Hosea 10:12

The prophet appealed to the Israelites to repent. They should cultivate righteousness with a view to reaping the Lord’s kindness (Heb. hesed). Breaking up fallow ground is what a farmer does when he plows land that has remained untouched for a long time, even forever (cf. Jeremiah 4:3). This is a figure for confessing sins and exposing them to God when they have remained unconfessed under the surface of life for a long time. It was time for the people to seek Yahweh, whom they had failed to seek in repentance for so long. They should confess and repent until the Lord sent the blessings of righteousness (deliverance, cf. Hosea 2:19) on them like rain (cf. Hosea 6:3).

This well-known verse is a good summary of what all Israel’s prophets appealed to God’s people to do throughout their history (cf. 2 Corinthians 6:2).