Location of Hosea’s Ministry

How can we tell that the prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel?

Answer:

We can tell that the prophet Hosea ministered in the northern kingdom of Israel through various ways and passages in the book itself. For instance, in the superscription of the book, in 1:1, we read the list of kings contemporary with Hosea when the word of the Lord came to him during their reigns. One of them was king Jeroboam the son of Joash, or Jeroboam II, who was one of the kings of Israel. This shows that the ministry of Hosea was associated with the kingdom of Israel. Also, throughout the book we see the Lord directly addressing Israel. He talks about the coming judgment against Israel, and exposes the deeds of the people of Israel because of their sins. For example, in 1:4, God said that he would put an end to the kingdom of Israel. So, the direct speech or message from the Lord to Israel, in addition to mentioning King Jeroboam, king of Israel, are indications to show that Hosea’s ministry was associated with the northern kingdom of Israel.