Hosea is a Hebrew word that means salvation.  The prophet was given a unique ministry because he was told to take an adulterous woman as his wife.  This is normally a bad idea, but God was going to use his family as an object lesson.  If that sounds horrifying to you, I would agree on a few different levels.

Amos is the first Minor Prophet that we will consider in our new Bible study: Minor Prophets Major Messages. In this book God does not hold back. He unleashes threats that would be made real in just a few years. The economic good times didn’t help Israel as they turned back from our God. Amos has some surprising insights into our culture as well. That days are evil!