HOSEA; HUSBAND TO A HARLOT
INTRODUCTION
Hosea was the first of the minor prophets. This prophet's name would
be, Joseph in English. Hosea is a name related to Joshua, which means
"salvation."
Hosea was apparently a native of the northern kingdom. Hosea was one of the few prophets who ministered in the Northern Kingdom. Israel, had great prophets such as Elijah, Elisha, these were non-writing prophets, we have no prophetic books bearing their names.
Hosea was a young preacher in the the northern kingdom.
The prophet Hosea was contemporary with the prophets Isaiah and Amos.
Hosea lived, during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah. Hosea lived durng the reign of Jeroboam, the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Jeroboam was one of the most wicked and ungodliest kings to ever rule Israel.
Hosea, taught during the days of Jeroboam II which was about 745 B C.
Hos. 1:1 The word of Jehovah that came unto Hosea the son
of Beeri, in the days
of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days
of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
The nation was going through a spiritually hard time, when the word of Jehovah came to Hosea.
Under the reign of Jeroboam II, Israel lived in peace and great prosperity.
The nation and the people had become very idle and began to trust in their wealth.
Because of these conditions, religion and politics, had become wasteful and corrupt. The land was full of tyranny.
Idleness along with the abundance of money, produceded ungodliness and immorality.
Israel had abandoned God and the law. Study of the law of God had been forsaken.
The people forgot the law of God, this created ignorance of God and his word, this was a major cause of their infidelity.
Hos. 4:1 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for
Jehovah hath a controversy
with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness,
nor
knowledge of God in the land.
Hos. 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest
to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget
thy children.
Hos. 6:6 For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and
the knowledge of God more
than burnt-offerings.
The prophet Hosea had a deep understanding of the political corruption and social sins of this time.
Hosea's own personal life would become a parable to Israel.
Hosea married a prostitute, the couple had three children.
Gomer was the unfaithful wife that would desert Hosea.
Hosea would later buy her back from her lover, because of his great loved for her, he would also forgive her.
This account pictures God's dealings with Israel, his people. This relationship provides the key to the whole book.
Israel, was the bride of God, she has become a faithless, and immoral harlot.
The kings, were chosen in defiance of God, they degraded God's
chosen people to the level of the heathen nations.
MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN OF HOSEA
God instructed Hosea to marry. Hosea was a bachelor, and God
said, "I want you to find a wife."
The bride of Hosea would be Gomer, a wife taken from the children of Israel.
God had commanded Hosea to take a wife, Hosea married a woman named Gomer.
Gomer was the daughter of Diblaim.
Hos. 1:2-3 When Jehovah spake at the first by Hosea, Jehovah
said unto Hosea,
Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredom and children of whoredom; for
the land doth commit great whoredom, departing from Jehovah.
So he
went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; and she conceived, and
bare him a son.
Hosea married his wife, God knew she would become immoral, and unfaithful to Hosea..
There is no evidence that Gomer was sexually promiscuous before the marriage.
Hosea loved his wife very deeply.
Hosea's wife would cause him much agony and grief, he continued to love her and seek her highest good.
Hosea was certainly tested as was Abraham. Surely Abraham was
puzzled by God's instruction to take his son Issac, and kill him as a blood
sacrice. God had instructed Hosea to marry.
Gen. 22:1-18
God does things we don't always understand, things we can't fit into what we think we know of him
Hosea and Gomer had three children, two boys and a girl. God chose the names for these children.
God taught a great lesson through the experience of Hosea.
The message preached by Hosea was of God's judgment and chastisemen,t for the wickedness of the people..
Hosea taught that God was going to raise up the Assyrian nation to punish his people.
The Assyrians were fierce,a ruthless army that would sweep across the land like a scourge.
Hosea writes over a 40 to 70 year period of history.
In this time Israel would go from prosperity and security under Jereboam II 782-753 B.C. , to chaos and anarchy of multiple assassinations.
Four of the last six kings are murdered, Zachariah, Shallum, Pekahiah and Pekhah.
Two kings, Menahem and Hoshea, take the throne after the assassination of a former king.
The people were endangered by Assyrian and Babylonian attacks, but, "a remnant shall return."
The tragedy is that the people paid little attention to Hosea.
They mocked Hosea, saying that Hosea's God was vengeful and rejected his message.
Hosea tried to tell them that God wasn't vengeful, but was full of mercy and love.
God wanted the nation to see that they were destroying themselves, the only way he could get them to listen was to make things punish them.
The people blamed God for all the chaos in Israel.
Hosea was discouraged in the opening of this book of prophecy. Hosea would become a symbol of his message to Israel.
It was customary in Israel to teach by symbols. God often used this method of instructing his people.
Names were very important to the Hebrews.
God often used the meanings of names to teach Israel certain things.
God planned to use this Hosea and his family as a lesson for his people.
This happened also with Isaiah in the Southern Kingdom.
Isaiah, had two sons,. their names had a meaning also.
The youngest son's name was Shearjashub, which means, "a remnant shall return."
God promised Israel they would go into captivity, but a remnant would come back.
Isaiah's oldest son was named Mahershalalhashbaz, which means, "haste to the prey" or "haste to the spoil,"
This was God's prophetic way of telling the nation that they were in grave danger.
Hos. 1:4-9 And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jezreel;
for yet a little while, and
I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause
the
kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. And it shall come
to pass at that day,
that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel. And
she conceived again,
and bare a daughter. And Jehovah said unto him, Call her name Lo-ruhamah;
for I
will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, that I should in any
wise pardon
them. But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will
save them by Jehovah
their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle,
by horses, nor
by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and
bare a son.
And Jehovah said, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and
I will not be
your God.
Hosea and Gomer had their first child and named him, Jezreel.
Hos. 1:4-5 And Jehovah said unto him, Call his name Jezreel;
for yet a little while, and
I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause
the
kingdom of the house of Israel to cease. And it shall come
to pass at that day,
that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
The name Jezreel or, cast-away, was a name of shame in Israel. The name Jezreel would bring up bad memories to Israel.
Jezreel was remembered by Israel in the bloody account of Jezebel and Ahab.
Ahab was a wicked king, he cheated and stole the vineyard of Naboth.
Jezebel was the wife of Ahab, she was a wicked queen who put him up to this sin.
Elisha prophesied that all the house of Ahab would die for their sins. God's judgment fell on Ahab and Jezebel.
Jezebel looked out the upper window one day as Jehu, was in the courtyard. Jehu ordered the servants to throw Jezebel out the window. They threw her out on the pavement and she was killed, the dogs ate her, and the courtyard was called Jezreel ever since.
2 Kng. 9:30-37 And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel
heard of it; and
she painted her eyes, and attired her head, and looked out at the
window. And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, Is it peace,
thou Zimri, thy master's murderer? And he lifted up his face to the
window, and said, Who is on my side? who? And there looked out to
him two or three eunuchs. And he said, Throw her down. So they
threw her down; and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall, and
on the horses: and he trod her under foot. And when he was
come in,
he did eat and drink; and he said, See now to this cursed woman, and bury
her; for she is a king's daughter. And they went to bury her; but
they found
no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands.
Wherefore they came back, and told him. And he said, This is the word of
Jehovah, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In
the portion
of Jezreel shall the dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel;
This was the name God chose for Hosea's his first son.
Hosea gave the name Jezreel, to his baby. Hosea understood, God was warning the people.
Israel is in moral and spiritual bankruptcy. Sin is openly practiced. God was abandoned. Worship of Jehovah was replaced by idols. Hosea shows the inward decay of a collapsing nation. Judgement would come upon Israel.
Israel would be put down if they didn't repent of their sins. Israel would be destroyed, if they didn't turn from idols. God was warning Israel with the name of Hosea's son.
In the course of time, a daughter, was born to Hosea.
God's patience was growing thin. After hundreds of years of trying to reach this stubborn people, he was warning that the end was near. The time would come when he would not pity them but would give them to invading armies.
Gomer delivered another child a daughter, her name given was, Loruhamah, which meant, "no mercy".
Hos. 1:6-7 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter.
And Jehovah said unto him, Call
her name Lo-ruhamah; for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel,
that I should in any wise pardon them. But I will have mercy
upon the house
of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God, and will not save them
by
bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
The judgement of God would be without mercy, the Assyrias army would
capture and take away the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.
The third child born soon after the daughter, Loruhamah, "no mercy",
was weaned.
Their third child was a son. The son was named, Loammi, which meant, "not my people".
God was saying to Israel, "you are not my people and I will not be your God."
Hos. 1:8-9 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and
will save them by Jehovah
their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle,
by horses, nor
by horsemen. Now when she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and
bare a son.
And Jehovah said, Call his name Lo-ammi; for ye are not my people, and
I will not be
your God.
God named these children as a sign to his people. God's love would allow a day of restoration:
Hos. 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will
have mercy upon her
that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them that were not my people,
Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.
Even in the time God announced judgment, his grace also was also being shown.
Hosea gave the promise that God would restore Israel and Judah.
Hos. 1:10-11 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be
as the sand of the sea,
which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that,
in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, it shall
be
said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. And the children
of Judah
and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint
themselves one head, and shall go up from the land; for great shall be
the day
of Jezreel.
THE CHILDREN OF GOMER
Now when there were no more children in Hosea's household. Gomer turns to whoredom, the word God gave Hosea was true.
What a shame and heartache it must have been to the prophet as he heard the talk about his wife.
Gomer's children were born of fornication and whoredom.
Hos. 2:1-4 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters,
Ruhamah. Contend
with your mother, contend; for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband;
and let her put away her whoredoms from her face, and her adulteries from
between her breasts; lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the
day that she
was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and
slay
her with thirst. Yea, upon her children will I have no mercy; for
they are children
of whoredom;
Chapter two is written from the vantage of a husband who has forgiven
his wife for her whoredom time after time, only to be abandoned by her
once and for all.
She is to be put away for her adulteries.
There are Hebrew scholars that have pointed out that these words in verse 2 are like the words used in a Jewish formula for divorce in that day.
Hosea does not say that God divorced Israel, but Jeremiah sometime later states this fact.
Jer. 3:8 And I saw that for all the adulteries of
faithless Israel, I had sent her away and
given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did
not fear; but she
went and was a harlot also.
If you look closely to the words in verse 1, you will notice that Hosea used the positive forms of the children's names there. He addresses "Ammi" and "Ruhamah." The negative "Lo" is dropped. The words mean "mercy" and "my people."
Hosea was probably addressing a small, faithful few who still lived in Israel and had not turned to idols. They were told to contend with their mother, Israel, who was about to be divorced. The words that follow are those of a jealous and frustrated husband.
The people and Gomer's children witnessed her whoredom and adultery.
Hos. 2:5-7 for their mother hath played the harlot; she
that conceived them hath done
shamefully; for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread
and
my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink. Therefore,
behold,
I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her,
that she
shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers,
but she shall not
overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall
she say,
I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me
than now.
The children had a mother that played the harlot. The children were left uncared for while Gomer wasted her time running around with other men.
There is no real fullfillemt or satisfaction for the sinner. The song for the sinner should be, "I can't get no satisfaction".
Heb. 11:24-25 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused
to be called the
son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to share ill treatment
with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Gomer could found no real satisfaction in waywardness.
Hos. 2:6-7 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy
way with thorns, and I will build a
wall against her, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall
follow after
her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but
shall
not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first
husband; for
then was it better with me than now.
Gomer's infidelity symbolized Israel's faithlessness to the covenant of Jehovah.
Gomer was passed from man to man.
At the last she fell into the hands of a man unable to pay for her food and her clothing.
Hos. 2:8-13 For she did not know that I gave her the grain,
and the new wine,
and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used
for Baal. Therefore will I take back my grain in the time thereof,
and
my new wine in the season thereof, and will pluck away my wool and
my flax which should have covered her nakedness. And now will
I uncover
her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out
of my hand.
I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feasts, her new moons, and
her sabbaths,
and all her solemn assemblies. And I will lay waste her vines and
her fig-trees,
whereof she hath said, These are my hire that my lovers have given me;
and I will
make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.
And I will visit upon
her the days of the Baalim, unto which she burned incense, when she decked
herself
with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers, and forgat
me, saith Jehovah.
Gomer's first lover had given her fine garments, but later she would be dressed in rags.
News of her miserable state would come to the prophet, Hosea sought out the man she was with.
Israel did not remember her source of blessings. Israel would soon suffer the loss of everything.
Hos. 2:8 For she did not know that I gave her the grain,
and the new wine, and the oil, and
multiplied unto her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.
Israel was going to be restored.
Hos. 2:14-23 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring
her into the wilderness,
and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards
from
thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she shall make
answer there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came
up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith
Jehovah, that
thou shalt call me Ishi, and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will
take away
the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be mentioned
by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with
the beasts
of the field, and with the birds of the heavens, and with the creeping
things of the
ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the
land,
and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee
unto me for ever;
yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in justice, and
in lovingkindness,
and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness;
and thoushalt know
Jehovah. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will answer,
saith Jehovah,
I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth; and the earth
shall answer
the grain, and the new wine, and the oil; and they shall answer Jezreel.
And I will sow
her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained
mercy;
and I will say to them that were not my people, Thou art my people; and
they shall say,
Thou art my God.
How long the unfaithfulness went on we don't know for sure, the wife Hosea loved was to be sold in the slave market.
Her current lover tire of her and now she is to be sold as a slave.
The brokenhearted prophet didn't know what to do. He wept to God.
God said. "Hosea, do you love this woman in spite of all that she has done to you?"
Hosea nodded through his tears, God said. "Then go show your love for her in the same way that I love the nation Israel."
Hosea goes to the marketplace and Gomer is brought up on the seller's block, she is stripped of her clothing and stands naked before the crowd.
The auctioneer begins the bidding.. Somebody bids three pieces of silver and Hosea raises it to five.
Somebody else bids eight and Hosea bids ten.
Somebody bids eleven; Hosea, bids twelve.
Hosea offeres fifteen pieces of silver and a bushel of barley.
The gavel falls and Hosea has his wife back.
Hosea put clothes on her, and he takes her away by the hand and returns to his home.
What is one of the most beautiful verses in all the Bible.
As Hosea led her away he said to her:
Hos. 3:3-5 and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many
days; thou shalt not play the harlot,
and thou shalt not be any man's wife: so will I also be toward thee.
For the children
of Israel shall abide many days without king, and without prince, and without
sacrifice,
and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim: afterward shall
the children of Israel
return, and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king, and shall come
with fear unto
Jehovah and to his goodness in the latter days.
Hosea's bringing Gomer back to him is symbolic of Israel's redemption by Jehovah.
About this time a new tone will be in Hosea's preaching.
He still warned of the judgment to come, and that God will send the Assyrians across the land, but no longer does he announce it with thunder.
Hosea spoke to the people with tears.
Hosea began to speak of a day when love would at last triumph.
This day will happen after the bitter lessons are learned about the penalty of sin.
Israel would yet turn back to the God who loved her.
Instead of "Not pitied," she would be called, "Pitied".
Instead of "Not my people," she would be named, "My people" again."
Love exists apart from reason and has its own reasons. Love does not act according to logic. Love acts according to its own nature.
Hosea acted on the basis of his love for Gomer.
Maybe Hosea had watched from a distance and glimpsed the woman he loved,
going out from the arms of other men.
Hosea wants her for his wife and his alone!
Hos. 3:3 and I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days;
thou shalt not play
the harlot, and thou shalt not be any man's wife: so will I also be toward
thee.
Hosea pledged his love to her, which was more than Gomer could take
Gomer had gone down in sin, she hit the bottom of shame and disgrace.
The love of Hosea her devoted husband broke her heart and brought her to repentance.
From this time on Gomer was faithful to Hosea, and an industrious.
The rest of the book of Hosea tells the effect of this story on the nation of Israel.
God said to Israel. "How can I give thee up?
God reminded them of his love for all of these years.
God reminded them of his goodness, and how time after time Israel turned from him.
The final picture of this book is one of beauty and glory.
Hosea, looks to the day when Israel shall return to God.
God was Israel's true husband, Israel asked, "What have I to do with idols?
I have seen the love of God and and heard him, he has won my heart."
Israel was charged with the sin of unfaithfulness.
Hos. 4:1-3 Hear the word of Jehovah, ye children of Israel; for
Jehovah hath a controversy
with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor goodness,
nor
knowledge of God in the land. There is nought but swearing
and breaking faith,
and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and
blood toucheth
blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth
therein shall languish,
with the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens; yea, the fishes
of the sea also
shall be taken away.
The sins of Israel had multiplied and become progressivly more wicked.
Hos. 4:4-5 Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove;
for thy people are as they
that strive with the priest. And thou shalt stumble in the day, and
the prophet
also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
The Tragic cause of Israel turning from God, was in their ignorance and lack of knowledge of Jehovah's law.
Hos. 4:6-10 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
because thou hast rejected
knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me:
seeing thou
hast forgotten the law of thy God, I also will forget thy children.
As they were
multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
They
feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
And it shall be,
like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will
requite them
their doings. And they shall eat, and not have enough; they shall
play the harlot,
and shall not increase; because they have left off taking heed to Jehovah.
Idolatry was rampant in the land. The ignorant priests were leading the people to ruin.
At Bethel, worship of God was coupled with Baal and other idols.
Hos. 4:11-14 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the
understanding. My
people ask counsel at their stock, and their staff declareth unto them;
for
the spirit of whoredom hath caused them to err, and they have played the
harlot, departing from under their God. They sacrifice upon
the tops of the
mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and
terebinths,
because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters play the harlot,
and
your brides commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters
when they play the
harlot, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves
go apart
with harlots, and they sacrifice with the prostitutes; and the people that
doth not
understand shall be overthrown.
Swift destruction was sure to come for their wickedness.
Hos. 4:15-18 Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet
let not Judah offend; and come not ye
unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Beth-aven, nor swear, As Jehovah liveth.
For
Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will
Jehovah
feed them as a lamb in a large place. Ephraim is joined to
idols; let him alone.
Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers
dearly
love shame.
Certain outstanding passages in Hosea make some remarkable predictions.
God charged priest, rulers, and all the people with sin.
Hos. 5:1 Hear this, O ye priests, and hearken, O house of Israel,
and give ear, O house of
the king; for unto you pertaineth the judgment; for ye have been a snare
at Mizpah,
and a net spread upon Tabor
God gave an indictment of both priest and king.
Hos. 5:1-7 Hear this, O ye priests, and hearken, O house of Israel,
and give ear, O house
of the king; for unto you pertaineth the judgment; for ye have been a snare
at
Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. And the revolters are
gone deep in making
slaughter; but I am a rebuker of them all. I know Ephraim,
and Israel is not hid from
me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast played the harlot, Israel is defiled.
Their doings will
not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within
them, and they
know not Jehovah. And the pride of Israel doth testify to his
face: therefore Israel and
Ephraim shall stumble in their iniquity; Judah also shall stumble with
them. They shall go
with their flocks and with their herds to seek Jehovah; but they shall
not find him: he hath
withdrawn himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against
Jehovah; for they
have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their
fields.
There is no deliverance for the sinful and disobedient that forsake God.
Hos. 5:8-15 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet
in Ramah: sound an alarm
at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall become a desolation
in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that
which
shall surely be. The princes of Judah are like them that remove the
landmark:
I will pour out my wrath upon them like water. Ephraim is oppressed,
he is crushed
in judgment; because he was content to walk after man's command.
Therefore am I
unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. When Ephraim
saw
his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to Assyria, and
sent to
king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither will he cure you of
your wound. For
I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah:
I, even I,
will tear and go away; I will carry off, and there shall be none to deliver.
I will go and
return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face:
in their affliction
they will seek me earnestly.
The idols of Gilgal and Bethaven cannot save. Punishment was to come.
Jehovah punishes to save, and would welcome his repentant people to come back.
God offers happiness and peace if they will return.
Hos. 5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah:
sound an alarm
at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin.
The Assyrians will not deliver the people but will destroy them.
Hos. 5:13 When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw
his wound, then went Ephraim to
Assyria, and sent to king Jareb: but he is not able to heal you, neither
will he cure
you of your wound.
Hos 5:15-6:3 I will go and return to my place, till they
acknowledge their offence, and
seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly. Come, and
let
us return unto Jehovah; for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath
smitten,
and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: on
the third day he
will raise us up, and we shall live before him. And let us know,
let us follow
on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will
come
unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.
The hope of Israel was that the Messiah would come and water them, and revive them. and raise them up again.
With sorrow in the heart of God you see a revealing picture of his love
for Israel.
Hos. 3:4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without
king, and without prince,
and without sacrifice, and without pillar, and without ephod or teraphim:
This prophecy was minutely fullfilled.
The children of Israel dwelt many days without a king, without any open, acknowledged government.
Ever since the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. at the hands of General
Titus of the Roman
armies, Israel has been without a king or a prince, without anyone
who has the recognized right
to reign over Israel.
Israel shall live without sacrifice, as long as they reject the sacrifice of Christ.
The Jews of the world keep the Passover supper, they remember the supper in Egypt, when Israel was delivered from the hand of Pharaoh.
God told Israel that every time they ate the Passover they were to kill a lamb.
For nearly two thousand years the Jews have not killed a lamb.
God said they shall live many days without a sacrifice. Since the destruction of the temple there has never been a sacrifice in Israel, nor a pillar, ephod or teraphim.
The Messiah or Christ is the sacrifice and temple of God. The church of Christ is the kingdom of Messiah.
The Jews abandoned and rejected the true Messiah, which is Jesus Christ.
Hos. 3:5 afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek
Jehovah their God, and David
their king, and shall come with fear unto Jehovah and to his goodness in
the latter days.
What a prophecy that is!
NATIONAL DISASTER CALLS FOR REPENTANCE
National disaster has always called for repentance from the people
andthe nation.
Hos. 6:1-3 Come, and let us return unto Jehovah; for he
hath torn, and he will heal us;
he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive
us: on
the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him.
And let us know,
let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning;
and he
will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth.
The love of God pleads with the rebellious and hardhearted people.
Hos. 6:4-7 O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah,
what shall I do unto thee?
for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the dew that goeth early
away.
Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words
of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.
For I desire
goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt
treacherously
against me.
God's love is unrequited by the children of Israel.
Hos. 6:10-11 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing:
there whoredom
is found in Ephraim, Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, there is a
harvest appointed for thee, when I bring back the captivity of my people.
The nation of Israel was completely filled with moral rottenness.
Hos. 7:1 When I would heal Israel, then is the iniquity
of Ephraim uncovered, and
the wickedness of Samaria; for they commit falsehood, and the thief entereth
in, and the troop of robbers ravageth without.
Jehovah could see and know of their sinful behavior.
Hos. 7:2 And they consider not in their hearts that I remember
all their wickedness:
now have their own doings beset them about; they are before my face.
The people were always ready to turn from God, to their unbridled passions and unrestrained evil.
Hos. 7:3-7 They make the king glad with their wickedness, and
the princes with their lies.
They are all adulterers; they are as an oven heated by the baker; he ceaseth
to
stir the fire, from the kneading of the dough, until it be leavened.
On the day of
our king the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine; he stretched
out
his hand with scoffers. For they have made ready their heart like
an oven, while
they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it
burneth as a flaming
fire. They are all hot as an oven, and devour their judges; all their
kings are fallen:
there is none among them that calleth unto me.
Ephraim fellowshiped evil and is called half-baked.
Israel clearly forgot her Maker, yet God never forgot them, rather, he loved Isreal dearly.
Hos. 8:14 For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces;
and Judah hath multiplied
fortified cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall
devour the castles thereof.
Hos. 7:8 Ephraim, he mixeth himself among the peoples;
Ephraim is a cake not turned.
Sinners are not aware of the damnable condition that they abide in.
Hos. 7:9 Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth
it not: yea, gray hairs
are here and there upon him, and he knoweth it not.
The punishment and the mighty judgment of God is always inescapable for the transgressors.
Hos. 7:10-16 And the pride of Israel doth testify to his
face: yet they have not returned
unto Jehovah their God, nor sought him, for all this. And Ephraim
is like
a silly dove, without understanding: they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria.
When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down
as the birds of the heavens; I will chastise them, as their congregation
hath
heard. Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction
unto
them! for they have trespassed against me: though I would redeem them,
yet
they have spoken lies against me. And they have not cried unto me
with their
heart, but they howl upon their beds: they assemble themselves for grain
and
new wine; they rebel against me. Though I have taught and strengthened
their
arms, yet do they devise mischief against me. They return, but not
to him that is
on high; they are like a deceitful bow; their princes shall fall by the
sword for the
rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.
God had nurtured, trained, and strengthened this nation that abandoned him so easily.
Hos. 7:15 Though I have taught and strengthened their arms,
yet do they devise mischief
against me. They return, but not to him that is on high; they are
like a deceitful
bow; their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue:
this shall
be their derision in the land of Egypt.
Destruction will fall on the nation of Israel because of her obscene conduct and disobedience.
Hos. 8:1-7 Set the trumpet to thy mouth. As an eagle he
cometh against the house
of Jehovah, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed
against my law. They shall cry unto me, My God, we Israel know thee.
Israel hath cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him.
They
have set up kings, but not by me; they have made princes, and I knew it
not:
of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may
be cut off.
He hath cast off thy calf, O Samaria; mine anger is kindled against them:
how long
will it be ere they attain to innocency? For from Israel is
even this; the workman
made it, and it is no God; yea, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in
pieces. For
they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: he hath no standing
grain; the
blade shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, strangers shall swallow it
up.
A outline of Israel's sins are presented. Hosea records no less
than 150 statements concerning the sins of Israel.
Israel had sown to the wind, they would reap the whirlwind of God's
judgement.
Hos. 8:8-14 Israel is swallowed up: now are they among
the nations as a vessel wherein
none delighteth. For they are gone up to Assyria, like a wild ass
alone by himself:
Ephraim hath hired lovers. Yea, though they hire among the nations,
now will I gather
them; and they begin to be diminished by reason of the burden of the king
of princes.
Because Ephraim hath multiplied altars for sinning, altars have been unto
him for sinning.
I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my law; but they are counted
as a strange thing.
As for the sacrifices of mine offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it;
but Jehovah accepteth
them not: now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins; they
shall return to Egypt.
For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and builded palaces; and Judah hath
multiplied fortified
cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the
castles thereof.
Jehovah had written 10,000 precepts of the law for their betterment and their own good.
Hos. 8:12 I wrote for him the ten thousand things of my
law; but they are counted as a
strange thing.
God had reserved punishment for their unfaithfulness, and infidelity to him, and his covenant.
Hos. 9:1-9 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, like the peoples;
for thou hast played the harlot,
departing from thy God; thou hast loved hire upon every grain-floor.
The
threshing-floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine
shall
fail her. They shall not dwell in Jehovah's land; but Ephraim shall
return to Egypt,
and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. They shall not pour out
wine-offerings
to Jehovah, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall
be unto them
as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted; for their
bread shall be
for their appetite; it shall not come into the house of Jehovah.
What will ye do in the
day of solemn assembly, and in the day of the feast of Jehovah? For,
lo, they are gone
away from destruction; yet Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury
them; their
pleasant things of silver, nettles shall possess them; thorns shall be
in their tents. The days
of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know
it: the prophet
is a fool, the man that hath the spirit is mad, for the abundance of thine
iniquity, and because
the enmity is great. Ephraim was a watchman with my God: as
for the prophet, a fowler's
snare is in all his ways, and enmity in the house of his God. They
have deeply corrupted
themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity,
he will visit their
sins.
The people are chastized for their disrespect of the law. The sins of idolatry was clearly rebuked.
Israel is strongly warned of the of the coming destrcution.
God gives an overview and summary of what the Jews can expect.
Hos, 9:11-17 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away
like a bird: there shall be no birth,
and none with child, and no conception. Though they bring up their children,
yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be left: yea, woe also
to them
when I depart from them! Ephraim, like as I have seen Tyre,
is planted in a
pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out his children to the slayer.
Give them,
O Jehovah-what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
All their wickedness is in Gilgal; for there I hated them: because of the
wickedness
of their doings I will drive them out of my house; I will love them no
more; all their
princes are revolters. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up,
they shall bear no
fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit
of their womb. My
God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they
shall be
wanderers among the nations.
Prosperity had not brought them closer to God, Israel left Jehovah in sin and shame.
Hos. 10:1-3 Israel is a luxuriant vine, that putteth forth
his fruit: according to the
abundance of his fruit he hath multiplied his altars; according to the
goodness of their land they have made goodly pillars. Their heart
is
divided; now shall they be found guilty: he will smite their altars, he
will
destroy their pillars. 10:3Surely now shall they say, We have no king;
for we fear not Jehovah; and the king, what can he do for us?
Punishment is decreed and will not be escaped by Israel.
Hos. 10:4-8 They speak vain words, swearing falsely in
making covenants:
therefore judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the
field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in terror for the calves
of Beth-aven; for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the
priests thereof that rejoiced over it, for the glory thereof, because
it is departed from it. 10:6It also shall be carried unto Assyria for a
present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall
be ashamed of his own counsel. As for Samaria, her king is cut off,
as foam upon the water. The high places also of Aven, the sin of
Israel,
shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars;
and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on
us.
From the beginning of the kingdom, this ungrateful nation had sinned.
Hos. 10:9-17 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away
like a bird: there shall be
no birth, and none with child, and no conception. Though they bring
up their children, yet will I bereave them, so that not a man shall be
left:
yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! Ephraim,
like as I have
seen Tyre, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring out
his
children tothe slayer. Give them, O Jehovah-what wilt thou give? give them
a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All their wickedness is in Gilgal;
for
there I hated them: because of the wickedness of their doings I will drive
them out of my house; I will love them no more; all their princes are revolters.
Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea,
though
they bring forth, yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb.
My God will
cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him; and they shall be
wanderers among the nations.
The bitter fruit of war will be brought upon this sinful people.
Hos. 10:12-15 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap
according to kindness;
break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek Jehovah, till he
come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness,
ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies; for thou didst
trust
in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a
tumult arise
among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be destroyed, as Shalman
destroyed Beth-arbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces
with her children. So shall Beth-el do unto you because of your great
wickedness:
at daybreak shall the king of Israel be utterly cut off.
God's tender love rejected had been rejected. God's punishment would force them to see the consequences of their betrayal.
PARDON PROMISED TO THOSE WHO REPENT
Hos. 11:1-2 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called
my son out of Egypt.
The more the prophets called them, the more they went from them: they
sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Jehovah had nurtured and loved them as a son. God had taught, fed, and cared for their needs.
God had deliverd them and rescued them from bondage.
Hos. 11:3-4 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk; I took them on my arms;
but they knew not
that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands
of love;
and I was to them as they that lift up the yoke on their jaws; and I laid
food
before them.
Hos. 13:5 I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.
Hos. 14:8 Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more
with idols? I have answered,
and will regard him: I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.
Hos. 11:1-4 When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called
my son out of Egypt.
The more the prophets called them, the more they went from them: they
sacrificed unto the Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.
Yet I taught Ephraim to walk; I took them on my arms; but they knew not
that I healed them. I drew them with cords of a man, with bands
of love;
and I was to them as they that lift up the yoke on their jaws; and I laid
food
before them.
God's love which was trampled under foot would be expressed in destructive judgment.
Hos. 11:5-7 They shall not return into the land of Egypt;
but the Assyrian shall be
their king, because they refused to return to me. And the sword
shall
fall upon their cities, and shall consume their bars, and devour them,
because of their own counsels. And my people are bent on backsliding
from me: though they call them to him that is on high, none at all will
exalt him.
God will bring harsh punishment though reluctantly inflicted; God took no delight in punishing the wicked.
Hos. 11:8-11 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall
I cast thee off, Israel?
how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboiim?
my heart is turned within me, my compassions are kindled together.
I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to
destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst
of thee; and I will not come in wrath. They shall walk after Jehovah,
who
will roar like a lion; for he will roar, and the children shall come trembling
from the west. They shall come trembling as a bird out of Egypt,
and as a
dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will make them to dwell in their
houses,
saith Jehovah.
Israel and Judah are contrasted, the idolatry of the Northern Kingdom was damning. Judah had not become ripe in her sins yet.
Hos. 11:12 Ephraim compasseth me about with falsehood,
and the house of
Israel with deceit; but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful
with the Holy One.
Hosea urges Israel to acknowledge her guilt and return to him.
Hos. 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge
their offence,
and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me earnestly.
Jehovah called for the people and nation to repent and return to his love.
God wanted them to realizetheir spiritual condition and he would wait for them to come back to him.
Hos. 12:6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and justice, and wait for thy God continually.
Promises and Hope were extended by Jehovah, who gave Israel prophets to teach and to guide them.
Hos. 12:10 I have also spoken unto the prophets, and I
have multiplied visions;
and by the ministry of the prophets have I used similitudes.
Hos. 12:11-14 Is Gilead iniquity? they are altogether false;
in Gilgal they sacrifice
bullocks; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the field.
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife,
and for a wife he kept sheep. And by a prophet Jehovah brought
Israel up out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved. Ephraim
hath provoked to anger most bitterly: therefore shall his blood be left
upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.
Israel appealed to foreign powers that could not save her, and they would abandon her in time of distress.
Hos. 12:1-2 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after
the east wind: he continually
multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with Assyria,
and
oil is carried into Egypt. Jehovah hath also a controversy with Judah,
and
will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he
recompense him.
God reminds them of their ancestor, Jacob who God named Israel. The people are urged to follow his example.
Hos. 12:3-6 In the womb he took his brother by the heel;
and in his manhood he
had power with God: yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed;
he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him at Beth-el, and
there he spake with us, even Jehovah, the God of hosts; Jehovah is
his
memorial name. Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep kindness and
justice,
and wait for thy God continually.
God gives another graphic description of Israel's sins and her apostasy.
The riches and wealthy prosperity of Israel had been attained by trickery.
Hos. 12:7 He is a trafficker, the balances of deceit
are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
Israel was guilty of trusting in riches, and leaving God for material possesions.
Hos. 12:8 And Ephraim said, Surely I am become rich, I have found
me wealth: in all my
labors they shall find in me no iniquity that were sin.
God's prophecies have never failed and Israel was under God's penalty for her unfaithfulness.
Hos. 12:9-13 But I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt;
I will yet again make thee
to dwell in tents, as in the days of the solemn feast. I have
also spoken unto
the prophets, and I have multiplied visions; and by the ministry of the
prophets
have I used similitudes. Is Gilead iniquity? they are altogether
false; in Gilgal
they sacrifice bullocks; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows
of the field.
And Jacob fled into the field of Aram, and Israel served for a wife, and
for a wife
he kept sheep. And by a prophet Jehovah brought Israel up out of
Egypt, and by
a prophet was he preserved.
Israel's destruction is going to be certain and sure.
Hos. 12:14 Ephraim hath provoked to anger most bitterly:
therefore shall his blood be
left upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.
Ephraim is entreated to heed and harken to Jehovah.
Ephraim had been exalted and also abased.
Hos. 13:1-3 When Ephraim spake, there was trembling; he
exalted himself in Israel;
but when he offended in Baal, he died. And now they sin more and
more,
and have made them molten images of their silver, even idols according
to
their own understanding, all of them the work of the craftsmen: they say
of
them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. Therefore they
shall be as
the morning cloud, and as the dew that passeth early away, as the chaff
that
is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke
out
of the chimney.
Jehovah is the only hope for they had for survival.
Hos. 13:4-8 Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt;
and thou shalt know
no god but me, and besides me there is no saviour. I did know thee
in
the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture,
so
were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore
have
they forgotten me. Therefore am I unto them as a lion; as a leopard
will I
watch by the way; I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved
of her whelps,
and will rend the caul of their heart; and there will I devour them like
a lioness;
the wild beast shall tear them.
Jehovah would be either a savior of life unto life, or of death unto death. Their attitudes and actions would determine their treatment.
Hos. 13:4-6 Yet I am Jehovah thy God from the land of Egypt;
and thou shalt know
no god but me, and besides me there is no saviour. I did know thee
in
the wilderness, in the land of great drought. According to their pasture,
so
were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted: therefore
have
they forgotten me.
Because Israel rejected the law of Jehovah, then God would cause their swift destruction.
Hos. 13:7-8 Therefore am I unto them as a lion; as a leopard
will I watch by the way;
I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend
the caul of their heart; and there will I devour them like a lioness; the
wild
beast shall tear them.
The day of Judgement and God's day of reckoning is at hand for Israel.
There would be no deliverance for no earthly king could or would be able to save them.
Hos. 13:9-14 It is thy destruction, O Israel, that thou
art against me, against thy help.
Where now is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities?
and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away
in my wrath. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid
up
in store. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon
him:
he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of
the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of
Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues?
O Sheol, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
The nation's shameless debauchery would bring a pitiless judgment upon the people.
Hos. 13:10-16 Where now is thy king, that he may save thee
in all thy cities?
and thy judges, of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes?
I have given thee a king in mine anger, and have taken him away
in my wrath. The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is laid
up
in store. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon
him:
he is an unwise son; for it is time he should not tarry in the place of
the breaking forth of children. I will ransom them from the power of
Sheol; I will redeem them from death: O death, where are thy plagues?
O Sheol, where is thy destruction? repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.
Though he be fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the
breath of Jehovah coming up from the wilderness; and his spring shall
become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up: he shall make spoil of
the
treasure of all goodly vessels. Samaria shall bear her guilt;
for she hath
rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword; their infants shall
be
dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
God offers the promise of pardon as recorded in Chapter 14.
Hosea offers God's call for the people to repent and extends a great promise of a blessing.
Even as Hosea loved his unfaithful wife, God loved Israel in spite of her many sins.
God's redemptive plan is going to be completed in spite of Israel's unfaithfulness.
Hosea pleads with Israel to return unto Jehovah.
Hos. 14:1-3 O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast
fallen by thine
iniquity. Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah: say unto
him,
Take away all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render
as bullocks the offering of our lips. Assyria shall not save us;
we will not
ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands,
Ye are our gods; for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
The beauty of holiness and rightousness is expressed in a powerful way by Hosea.
Hos. 14:4-8 I will heal their backsliding, I will love
them freely; for mine anger is turned
away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall blossom
as the lily,
and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and
his beauty
shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the
grain,
and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered,
and will regard him: I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.
Holiness and rightousness looks good to the eyes
Hos. 14:4 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them
freely; for mine anger is turned
away from him.
Holiness will bring a sweet odour that smells good.
Hos. 14:5-6 I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall
blossom as the lily, and cast forth
his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall
be as
the olive-tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
Holiness gives flavour to life and tastes good to those who imbibe on its sweet fruit..
Hos. 14:7-8 They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they
shall revive as the grain,
and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered,
and will regard him: I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.
The spiritually wise will find their victory in Jehovah. The foolish would face deathless ruin.
Hos. 14:9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things? prudent,
that he may
know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in
them; but transgressors shall fall therein.
Hos. 14:1 O Israel, return unto Jehovah thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
After all it wasn't God who was to blame. He was simply trying to get
them to see the truth. And the only thing that can relieve
their agony is to return. That's always the case. God can't bless us
or restore us until we come back.
Hos. 14:2-3 Take with you words, and return unto Jehovah:
say unto him, Take away
all iniquity, and accept that which is good: so will we render as bullocks
the
offering of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride
upon horses;
neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods;
for
in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
God's response for the people is healing and mercy.
Hos. 14:4-8 I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely;
for mine
anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel;
he shall blossom as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive-tree,
and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall
return; they shall revive as the grain, and blossom as the vine: the
scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say,
What have I to do any more with idols? I have answered, and will
regard him: I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.
And the prophet adds this lesson from his own heartache and yet gives the prophecy in the joy of restored love.
Hos. 14:9 Who is wise, that he may understand these things?
prudent, that he may
know them? for the ways of Jehovah are right, and the just shall walk in
them; but transgressors shall fall therein.
You see in this beautiful story all the elements of the eternal triangle. There is the loving God. the faithless human heart, and the deception of the riches of the world.
This is your story and my story. So many times we try to satisfy ourselves with the idols of wealth or a pleasure.
We are easily blinded like Gomer's, she could not distinguish between lust and love.
This is the story of the Bible.
At Bethlehem God entered the slave market where the whole human race
was up for auction, humanity had prostituted itself.
The soul was being sold far to cheaply when God gave the blood of his
son, Christ to redeem our souls.
CONCLUSION
Believe Jesus to be the son of God, John 8:24
Repent of sins, Luke 13:3-5
Confess Christ with the mouth, Romans 10:10
Be baptized for the remission of sins, Acts 2:38
Live faithful unto death, Revelation 2:10
RETURN
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