Lessing, R. Reed & Andrew E. Steinmann. Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Introduction to the Old Testament. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2014. Chapter 28, “Hosea” pp. 451-460.
Lessing places Hosea shortly after Amos. He overlaps with Isaiah and with Micah (Lessing 2014, 451). Counter to form critical scholars, Lessing finds considerable consistency in the text. He does recognize that some portions show evidence of being oral prophecies which were later written (Lessing 2014, 452). He also recognizes the writing as “rough, disjointed, jagged, and choppy” (Lessing 2014, 453). This leaves scholars with considerable difficulty identifying an outline (Lessing 2014, 454). The book, with a strong Northern dialect, has many textual problems. The text recognizes a clear Assyrian threat (Lessing 2014, 455). Though only one king is mentioned in Hosea, Lessing assigns the events to the period 760-715.
Hosea’s marriage and family have drawn a great deal of commentary (Lessing 2014, 456). While the questions are fairly plain, the answers are not. The family, however, makes for an apt parallel between God and Israel when compared with Hosea and his wife. Lessing does not that the harsh treatment Hosea gives to his wife is opposed to the rule in the Old Testament, where women are treated with more dignity (Lessing 2014, 457).
Hosea looks to a new David, a figure fulfilled in Christ (Lessing 2014, 457). The metaphor of a faithful husband collecting his wayward wife also suggests Christ and the Church. The concern with sin and grace is clear throughout the text.