The first three chapters of Hosea are about how Hosea and his adulteress wife, Gomer, represent God and Israel. God told Hosea to take an unfaithful wife so that he could use him and his wife as an example for the Israelites when they sinned. Every time Gomer sleeps with another man, Hosea always forgives her and takes her back. In the same way, Israel always sins and God never abandons them. Also, God tells Hosea to name his children No Mercy, and Not My People to represent how God will have no mercy for theIsraelites and they will no longer be his people. Israel sins but, of course, God still forgives them and restores them. In chapter four and five it's about how Israel has rejected the Lord so God will punish them and reject them also. Chapter five is more about how God will bring judgment upon them for their sin and rejection. Chapter six is about how God is saying that Israel only acknowledges the Lord when they want to be restored but God is not having it this time. Chapter fourteen is about God saying if the Israelites will repent then he will restore him because his anger has turned away from them.

My favorite verse: Romans 7:19: "19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing." In Hosea 14:1 "14 Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall!" God understands that the Israelites don't want to sin just like Paul says in Romans so he gives us grace and forgiveness. 

Application: Israel kind of reminds me of myself sometimes. Like, I don't want to sin like it says in Romans 7:19 but I still do and God knows that, so he gives me grace. I always get mad at him when something doesn't go my way but he forgives me anyways and I always go back to the same old sins and I know I'm sinning  and he knows that too. Yet, he still takes me back every time.