Hosea lived in the nation of Judah but his message was to the kings of the northern nation of Israel. The Lord instructed Hosea to do a very difficult thing, to marry a woman who was a known prostitute, God commanded this because of Israels adultery against Him and He desired to work His word into the life of the prophet. Hosea was the instructed by the Lord what to name each of his children the first was Jezreel scattered , the second was Lo-ruhamah no mercy the third was Lo-ammi not my people each of these childens names was reminder to all around them that the Lord would scatter the nation of Israel and would not show mercy to them as they no longer wanted to be His people. The Lord showed His love for the people in the life of Hosea in that when his adulterous wife was living with another man Hosea still povided for her, such is the Lord attitude of grace towards us in that even though we go astray He still mercifully provides for us.
