Romans and the Book of Hosea

We’re now at a major turning point in our verse-by-verse study of the book of Romans.
Romans chapters 9 – 11 turn the focus of God’s plan to Israel.
The church, the Body of Christ, receives its doctrine from Paul’s epistles, revealed by Christ according to the mystery. Hosea is not part of that revelation, yet 2 Timothy 3:16 says all Scripture is profitable, for our doctrine, for our learning and for reproof and correction and instruction in righteousness.
Hosea’s audience are the northern tribes (Israel, Ephraim) before their fall into captivity. God uses the personal marriage of Hosea to illustrate Israel’s adultery with God, God’s response, and the love He displayed by their return to Him.

The study of Hosea is extremely helpful for understanding the failure of Israel and how God will bring them back, which is the subject of Romans chapters 9–11.
Why does Paul care about Israel so much?
Paul’s concern for Israel in Romans is not just personal, although he is a Jew and an Israelite but it wasn’t simply because of his personal history in the nation, even though that was part of it.  It had to do with God’s covenant with Israel. That’s important because if that covenant was broken the entire Word of God can’t be trusted.
Hosea describes Israel’s unfaithfulness, judgment, and promised return. Paul quotes Hosea in Romans 9, especially Hosea 1:10 where Israel, once called “not my people” by God, was then later called “sons of the living God.” Understanding Hosea helps us see why Paul uses these prophecies and how they relate to Israel’s fall and future restoration and also to see how important that is for us to know in order to understand our standing with God and our own salvation.

Click or Press here to go to the Veses by Verse study of Hosea