1. The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, {and} Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. / 2. The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. →

Alright, folks, so here's the scoop on Hosea 1. Basically, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer, which is a pretty weird thing to do - but hey, it makes for a good story, I guess. So Hosea does, and it's pretty messed up. →

Joe: Alright, let's talk about Hosea 1. Our guest is a Bible Expert, he's here to explain to us what this chapter is all about. So Bible Expert, what's going on in Hosea 1? Bible Expert: Hosea 1 tells the story of Hosea, a prophet of God, and his wife Gomer, who was unfaithful to him. →

Alex Trebek: And now, let's get to know our contestant. What do you do for work? Contestant: I'm a Bible scholar, so I'm familiar with the book of Hosea. Alex Trebek: That's great, tell me about it. →

HOSEA 1: Listen up, maggots! Hosea was a prophet of God and he was commanded to marry a prostitute. Hosea had three children with her, two of which were named after God's judgement on Israel. God told Hosea to name his first child Jezreel, which means God will scatter. →

Batman: Greetings, Robin. Our mission today is to explore the book of Hosea. Robin: What shall we discover, Batman? Batman: Hosea 1 tells us about the prophet's call to preach God's word. He was told to marry an adulterous woman, a sign of God's love for Israel despite their unfaithfulness. →

Folks, here's the deal. Hosea was a prophet during the time of the northern kingdom of Israel, and God told him to marry a woman who was going to be unfaithful. Now, that's no malarkey. See here, Jack, it was meant to be a sign to the people of Israel. →

Hosea 1 is truly an amazing chapter! God told Hosea, one of the great prophets, to marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her. This was a great metaphor for how God's people were unfaithful to Him. →

Peter (as Hosea): Alright God, what do you want me to do? God: I want you to marry a prostitute, Hosea. Peter (as Hosea): Whoa, you sure about that? God: Yes, I am. Her name is Gomer and she will be an illustration of my people who have broken their covenant and turned away from me. →