Amos laid special stress upon the value of justice and righteousness, but his contemporary, Hosea, indicates how these great qualities are implemented through recognition of God's eternal love and through the sincere repentance of man.
Hosea was possibly the only literary prophet to have come from the northern kingdom of Israel, besides prophesying there. A poet at heart, he dearly loved his native land. His teaching, like that of Christ Jesus, abounds in vivid illustrations of country life; and, like Jesus, he draws simple but effective metaphors from household tasks. "Ephraim," writes Hosea, "is a cake not turned" (Hos. 7:8); and Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to yeast or leaven (see Matt. 13:33).
Hosea's name is significant, coming from the same basic root as the names Joshua and Jesus, a root implying "salvation" or "saviour." This correspondence in name hints at the relation of thought between Hosea and the Messiah's great work.
