What is love?

The Bible has much to say in answer to this deceptively tricky question, but perhaps few biblical perspectives on love are more startling or more confronting than the picture offered by the prophet Hosea. It's here that the God of the universe is depicted as a scorned, betrayed husband—one whose selfless love has been thrown aside by a spiritually adulterous people.

We might wonder how we would respond to being treated this way, but what about the holy, righteous God? How will he respond to his perfect, steadfast love being spurned by an ungrateful bride? What does he demand from his people, and how can they return to him? How will he continue to show his love?

Hosea, the 8th-century 'minor prophet'—minor in length but major in message—answers these and many other vital questions. Presenting us with God's holiness and unending love, it's an ancient book with an urgent message that speaks compellingly to us today.

9 studies. Leader's notes included.

This Bible study resource is part of our series of Pathway Bible Guides. This series aims to provide simple, straightforward Bible study material for:

• Christians who are new to studying the Bible (perhaps because they've been recently converted or because they have joined a Bible study group for the first time)
• Christians who find other studies (such as the Interactive Bible Studies) too much of a stretch
• groups with limited time for study.

Accordingly, we've designed the studies to be short, straightforward and easy to use, with an uncomplicated vocabulary. At the same time, we've tried to do justice to the passages being studied, and to model good Bible-reading principles. We've tried to be simple without being simplistic; no-nonsense without being no-content.

The questions and answers assume a small group context, but can be easily adapted to suit different situations, such as individual study and one-to-one.