Hosea 2:8

Israel failed to acknowledge that it was Yahweh who had provided for her and had given her all she needed when she was pursuing pagan gods (cf. Deuteronomy 7:13; Deuteronomy 11:14; Deuteronomy 26:10). The Israelites used the silver and gold that the Lord had bestowed on them to make idols of Baal, which they credited with their agricultural blessings.

Hosea spoke frequently of knowledge. He traced Israel’s declension back to her lack of knowledge about Yahweh’s bounty in this verse. In the future the Israelites would know the Lord (Hosea 2:20). The prophet bemoaned the lack of knowledge of God that presently existed in the land (Hosea 4:1). The Israelites’ destruction was due to this lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). The fact that they had not known the Lord stood in the way of their return to Him (Hosea 5:4). But when repentance came, they would know and follow on to know the Lord (Hosea 6:3). They would learn that knowledge of the Lord is more important to Him than burnt offerings (Hosea 6:6). The last verse in the book calls the wise to know these things (Hosea 14:9). [Note: Harold P. Barker, Christ in the Minor Prophets, pp. 10-11.]