Hosea, or what happens when a prophet is told to marry a prostitute

Imagery portrays God as both devourer and giver of life

The God of Hosea isn’t always a friendly God; in one place, the author refers to Yahweh as an angry she-bear. Photo by Mana5280, used under terms of the Unsplash license.

Hosea is the story of a prophet whose life itself is an allegory. It’s a story about grace and mercy given under difficult circumstances.

Hosea is known as one of the minor prophets — no…