Hosea’s Wayward Wife—Hosea 1:1–3:5
Topics: Acceptance, Adultery, Blessing, Children, Consequences, God, Husbands, Judgment, Life-style, Love, Loyalty, Marriage, Name, Obedience, Peace, People, Promises, Prophecy, Punishment, Reconciliation, Relationships, Repentance, Restoration, Sin, Unfaithfulness, Wives
Open It
1. If someone were to select a spouse for you, whom would you trust to make the best choice?
2. What do you like about your name?
3. *What qualities do you cherish about the person who loves you most?
Explore It
1. Who was Hosea? (1:1)
2. When did the Lord speak to the prophet? (1:1)
3. What did the Lord instruct Hosea to do? (1:2–2:1)
4. *What was the symbolism of Hosea’s family? (1:2–2:1)
5. How did Hosea feel about Gomer? (2:2–13)
6. What did God say to Israel through Hosea’s words? (2:2–13)
7. What did the Lord plan to do to win Israel back to himself? (2:14–15)
8. By what name would renewed Israel acknowledge her Lord? (2:16)
9. What would God prohibit? (2:17)
10. What would accompany Israel’s return to the land? (2:18)
11. What would mark the new relationship between the Lord and Israel? (2:19–23)
12. *What commands did the Lord give Hosea? (3:1)
13. How did Hosea respond to the Lord? (3:2–3)
14. What did Gomer’s lengthy probation portray? (3:4)
15. *What would happen after Israel’s period of isolation? (3:5)
Get It
1. What do you expect from God when you “betray” Him repeatedly?
2. *How do you tend to deal with a loved one who has wronged you in some way?
3. How should Christians deal with people in the church who commit adultery?
4. *How is God’s faithfulness to us an example of the way we should treat others?
5. What are the “idols” in your life from which you should turn away?
6. What bruised or broken family relationship of yours needs the healing touch of the Lord?
7. What does this passage say to you about the consequences of sin?
8. In what ways do you think people’s attitudes toward morality have changed over the past ten years?
9. How would you describe the influence of the church on the morals of our society?
10. How can you intervene in someone else’s life to be a force of renewal?
Apply It
1. What step can you take each day to help maintain your faithfulness to the Lord?
2. What loyalties, things, or relationships do you need to hand over to God?
3. *How can you show love and acceptance to someone in your church in desperate need of forgiveness or affirmation?
Israel’s Sinfulness—Hosea 4:1–5:15
Topics: Accountability, Accusation, Adultery, Anger, Conflict, Consequences, Discipline, Disobedience, God, Guilt, Judgment, People, Prophecy, Punishment, Rebellion, Repentance, Sin, Society, War
Open It
1. If you were treated unjustly by someone in your community, how would you want to respond?
2. How do you usually handle feelings of guilt?
3. *If you were to write your local newspaper about a thorny social problem, what would you write about and how would you like the issue resolved?
Explore It
1. *What charge did God bring against Israel? (4:1–2)
2. What would result from Israel’s sin? (4:3)
3. How were the priests implicated in God’s indictment? (4:4–11)
4. How had God’s people sinned? (4:11–14)
5. What warning did God give Judah? (4:15)
6. What had hindered God from shepherding Israel? (4:16–19)
7. To whom was God’s pronouncement of guilt addressed? (5:1–5)
8. *What would God withdraw because of Israel’s unfaithfulness? (5:6–7)
9. Why would the sound of battle be heard among God’s people? (5:8–9)
10. What was God’s charge against Judah? (5:10)
11. How had the process of judgment against Israel already started? (5:11–14)
12. *What was the ultimate purpose of the Lord’s judgment on His people? (5:15)
Get It
1. How should a Christian handle criticism or unsolicited advice from others?
2. What commands from God are difficult for you to obey?
3. When have you experienced God’s hand of discipline in your life?
4. *How is our society like rebellious Israel?
5. How would you describe the spiritual health of your church community?
6. *In what way might the Christian church be partly responsible for the breakdown of morality in our culture?
7. In what ways do you hold yourself accountable to other Christians?
8. How has suffering helped your walk with the Lord?
Apply It
1. *This week what can you do in your community to show the love and righteousness of the Lord?
2. For what Christian leaders in your community can you pray?
3. In what practical way can you be involved in the spiritual restoration of Christians you know who have turned away from the Lord?
Israel’s Punishment—Hosea 6:1–10:15
Topics: Accusation, Actions, Adultery, Anger, Covenant, Deceit, God, Heart, Idolatry, Judgment, Love, People, Possessions, Promises, Prophecy, Punishment, Rejection, Righteousness, Sacrifice, Sin, Suffering
Open It
1. *What are some childhood friendships that went sour by the time you were an adult, and what drove you apart?
2. If a close friend betrayed you, how would you tend to respond (for example, tell others about it, keep it close to your heart, deny that it happened, write down your feelings, etc.)?
3. When do you usually like to say what you think and show your feelings, and when do you prefer to keep your thoughts and emotions to yourself?
Explore It
1. *How would a penitent Israel respond to the Lord? (6:1–3)
2. What was the Lord’s answer to Israel? (6:4–11)
3. What did God want from His people? (6:6)
4. What were Israel’s crimes against the Lord? (6:11–7:16)
5. What had happened to Israel’s kings? (7:6–7)
6. To whom had Israel turned for help? (7:8–9, 11, 16)
7. *How did God’s people show that they had forgotten Him? (8:1–14)
8. How was Israel’s hostility punished? (9:1–9)
9. What were the consequences of Israel’s idolatry? (9:10–17)
10. What was at the heart of affluent Israel’s religion? (10:1–8)
11. How severe was God’s judgment against His people? (10:9–15)
12. *Why did God hold out the possibility of repentance and blessing? (10:12)
Get It
1. Why did Israel deserve God’s judgment?
2. How often do we need to confess our sins to the Lord?
3. *Why is God’s mercy and grace important?
4. Why is God’s mercy and grace important to you personally?
5. In what ways do we always struggle against sin in our life?
6. What does God want us to learn from Israel’s negative example of disobeying to the point of needing to be punished?
7. In your view, how does the church today compare with faithless Israel?
8. What are some of the “idols” you encounter in your own experience?
9. What “idols” do you need to give up in order to serve the Lord?
10. *How would you describe your walk with the Lord in the past few weeks?
11. What is your heartfelt attitude toward your ministry and service in the church?
12. How have you ultimately benefited from the Lord’s discipline and judgment in a specific instance?
Apply It
1. *How can you work on improving your closeness and devotion to the Lord this week?
2. What can you do each day this week to remind yourself of God’s hold on your life?
3. For what act of grace or mercy do you want to thank God?
God’s Love for Israel—Hosea 11:1–14:9
Topics: Anger, Compassion, Consequences, Disobedience, Forgiveness, God, History, Idolatry, Judgment, Justice, Love, Loyalty, People, Possessions, Power, Prophecy, Punishment, Relationships, Renewal, Repentance, Restoration, Righteousness, Sin, Unfaithfulness, Wisdom
Open It
1. What is one good way to express angry feelings?
2. What do you value most in a friendship?
3. *Would you prefer to be known as “loving” or “just”? Why?
Explore It
1. How did God express His love for Israel? (11:1–4)
2. Why did the nation not deserve mercy? (11:5–7)
3. *How did God show that He was torn between love and justice? (11:8–11)
4. What did God say in chastising His prodigal people? (11:12–13:16)
5. What lessons from history did God mention? (12:3–6, 12–13)
6. What fierce doom did Israel face? (13:1–16)
7. How could Israel avoid the fire of judgment? (14:1–3)
8. *What was the promise of restoration? (14:4–6)
9. How would the Lord protect and prosper His people? (14:7–8)
10. What was Hosea’s concluding word of wisdom? (14:9)
11. *What final challenge did Hosea leave the people? (14:9)
Get It
1. In what ways did Hosea show compassion and loyalty?
2. What lessons do you find in the prophet’s message?
3. *How has God shown fatherly love to you?
4. In what variety of ways have you responded to God’s love?
5. How have past events affected your present walk with the Lord?
6. When has godly discipline been a blessing in your life?
7. What place does the Lord have in the life, ministries, and focus of your church?
8. What does facing the Lord’s anger mean to you?
9. *Why is justice an important part of being a Christian?
10. What do you desire most from the Lord?
11. What good things happen in your life when you consistently walk in the ways of the Lord?
Apply It
1. How can you show compassion and loyalty to a troubled friend or family member this week?
2. *What gifts, talents, abilities, or resources can you use to show Christian love and justice toward others?
Adult Questions for LESSONmaker (2024). Bellingham, WA: Logos, p. Ho 1:1–14:9.