הושע, פרק י״ב, פסוק י״א

God has continually reached out to guide His people, using a rich variety of methods to warn them, correct their behavior, and encourage their return to Him. Driven by deep care and providence, He chose many different ways to reveal His messages.

God communicated directly with the prophets [רד״ק] regarding the actions of the nation. His goal was to caution the Israelites, offer rebuke, and urge them to leave their path of deceit [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. To make sure this message was widely heard, God sent a vast number of messengers. For example, during the era of Ahab, hundreds of Elijah's students were active in spreading God's word [מלבי״ם]. Another perspective connects this communication to dream prophecies given to early prophets, which served as advance warnings about impending disasters and punishments [אברבנאל].

Beyond verbal communication, God granted the prophets actual visual experiences [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. He provided these prophetic sights frequently and consistently over a long span of time [רד״ק]. These messages were then delivered to the nation through the direct mission of the prophets [רד״ק].

To communicate these divine concepts effectively, God employed imagery and parables. The primary approach among commentators is that God conveyed His ideas through everyday allegories, ensuring the message would be easily understood and taken to heart by the people [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. In addition to verbal stories, the prophets were shown physical objects in their visions to serve as concrete symbols of the prophecy [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, God would reveal Himself through specific visual images, which the prophets were then required to translate into spoken words for the nation to hear [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Just as God communicated with the prophets in the past, He will continue to reveal future events to the prophets yet to come [אברבנאל].