Central Idea

God earnestly seeks the repentance of Israel through two means: pointing briefly to the promised grace he has just described (1:10-11) and urging her to consider the judgment to come because of her spiritual adulteries.

[[ Note: English versification has been utilized for both arc and notes. ]]

How do the major arcs connect?

Firstly, 2:1 relates to 2:2-13 as a Series of appeals--love and fear. First God points to his heart of mercy (bringing to mind the promises expressed in the two previous verses) and secondly warning of God's fierce wrath that looms over them. Within the warning, 2:3-13 acts as the Ground of 2:2, in essence saying "Plead with her for repentance, because great judgment is coming." Finally, with 5c-e we arrive to the Bilateral base reason for all of the judgment expressed in 2:3-13. (For more on this basis, see below.)

Does 2:1 belong with what proceeds or what follows?

Some commentators argue that 2:1 actually fits together with the proceeding verses and not this passage. The obvious reason for this is thematic. 1:10-11 clearly speak of promised future mercy, and so 2:1 seems to continue this theme. However, its grammatical style fits far better with 2:2-13, because of the command "Say..." that parallels "Plead..." in vs2. For this reason, I think it is better to understand 2:1 to be the start of a new discourse that makes a clear reference to what has proceeded. (The names "my people" and "mercy" are a fresh way of expressing the transformation of curse into blessing that 1:10-11 represents by leaving off "not" and "no" respectively.)

Is this passage talking about Hosea and his wife or God and Israel?

In a word: yes. In fact you could add to this list an owner with his animal. As is common in prophetic literature, this passage weaves in and out of speaking of the analogy and its referent. Yet we would be correct to assert, I think, that the entire passage--in essence--refers to both the entire time.

Word Biblical Commentary notes an additional shift of metaphor in vs6. "[T]he punishment will be that applied to a dumb animal who tends to wander off from its owner. Israel will be restrained like a cow, sheep or donkey—hedged and walled in—so that she cannot find the paths she was accustomed to taking."

What is the basis of why Israel/Gomer has gone astray?

This is a very important question, for we do not want to ourselves do likewise! The answer is found in the second half of vs5 (and repeated in part in vs8 and the end of vs13). Her problem in essence: mistaking the source of blessing. 

See God, being the source of all joy and mirth, will not suffer his people to enjoy his gifts and forget him. While the Lord offers unspeakable joy (Ps 16:11) freely to whomever would have it (Is 55:1), he offers none (more, he warns of judgment) to those who would have this joy apart from him.

We find this warning expressed elsewhere in a variety of ways. God is a jealous God (Ex 20:5), and all who would please him must also know him as rewarder (Heb 11:6). Moreover, it is not for no reason that James warns us of the deception of misplacing the origin of gifts--life and death are on the line (James 1:15-18).

QUESTION THAT REMAINS: How is Gomer's thinking different than that of the Prodigal Son?

In vs7, Gomer/Israel says "I will go and return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now." But as vs8 and following seem to indicate, this does not suffice as proper repentance before God. However, when the Prodigal Son reasons to himself in Luke 15:17 that it is better for him to return home because of better conditions, he is accepted. I welcome your comments on what you think makes the difference?

Note the remarkable comparison of this entire passage to Ezek 16.