The Judean prophet, Amos, it will be remembered, drew a picture of God as a stern judge and Israel as the criminal. Israel is proved guilty of all the prophet's accusations, and the Judge pronounces sentence. The experiences that led the Samarian, Hosea, to prophesy were different than those of the Tekoan. Understanding the lasting love that dwelt within him for Gomer, and how he yearned for her return to him, he cried out to his people, from the depths of a wounded heart, speaking through the inspiration of a loving and merciful God: "O my people! How can I give thee up, O Ephraim! How can I surrender thee, O Israel! How can I give thee up as Admah! Or make thee as Zeboim! My heart asserts itself: My sympathies are all aglow. I will not carry into effect the fierceness of my anger; I will not turn to destroy Ephraim. For God am I, and not man, Holy in the midst of thee; Therefore I will not utterly consume. Turn thou to thy God, Keep kindness and justice, And wait for thy God continually." Although Hosea saw that he was laboring to no good effect, he did not for an instant give up. Time and again he recalled the early days of love and devotion between God and Israel. He recounted the times when Israel deserted God, from the Exodus on, but God always received Israel back, when the people repented of their sins and returned to acts of justice, righteousness and love. "I am the Lord, thy God, from the land of Egypt; Thou knowest no God but Me, And besides Me there is no Savior." Hosea could not conceive the idea that God would desert Israel forever. He recognized, however, that the doom of the sinful nation was sealed. And so he read the drama of Israel in his own life. Assyria would destroy Samaria. Israel would leave the fatherland as Gomer left her home. In exile Israel would learn through suffering and hardships as Gomer had done. Israel would redeem itself and, eventually, would return to God. God, loving Israel always, would wait to receive His repentant people, as he himself had received Gomer. And so Hosea drew a beautiful picture of that future day in these words: "And I will betroth thee unto me forever. Yea, I will betroth thee unto me with righteousness, And with justice and with loving-kindness and in mercy; Yea, I will betroth thee unto me with faithfulness, And thou shalt know God." * * * * * The compiler of the fragments of Hosea's speeches in the book bearing the prophet's name--the most fragmentary book in the Bible, and from which this story has been built up--concludes his labors with this admonition: "Whoso is wise, let him understand these things; Whoso is prudent, let him realize them; For straight are the ways of the Lord. The righteous walk in them, But transgressors stumble upon them." THE STATESMAN PROPHET