PROPHET HOSEA WAS A CONTEMPORARY WITH BOTH THE PROPHET ISAIAH AND AMOS. A PERSONAL LOOK WILL ENABLE US TO SEE THE CONDITION OF GODâ€"S PEOPLE AT THE TIME HOSEA MAKES HIS DECLARATIONS FOR GOD. THE CONDITION OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL IS SIMILAR IN MANY WAYS TO OUR CONDITION. IN SO MANY WAYS, THE PHRASE OF CHARLES DICKENS IS STRANGELY APPROPRIATE, “IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES -- IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMESâ€�. IN APPEARANCE, THE COUNTRY LOOKED AS IF IT WAS BLESSED. LUXURY AND EXTRAVAGANCE WERE EVIDENT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE PEOPLE APPEARED TO BE BOTH DEVOTED AND ACTIVE IN SPIRITUAL THINGS; THEY WERE EXPERIENCING UNPRECEDENTED FREEDOM AND NATIONAL SECURITY. YET, IN REALITY THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE WERE EMPTY AND FAR FROM GOD, THEIR RELIGION WAS SHALLOW, AND CORRUPTION WAS RAMPANT. GODâ€"S INITIAL COMMAND TO HOSEA TO TAKE A WIFE WHO WOULD BECOME A HARLOT WAS A VIVID ILLUSTRATION THAT AS AN ADULTEROUS WIFE WAS UNFAITHFUL TO HER HUSBAND, SO THE NATION OF ISRAEL WAS UNFAITHFUL TO THEIR GOD. GOD HAD BLESSED SPIRITUALLY AND MATERIALLY, AND AS A RESULT, THE PEOPLE HAD RESPONDED, NOT IN OBEDIENCE AND DEVOTION, BUT WITH THE ABANDONMENT OF SERVICE, MORALITY, AND INTEGRITY. INSTEAD OF LIVING FOR GOD, THEY WERE LIVING FOR THEMSELVES. DEVOTION TO GOD WAS FAST BEING REPLACED BY DEVOTION TO PLEASURE AND SELF. GOD, NOW THROUGH HOSEA, ANALYZES THEIR UNFAITHFULNESS AND DECLARES HIS JUDGMENT ON THEIR ACTIONS AND ATTITUDES!