Hosea's ministry follows up on his living illustration with a practical explanation of how far Israel had fallen and how. They had forsaken truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God. As a result, God was going to hand them over to idolatry for as long as it took for them to realize all they had lost in the exchange.

1. Truth is the first casualty when we compromise our relationship with God.

2. Mercy is only shown when we first realized how much it has been shown to us.

3. God judges sin with sin."