Hosea’s Condemnations of Idolatry

Why does Hosea provide such harsh condemnations of idolatry?

Answer:

Israel, instead of showing loyalty and submission to the Lord and worshiping him alone and not other gods, they engaged in worshiping idols and entering into relationships with other nations, which had a negative impact on the people’s loyalty to the Lord. That is why the Lord described the condition of the people as they went “whoring” away from him, because they were engaging with other gods — especially the gods of the Canaanites where adultery and sexual impurity were part of their rituals. So, when the Lord said of the people, or of the land, that it had committed great whoredom, such a phrase not only refers to the spiritual aspect of leaving the Lord and trespassing his covenant, but the literal aspect too, as at that time, the people were indeed worshiping foreign gods through relationships full of sexual practices and immorality.