How Has God Changed Throughout The Book Of Hosea

God appears to have changed throughout the book of Hosea. For anyone else this would not be a problem, but for a christian, God is perfect, unchanging, eternal, and the thought of God changing could be troubling. Hebrews 13:8 says “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” The big question for christians pertaining to Hosea is, does God change, and in what ways does he or does he not? Based on the verse quoted above, God does not change, but Hosea contradicts that statement. God himself does not change, but his feelings towards his disobedient children can change. Hosea is a prophet, who was called by God to give a direct message to the Israelites. He was told by God to marry Gomer, who was a prostitute. They had three children: Jezreel, which means to punish; Lo-ruhama, which means no mercy; and Lo- ammi, which means not my people. The names of Hosea’s children correlate to the way God felt towards the people of Israel. God disowns his people and punishes them with no mercy for all the wrong they have done. They have committed adultery, prostitution,
idolatry, and are not repenting for their actions. Later in Hosea God changes the way he feels about his people, in Hosea 2:23 he says “I will have mercy on No Mercy, and I will say to Not My People, ‘you are my people’; and he shall say, ‘you are my God.” In the book of Hosea there are many different kinds of trends. The reader can see the kindness and harshness of God and Hosea throughout the book. In Hosea 2:2, Hosea disowns Gomer because she is a prostitute and has now put that lifestyle upon their children, and has done many other terrible things toward him. Then, in Hose 2:14, he brings her back in and speaks kindly towards her. The reader also sees a change similar to this when considering God. Throughout Hosea, with the exception of chapter 2, the reader can see the wrath of God. A harshness that might be surprising to most christians, but the reader can see what appears as a change in God’s heart in Hosea 11:8. It talks about God’s heart recoiling and compassion growing within him. He shows undeserved grace towards the Israelites without them asking for forgiveness for a the wrong they have done. Finally, we see God’s acceptance and rejection in Hosea 11 and 13. The reader can see God’s acceptance and rejection in Hosea 11 and 13. The reader can see God’s love and acceptance in Hosea 11:10, describing God as a lion welcoming his trembling children. Then, the reader is exposed to harshness and destruction in Hosea 13:7-9. God is going to destroy and devour his people. In the book of Hosea, God himself does not change, but his emotions do.
In the beginning of Hosea, God shows anger towards his people, but it is because He loves them not because He is angry at them. God loved the Israelites enough to punish them out of love. The reader knows God’s anger is out of love when he says in Hosea 11:8, “How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.” In this verse, he is illustrating the love and compassion he has for the Israelites, and how he will always love them. God is represented as a father-like figure, someone who always loves his people, but is a jealous God who wants the love of his people. He develops an anger towards the Israelites when the relationship they were supposed to have with God became
distant.