Such an observation is what seems to have happened in the case of Hosea. The attitude that he displayed toward Gomer in spite of her unfaithfulness to him and the efforts that he put forth to bring about her restoration were recognized at a later time as the noblest and best of all that he ever did. Fittingly, he thinks of Yahweh as one who possesses in an even greater measure those qualities of character that are similar to the best he experienced in his own life. From this reasoning, it follows that Yahweh's attitude toward the erring people of Israel is like that which Hosea displayed toward Gomer. Yahweh's main concern for his people would be to bring about their restoration rather than mete out to them the exact amount of punishment they deserve. In other words, Yahweh's justice is always subordinate to his mercy. Justice in human relationships is based on the idea of equality, which means giving to each person exactly that which is due. According to Hosea, divine justice is determined not so much by what people deserve as by what is necessary in order to bring about the desired reformation on their part.
This new element in the conception of deity had many important consequences for the future development of Israel's religion. For one thing, Yahweh's punishments could be interpreted as remedial rather than retributive. From this point of view, the entire history of the Hebrew people would appear in a new light. The hardships and tragedies that befell them from time to time were for the purpose of teaching them lessons that they refused to learn in any other way. Even the captivity of the nation by a foreign power would not mean that Yahweh had forsaken them. His love for the Israelites was so strong that he would never give them up. Israel was slow in learning the lessons these experiences were designed to teach, but now that an understanding was beginning to break through, at least some hope for the future remained. Eventually, the divine purpose with reference to Israel would be fully realized.
