"Go and marry a prostitute." These are the first words God spoke to his prophet Hosea. Why would he ask this of one of his special spokesman? Because he wanted to teach Hosea, the nation of Israel and all of us today a lesson we will not forget, a lesson that is painful yet joyous.

Hosea's somber portrait of the human condition is our lesson in pain. All of us have played the harlot by forsaking God and his ways. The picture is not pretty but it's true. Yet Hosea clear illustration of God's love for us brings joy. While we are yet sinners, God comes to us and loves us. Derek Kidner imaginatively takes us through the unfolding story of Hosea and his wife, Gomer explaining the basic message, pointing out the subtleties and encouraging readers to live lives worthy of the God who loves the loveless.

About the Bible Speaks Today (BST) Series:

Edited by J.A. Motyer and the late John R. W. Stott, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are characterized by what Stott called a "threefold ideal . . . to expound the biblical text with accuracy, to relate it to contemporary life and to be readable." As such, each contributor in this series is both a noted scholar and a working pastor.

The BST series, now complete, covers all sixty-six books of the bible (Old and New Testaments) in fifty-five volumes. If you preach or teach from Scripture, the Bible Speaks Today series will help you apply the timeless biblical message to the everyday experiences of your listeners. And if you study the Bible on your own, these volumes will be a helpful resource focusing on the significance of God's Word for your own life and work.