God’s Lawsuit because Israel Does Not Know God (4:1–6:6): This new section was likely presented to the people during the reign of Pekah, either just before or during the Syro-Ephraimite War (5:8–9). It appears that the people of Israel do not realize just how terrible their sins are or how their sins have made it impossible to maintain their covenant relationship with God, so Hosea explains the seriousness of this matter by presenting God’s case against his unfaithful people in an imaginary court of law (4:1–3). In such a context the evidence can be fairly and fully presented and evaluated by a judge, and God can produce an unbiased verdict. God’s initial charge is …