Hosea was the last of the prophets of the northern kingdom. Fortunately, the book that bears his name has been preserved. When the Assyrians overran the land, someone escaped to the south and brought the manuscript to the city of Jerusalem. An important document, it represents in some respects the highest achievements in the development of the religious ideals of Israel. Here, we find for the first time the conception of Yahweh as a god of love. Earlier notions emphasized power and justice as the essential characteristics of the deity. Hosea does not eliminate these qualities, but he makes them subordinate to love and mercy. The way in which he arrives at this new conception is of particular interest: From the account given in the first three chapters of the book, we can infer that he came to his conclusions partly as a result of his own experiences. While in one sense Hosea's newfound wisdom was a revelation from Yahweh, we must bear in mind that even a divine revelation can be communicated to human beings only through the use of finite channels. True, a perfect understanding of the nature of deity is beyond any human capacity; nevertheless, it is possible to know something about the nature of deity provided similarities or resemblances exist between the human and the divine. On this assumption, we can reasonably suppose that the most adequate conception of deity will be derived from those experiences that are regarded as the noblest and best that human beings have ever observed in their own lives.
Connect with CliffsNotes
