DBG - September 20 - Hosea 8-14

In this chapter the vain hopes of Israel against judgment are revealed.

vs. 1-3 – The eagle represents Assyria who will shortly invade Israel.  They attempt to claim relationship with God, but they have long ago rejected anything holy.

vs. 4 – They trusted in their leaders, schemes, and wealth.  All would fail them.

vs. 5-6 – Their idols could not deliver them or themselves from destruction.

vs. 7-10 – The nation had attempted in vain to secure aid through diplomacy and alliances.  What they had done was pay for the attention of others who would not aid them.

vs. 11-14 – The Northern Kingdom thought they were worshipping God in their idolatrous actions.  It is amazing that they could become so deluded, but most people do the same today.  They assume whatever they do is accepted by God instead of listening to what God actually desires.

In this chapter the coming judgment is described.

vs. 1-9 – The Assyrians will take the survivors of the Northern Kingdom captive.  They will move them to new homes spread throughout their empire.  Some of the elite will seek refuge in Egypt but they will not escape the coming judgment.  In vs. 9 the terrible crime at Gibeah in Judges 19:22-30 is used as a comparison to their present sins.

vs. 10-17 – The nation will be left barren by judgment.  In vs. 10 the judgment at Baalpeor in Numbers 25:1-15 is recalled, where 24,000 died after Israel embraced idolatry.  Similar crime and punishment were at hand.  The people will be dispersed among the Gentiles.

In this chapter God uses agriculture to picture the coming judgment.

vs. 1-11 – Israel is compared to a vine that is uncultivated and wild.  It grows unpruned and its purpose unfulfilled.  Instead of producing fruit it grows even larger.  God sought fruit from it but found none.  They promised a harvest but only poison came forth.  In vs. 8 is another reference to Bethel (“house of God” as Aven (“iniquity”), just as we saw in Hosea 4:15.  There is a lot of agricultural imagery in vs. 11.  First, the heifer treading the corn in a mill had a cushy job with lots of snacking (Deuteronomy 25:4).  Below this job, and with much harder labor, was being yoked to a plow and pulling it over fields.  Ephraim is thus humbled, with Judah working alongside, with Jacob, or Israel itself, having the lowly job of busting up chunks of earth the blow didn’t properly work.

vs. 12-15 – We note that the laws of sowing and reaping are in affect (Galatians 6:7-9). In vs. 14, Shalman and Betharbel are mentioned, which probably are references to a great victory by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser.  This was a recent event for Hosea but is sadly lost to history for his.  Note the name change of Bethel (“house of God”) in vs. 15.  It is no longer Bethaven (“house of iniquity”).  Why?  The idols have been removed through judgment.

In this chapter the rebellion of the people against a caring God is revealed.

vs. 1-11 – God had been good to Israel.  He had delivered them from Egypt and guided them as one does a toddler.  The people had forgotten this and turned to idols.  In vs. 8 we see Admah and Zeboim, which were cities near Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:2, 19:25) that were destroyed with those wicked cities (Deuteronomy 29:23).  If God had judged those wicked places, should He not judge the horrible sins of His own people?  He had to purge their sins through judgment until only a faithful remnant remained.

vs. 12 – This verse transitions into the next chapter.  It jumps back from the return of a faithful remnant to the corruption of that present time.

In this chapter God uses history to rebuke present sins.

vs. 1-2 – These continue the thoughts from Hosea 11:12.  Ephraim is very unstable, carried away by every breeze.  They are also playing a dangerous political game trying to build alliances with Assyria and Egypt.  After quickly bringing in the Southern Kingdom into the scene, the attention focuses on all of Jacob’s descendants (all of Israel), regardless of the Kingdom they claim.

vs. 3-6 – God brings the past of Israel to their remembrance.  Who were they?  They were descendants of the rascal Jacob, who grew to be a great man of faith.

vs. 7-14 – The nation boasted of its own strength.  God had to remind them again of who they were.  He reminds them in vs. 12 of Genesis 29 and their humble origins from a man who worked for years to marry his wives. He turns in vs. 13 to Moses and Joshua to bringing them from being slaves in Egypt to settlers in Canaan.  Again, a reminder of their humble origins.  Who had brought Israel power and riches?  God!  God would judge them for their pride and arrogance.

In this chapter we see the judgment coming for Ephraim.

vs. 1-8 – Ephraim as a tribe, with Jeroboam as its representative, elevated themselves above the other tribes when the kingdom divided (I Kings 12:19-20).  Then through Jeroboam the corrupted religion was introduced (I Kings 12:26-33).  God is a jealous God.  He requires worship as the one and only true God.  He brought them through their lean years only to be forgotten in their prosperity.  Now He will move lie fierce predators in His judgment.

vs. 9-11 – God never intended for Israel to have a king other than Himself.  They looked at other kingdoms and wanted what those had, not what God desired (I Samuel 8:5,20).  However, God foresaw the kingdom, made provision for it (Deuteronomy 17:14-20), and worked through it (setting up the Messiah’s reign).  Ultimately God will be their true king, which the coming judgment will reveal.

vs. 12-14 – Terrible judgment was coming.  The danger is compared to a difficult childbirth in vs. 13.  God will be their hope in salvation and restoration after judgment.

vs. 15-16 – The desolation following the coming judgement is described.  The east wind from Hosea 12:1 makes a return appearance.

In this chapter are promises beyond judgment.

vs. 1-3 – The call for repentance.

vs. 4-9 – The blessedness of the coming restoration.  This again is two-fold in its fulfillment.  First, in the return from the Captivity.  Second, in the End Times for the Millennial Kingdom. Hosea summarizes his entire message in the last words of this book: Follow God!  It is a similar to Solomon’s conclusion in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14.

One of my favorite features of today’s reading are the history lessons God uses. Israel got in trouble when they forgot who they were, where they came from, and Who had brought them to a place of blessing. We face the same dangers in our own hearts. We must remind ourselves often just how good God has been to us.

Our hymn today is “Depth of Mercy!  Can There Be?” written by Charles Wesley in 1740.  It reflects the wonder of a God who has mercy upon sinners.

Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for me?
Can my God His wrath forbear,
Me, the chief of sinners, spare?

I have long withstood His grace,
Long provoked Him to His face,
Would not hearken to His calls,
Grieved Him by a thousand falls.

I my master have denied,
I afresh have crucified,
And profaned His hallowed name,
Put Him to an open shame.

I have spilt His precious blood,
Trampled on the Son of God,
Filled with pangs unspeakable,
I, who yet am not in hell!

Lo! I still walk on the ground:
Lo! an advocate is found:
Hasten not to cut him down,
Let this barren soul alone.

Jesus speaks, and pleads His blood!
He disarms the wrath of God;
Now my Father’s mercies move,
Justice lingers into love.

Kindled His relentings are,
Me He now delights to spare,
Cries, How shall I give thee up?
Lets the lifted thunder drop.

Whence to me this waste of love?
Ask my advocate above!
See the cause in Jesus’ face,
Now before the throne of grace.

There for me the Savior stands,
Shows His wounds and spreads His hands.
God is love! I know, I feel;
Jesus weeps and loves me still.

Jesus, answer from above,
Is not all Thy nature love?
Wilt Thou not the wrong forget,
Permit me to kiss Thy feet?

If I rightly read Thy heart,
If Thou all compassion art,
Bow Thine ear, in mercy bow,
Pardon and accept me now.

Pity from Thine eye let fall,
By a look my soul recall;
Now the stone to flesh convert,
Cast a look, and break my heart.

Now incline me to repent,
Let me now my sins lament,
Now my foul revolt deplore,
Weep, believe, and sin no more.