Hosea prophesied between about 753–722 B.C.

The book shares with other prophets a message that is

‘based squarely on earlier Scripture, and particularly significant are passages such as Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 4:25–31, and Deuteronomy 28–32. In those passages Moses prophesied that Israel would enter the Promised Land, break the covenant, and be driven into exile under the curse of the covenant. From exile, however, they would seek the Lord, finding him faithful to his covenant when they sought him once more with all their hearts (cf. Deut. 5:29).’ (Gospel Transformation Bible)

‘One particularly poignant way in which these salvation themes are seen in Hosea involves the covenant between God and Israel initiated at Sinai being treated as a marriage. This analogy sees all the indictments of Israel’s idolatry as spiritual adultery. In addition, when God promises to save his people after he judges them (ch. 2), he depicts their future salvation as a new marriage ceremony at a new Sinai (cf. esp. 2:14–23). Jesus later came calling himself the bridegroom of God’s people (e.g., Matt. 9:15), and Paul strikingly states that the great mystery of marriage “refers to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32). Jesus comes to initiate the new covenant, which is like the new betrothal prophesied in Hosea 2:14–23 (cf. 2 Cor. 11:2), and it will culminate in “the marriage of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:7), when “the Bride, the wife of the Lamb,” comes “down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God” (Rev. 21:9–11).’  (Gospel Transformation Bible)