the way that God loved the unfaithful Israelites.
Hosea obeyed God’s instructions to marry a woman named Gomer. Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea and ran away from him. Hosea loved Gomer as his wife, even though she wasn’t faithful. When she ran away, Hosea brought her back and even paid what she owed others.
It would have been easier for Hosea to end his marriage covenant—to throw up his hands and say, “Enough! I’m done with you!” And it would have been easier for God to end His covenant with the Israelites when they were unfaithful to Him.
But God’s love never gives up. We see His beautiful love in Hosea 11. God gave Hosea a love for his wife that compelled him to pay her debts and bring her back home. In a similar way, God sought after His unfaithful people even after all they had done. God paid a high price—the life of His Son, Jesus—to bring them back to Himself.
Israel was not faithful to God, but God was faithful to Israel, just as Hosea loved his wife even when she didn’t love him. God is faithful to save all sinners who repent and trust in Jesus.
Pray: God, thank You for being faithful to us even when we were unfaithful to You. Your love is better than anything we can imagine. Help us to rest in Your love and know that nothing can separate us from You if we have faith in Jesus. Amen.
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Preschool:
"You must follow the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 13:4
1st-5th:
”You must worship him. You must honor him. Keep his commands. Obey him. Serve him. Remain true to him.”
Deuteronomy 13:4 (NIRV) -
Mornings
Ask God to help you listen to His voice and trust in His plan for your life—even when you might not understand everything that is happening. How does the character of God—His goodness, love, faithfulness, and power—help you to trust Him when things scary or hard to understand?Evenings
Ask God to help you see others the way He sees them. Ask Him to give you a compassionate heart that remembers how we are all in need of God’s love and grace. -
For Fun
Talk about or show photographs from a wedding—yours or the wedding of a family member or friend. Talk about the ceremony, the vows, and the love expressed on that day. Talk with kids about how God’s love for us is the greatest love of all and how His love lasts forever.To Serve
Gather some items for care packages that can be shared with those in need. You can create simple care packages for homeless shelters, nursing homes, or even families in your community. Talk with kids about ways you can show God’s compassion found in the story of Jonah by serving others in the community. Just as God showed compassion to Jonah, the people of Nineveh, and us, we are called to extend kindness to others.