Ch. 9
The Lord Is Destroying the Pastures of the Shepherds
"According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten Me. 0 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thine help" (Hosea 13:6, 9). "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil (the powers of darkness) shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye principal of the flock; for the clays of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished; and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel" (Jer. 25:32, 34). "And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape. A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and an howling of the principal of the flock, shall be heard: for the Lord hath spoiled their pasture. And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the Lord... For their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the oppressor, and because of His fierce anger" (Jer. 2 5:35-38). "There is a voice of the howling of the shepherds; for their glory is spoiled; a voice of the roaring of young lions; for the pride of Jordan is spoiled. Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the Lord; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not. For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord: but lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbor's hand, and into the hand of his king (Satan): and they (the powers of darkness) shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them" (Zech. 11:3, 5, 6). "Ephraim (the church), he hath mixed himself among the people (the world); Ephraim is a cake not turned. Strangers (powers of darkness) have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this" (Hos. 7:8-10).
"Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the Lord, because they have transgressed My covenant, and trespassed against My law. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings (rulers after the flesh), but not by Me: they have made princes (leaders), but I knew it not: of their silver and gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off (destroyed). Thy calf, 0 Samaria, hath cast thee off; Mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?" (Hos. 8:1, 3-5). "They eat up (feed on) the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings" (Hos. 4:8, 9). "Ephraim (the church) is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment (of men)" (Hos. 5:11). "For they have sown the wind (words instead of God's word), and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk; the bud shall yield no meal (no fruit): if so be it below yield, the strangers (powers of darkness) shall swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure. Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin. I have written to him the great things of My law, but they were counted as a strange thing" (Hos. 8:7, 8, 11, 12). "And he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry. Therefore My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honourable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst. Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it (hell)" (Isa. 5:7, 13, 14). "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! ... their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. 5:20, 21, 23, 24). They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying Peace, peace; where there is no peace" (Jer. 6:14).
"Israel (the church) is an empty (degenerate) vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit (of selfish ambition) he hath increased the altars (church buildings); according to the goodness of his land they have made godly images (the more money they had, the bigger they made their palaces of worship). Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: He shall break down their altars, He shall spoil their images.., ye have reaped iniquity. Ye have eaten the fruit of lies because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men" (Hos. 10:1, 2, 13).
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it; the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred" (Hos. 9:7). "The Lord hath accomplished His fury; He hath poured out His fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy (the powers of darkness) should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem (the church). For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests (preachers), that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her (because they perverted the word)" (Lam. 4:11-13).
Note: If you don't agree to notes like (the church) then just add your name, if your in rebellion to God - to receive correction.