Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea, the last six rulers of the Northern Kingdom? Perhaps Hosea is reminding his listeners that the kings of Israel who rule in Samaria have actually usurped the throne from the legitimate royal line, the kings of the house of David who rule in Jerusalem. The beginning of the Lord’s call to Hosea is startling, to say the least. Even before the prophet begins to preach, the Lord calls him to proclaim his message with his own body and life. By worshiping the Canaanite