Love So Amazing
Hosea 1:1-5:15
3:1-2 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans." So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley.
There is no revelation or teaching about who God is that can come near to the vision of God we see in scripture. Through the prophet Hosea, we see a description of the love God has for His people that will forever elevate the glory of God's love and grace above all other "gods," philosophies, and ideologies of man.
To do this, God uses a graphic example of His divine love in the prophet Hosea's relationship with and marriage to a prostitute. After she had been redeemed from a life of prostitution through marriage, she later turned her back on her husband and returned to prostitution (1:2). This is how God sees Israel and all who have ever cast off His relationship for the love of other gods. This is like a wife who turns her back on a giving, loving husband for a man who promises a better life free from the commitment, only to live a life of prostitution and slavery. Like Israel, we all must admit that when we give ourselves over to the gods of our lust we quickly find out that all gods but God will strip us bare. We are left as victims of sin's destruction, vanity, and slavery (2:11-13).
At such times in our lives, God will step back and allow the painful consequences of life apart from Him to speak louder than any other voice can speak. But in no way does God stop there. He does this only to awaken us to His love, a love that seeks to draw us to a decision of our will driven by love. God will lure us with cords of love, not with chains of forced control. He promises to comfort us rather than beat us for our unfaithfulness. He desires that we would call Him "Husband," not "Master." His response to our betrayal and unfaithfulness, if we will repent and return to Him, is a promise of unending love and faithfulness by grace. Not only that, but He promises all the joy and pleasure of an abundance of grain, new wine, and oil (2:14-23).
God wants us to see this picture so passionately that He tells His servant Hosea to do the unthinkable. Hosea is commanded to seek out his wife who had returned to prostitution and buy her back from what we would call a "pimp" (men who sold women as slaves at an auction when finished using them). Hosea finds his wife in such a situation and offers the highest bid to buy her back from her slavery. Yes, God told Him to "go again" and love her, even to the point of buying her out of prostitution (3:1-2).
Such is the love of God. You will find love in its perfect expression nowhere else but in God.
That we so easily spurn this abundant bliss that only God can give us is tragic proof of the blinding, desensitizing power of our fallen natures. May God give us grace to see His love that surpasses all human experience, and may we be filled with all the fullness that only His love can give (Eph. 3:17-20).
NKJV BIBLE TEXT
Hosea 1:1-5:15
1 The word of the LORD that came to 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 Family of Hosea
2 When the LORD began to speak by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea:
"Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry
And children of harlotry,
For the land has committed great harlotry
By departing from the LORD."
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Then the LORD said to him:
"Call his name Jezreel,
For in a little while
I will avenge the bloodshed of Jezreel on the house of Jehu,
And bring an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 It shall come to pass in that day
That I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel."
6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him:
"Call her name Lo-Ruhamah,
For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel,
But I will utterly take them away.
7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah,
Will save them by the LORD their God,
And will not save them by bow,
Nor by sword or battle,
By horses or horsemen."
8 Now when she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Then God said:
"Call his name Lo-Ammi,
For you are not My people,
And I will not be your God.
The Restoration of Israel
10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel
Shall be as the sand of the sea,
Which cannot be measured or numbered.
And it shall come to pass
In the place where it was said to them,
'You are not My people,'
There it shall be said to them,
'You are sons of the living God.'
11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel
Shall be gathered together,
And appoint for themselves one head;
And they shall come up out of the land,
For great will be the day of Jezreel!
Chapter 2
1 Say to your brethren, ‘My people,'
And to your sisters, ‘Mercyis shown.'
God's Unfaithful People
2 "Bring charges against your mother, bring charges;
For she is not My wife, nor am I her Husband!
Let her put away her harlotries from her sight,
And her adulteries from between her breasts;
3 Lest I strip her naked
And expose her, as in the day she was born,
And make her like a wilderness,
And set her like a dry land,
And slay her with thirst.
4 "I will not have mercy on her children,
For they are the children of harlotry.
5 For their mother has played the harlot;
She who conceived them has behaved shamefully.
For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers,
Who give me my bread and my water,
My wool and my linen,
My oil and my drink.'
6 "Therefore, behold,
I will hedge up your way with thorns,
And wall her in,
So that she cannot find her paths.
7 She will chase her lovers,
But not overtake them;
Yes, she will seek them, but not find them.
Then she will say,
'I will go and return to my first husband,
For then it was better for me than now.'
8 For she did not know
That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil,
And multiplied her silver and gold—
Which they prepared for Baal.
9 "Therefore I will return and take away
My grain in its time
And My new wine in its season,
And will take back My wool and My linen,
Given to cover her nakedness.
10 Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers,
And no one shall deliver her from My hand.
11 I will also cause all her mirth to cease,
Her feast days,
Her New Moons,
Her Sabbaths—
All her appointed feasts.
12 "And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees,
Of which she has said,
'These are my wages that my lovers have given me.'
So I will make them a forest,
And the beasts of the field shall eat them.
13 I will punish her
For the days of the Baals to which she burned incense.
She decked herself with her earrings and jewelry,
And went after her lovers;
But Me she forgot," says the LORD.
God's Mercy on His People
14 "Therefore, behold, I will allure her,
Will bring her into the wilderness,
And speak comfort to her.
15 I will give her her vineyards from there,
And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope;
She shall sing there,
As in the days of her youth,
As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.
16 "And it shall be, in that day,"
Says the LORD,
"That you will call Me ‘My Husband,'
And no longer call Me ‘My Master,'
17 For I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals,
And they shall be remembered by their name no more.
18 In that day I will make a covenant for them
With the beasts of the field,
With the birds of the air,
And with the creeping things of the ground.
Bow and sword of battle I will shatter from the earth,
To make them lie down safely.
19 "I will betroth you to Me forever;
Yes, I will betroth you to Me
In righteousness and justice,
In lovingkindness and mercy;
20 I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,
And you shall know the LORD.
21 "It shall come to pass in that day
That I will answer," says the LORD;
"I will answer the heavens,
And they shall answer the earth.
22 The earth shall answer
With grain,
With new wine,
And with oil;
They shall answer Jezreel.
23 Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,
And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;
Then I will say to those who were not My people,
'You are My people!'
And they shall say, ‘You are my God!'"
Hosea 3 Israel Will Return to God
1 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans."
2 So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. 3 And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man—so, too, will I be toward you."
4 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.
Hosea 4 God's Charge Against Israel
1 Hear the word of the LORD,
You children of Israel,
For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land:
"There is no truth or mercy
Or knowledge of God in the land.
2 By swearing and lying,
Killing and stealing and committing adultery,
They break all restraint,
With bloodshed upon bloodshed.
3 Therefore the land will mourn;
And everyone who dwells there will waste away
With the beasts of the field
And the birds of the air;
Even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 "Now let no man contend, or rebuke another;
For your people are like those who contend with the priest.
5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day;
The prophet also shall stumble with you in the night;
And I will destroy your mother.
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being priest for Me;
Because you have forgotten the law of your God,
I also will forget your children.
7 "The more they increased,
The more they sinned against Me;
I will change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of My people;
They set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be: like people, like priest.
So I will punish them for their ways,
And reward them for their deeds.
10 For they shall eat, but not have enough;
They shall commit harlotry, but not increase;
Because they have ceased obeying the LORD.
The Idolatry of Israel
11 "Harlotry, wine, and new wine enslave the heart.
12 My people ask counsel from their wooden idols,
And their staff informs them.
For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray,
And they have played the harlot against their God.
13 They offer sacrifices on the mountaintops,
And burn incense on the hills,
Under oaks, poplars, and terebinths,
Because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters commit harlotry,
And your brides commit adultery.
14 "I will not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry,
Nor your brides when they commit adultery;
For the men themselves go apart with harlots,
And offer sacrifices with a ritual harlot.
Therefore people who do not understand will be trampled.
15 "Though you, Israel, play the harlot,
Let not Judah offend.
Do not come up to Gilgal,
Nor go up to Beth Aven,
Nor swear an oath, saying, ‘As the LORD lives'—
16 "For Israel is stubborn
Like a stubborn calf;
Now the LORD will let them forage
Like a lamb in open country.
17 "Ephraim is joined to idols,
Let him alone.
18 Their drink is rebellion,
They commit harlotry continually.
Her rulers dearly love dishonor.
19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings,
And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.
Hosea 5 Impending Judgment on Israel and Judah
1 "Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For yours is the judgment,
Because you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.
2 The revolters are deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.
4 "They do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the LORD.
5 The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.
6 "With their flocks and herds
They shall go to seek the LORD,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.
7 They have dealt treacherously with the LORD,
For they have begotten pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.
8 "Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
Cry aloud at Beth Aven,
'Look behind you, O Benjamin!'
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.
10 "The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah like rottenness.
13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.
14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.
15 I will return again to My place
Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."
STUDY NOTES
Hosea 1:1-5:15
v. 1 the word of the Lord came to him ? Hosea's authority rests upon the fact that his message and commission came to him unmistakably from the Lord. Thus, his message to the nation was by divine inspiration (Jer. 1:2, 4; Eze. 1:3; Joel 1:1; Jonah 1:1; Zech. 1:1; 2 Peter 1:21).
Hosea ? Howshea (Heb.), meaning salvation. Hosea was a prophet and preacher to the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the middle of the eighth century BC. Since Solomon's death, Rehoboam (Solomon's son) and Jeroboam (one of Solomon's chief officers) divided the kingdom of Israel north and south. The ten northern tribes were then called Israel and ruled by Jeroboam a former chief officer of Solomon. The southern kingdom, Judah, was composed of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and ruled by Solomon's son Rehoboam.
In the days of ? Listing the kings of the southern kingdom gives historical orientation to the time of Hosea's ministry to the northern kingdom. This technique is done repeatedly in the times of the kings. The kings of the north were dated by the reigns of kings of the south and visa versa.
Uzziah ? Son of Amaziah, and 10th king of Judah, came to the throne at the age of 16. He reigned for 52 years.
Jotham ? The 11th king and son of Uzziah and the sole survivor of the family massacre by Abimelech (Judg. 9:5)
Ahaz ? The 12th king of Judah, who shared the throne with his father Jotham. He was an ungodly king, worshiping the pagan god Molech.
Hezekiah ?The 13th king of Judah; he was known as a godly king.
Jeroboam ?The first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after King Solomon died and Israel was split north and south. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, became king of the southern kingdom of Judah, while Jeroboam, one of Solomon's former chief officers, became king of the northern kingdom of Israel.
v. 2 harlotry ? zanuwn (Heb.) adultery, fornication, prostitution. The LORD was asking Hosea to marry a prostitute and care for her children born out of prostitution to illustrate how abhorrent and unacceptable the unfaithfulness of God's people of Israel was to the LORD.
For the land has committed great harlotry ? The people dwelling in the northern kingdom had committed spiritual harlotry by worshiping the idols set up by wicked king Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33, 34).
v. 3 Gomer ? Gomer (Heb.) complete
v. 4 Jezreel ? Yizre‘e'l (Heb.) God sows or God will disperse, as when seed is sown. Probably intimating the approaching judgment of God via the speedy dispersion of Israel. Jezreel was also the name of a great valley near Mount Carmel extending from Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. This valley was often used as a battlefield and will be used as part of God's chastening of Israel as foretold in the next verse.
v. 5 I will break the bow of Israel ? The bow is a powerful and lethal long-distance weapon. God is declaring that He is about to greatly weaken Israel's military power, making them vulnerable to any attacking nation.
in the valley of Jezreel ?From north to south, this valley reaches the mountains of Ephraim up to the mountains of Galilee. From east to west, it reached from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Later it would be called the great Plain of Esdraelon.
v. 6 Lo ? Ruhamah-Lo' Ruchamah (Heb.) without compassion or mercy
v. 7 yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah ? At this time in history the southern kingdom of Judah had not yet fallen into the degree of idolatry that the northern kingdom of Israel had. God would therefore judge the northern kingdom first. In time however, both kingdoms would fall and go into captivity under God's judgment.
will save them by the Lord their God ? Nations depend upon their military might for protection. God is saying that Judah will be saved by His hand rather than their military devices.
v. 9 Lo ? Ammi-Lo Ammiy (Heb.) not my people
v. 10 as the sand of the sea ? a sum which cannot be measured or numbered
You are not My people ? Quoted in 1 Peter 2:9-10 in reference to the church.
v. 11 one head ?Refers to the future conversion and restoration of the Jews and Israelites under one head, Jesus Christ. One day there will be one flock and one shepherd.
for great will be the day of Jezreel ?An allusion to the word Jezreel. God, who sowed them among the nations in His wrath, shall reap and gather them in His mercy (Rom. 11:15).
Hosea 2
v. 1 my people?mercy is shown ? The LORD now gives Hosea a message of restoration and future hope of once more being called God's people to deliver to the people of Israel.
v. 2 bring charges against your mother ? The allegory from chapter 1 continues as the LORD brings a condemnation against Israel comparing her to an adulterous wife.
v. 3 strip?expose?slay with thirst ? The LORD threatens to not only shame Israel but to also take away even her basic needs for survival.
v. 4 children of harlotry ? Again the allegory continues and equates the inhabitants of adulterous Israel as illegitimate children and not children of God.
v. 5 my lovers ? Referring to the idols which Israel had given themselves over to. Israel mistakenly credited false idols with meeting their needs.
v. 6 I will hedge up?wall her in ? The LORD pledges to take control and limit Israel's actions and block their path.
v. 7 I will go and return to my first husband ? The LORD will chasten Israel until she once more desires to return to Him (her first husband).
v. 8 she did not know that I gave ? Israel falsely believed that her idols were providing for her (v. 5), but their provider was actually the LORD.
Baal ? Ba`al (Heb.) simply means, lord. He was the main idol and supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites whom Israel was now worshiping.
v. 9 take away My grain?My new ?My wool?My linen ? All these things were blessings given to Israel from God. And now He declares that He will take them back and leave Israel naked.
v. 10 lewdness ? nabluwth (Heb.) immodesty, shamelessness. Israel's behavior towards and devotion to her idols was folly and wickedness in God's eyes.
v. 11 mirth ? masows (Heb.) exultation, joy, rejoicing. The LORD here decrees that He will put an end to all Israel's holidays and religious celebrations.
v. 12 destroy her vines and her fig trees ? This was the fruitful produce of the land that Israel was so proud of and gave thanks to her idols (lovers) for.
v. 15 Valley of Achor ? Achor (Heb.) means trouble. This valley was so named from Achan, who was stoned in it in the days of Joshua (Josh 7:1-24). The signification of its name is the valley of trouble, because that Achan both troubled Israel by his evil actions, which brought them into distress; and because he was here troubled himself and his family, being punished for his sin there.
a door of hope ?The valley of Achor was at the entrance or doorway of the Promised Land and gave them hope when the Israelites approached the land of Canaan. God now speaks of this valley allegorically to promise a door of future hope for Israel.
v. 16 ‘My Husband,'?‘My Master.' ? God speaks of a future day when Israel's relationship with God will change for the good. Instead of a master/servant relationship, Israel will have a husband/wife relationship with her God.
v. 17 the Baals?remembered?no more ? In this predicted future time of restoration, Israel's former idols will not only cease to be worshiped, but also ceased to be remembered.
v. 18 covenant ? beriyth (Heb.) an alliance of friendship, a treaty of peace. God promises here a blessed day when He will make even the wild animals have peace and harmony with Israel.
v. 19 betroth ? aras (Heb.) to engage for marriage
righteousness ? tsedeq (Heb.) the right (natural, moral or legal)
justice ? mishpat (Heb.) judgment; a verdict, especially a sentence or formal decree
lovingkindness ? checed (Heb.) goodness, kindness, mercy, favor
mercy ? racham (Heb.) compassion
v. 20 faithfulness ? emuwnah (Heb.) literally firmness; figuratively security; morally fidelity.
the LORD ? YHVH or YHWH, Yahweh (Heb.) The existing One. This word is known as the tetragrammaton. Whenever we see the word LORD in the Old Testament in all capital letters it represents this Hebrew word for the proper and personal name of the One True God. The Name of God was considered so holy that the Jews would never attempt to verbally pronounce this name. Thus, the exact pronunciation is uncertain because there are no vowels in this name. This Divine name is commonly pronounced, Jehovah or Yahweh in English.
v. 21 I will answer the heavens, And they shall answer the earth ? God will restore fruitfulness and productivity of the land by hearing the earth's cry for rain and answering from heaven.
v. 22 They shall answer Jezreel ? Jezreel means the Lord sows. Thus the earth will respond to God's blessings with produce and praise unto God.
v. 23 her ?those born of Israel
Hosea 3
v. 1 just like the love of the LORD ? Hosea's love and commitment to his unfaithful, adulterous wife was to illustrate God's enduring love to unfaithful Israel.
raisin cakes of the pagans ? These were food offerings traditionally offered up to the idol Baal as an act of worship.
v. 2 fifteen shekels of silver ? This was half the price of a female slave. This would be an insulting dowry to pay for a bride.
homers ? lethek (Heb.) a measure for dry goods
barley ? the lowest quality of provision
v. 3 so, too, will I be toward you ? Or, during this time, you will not have sexual intercourse with anyone, not even with me.
v. 4 sacred pillar ? matstsebah (Heb.) A religious memorial stone or obelisk usually used for idolatrous worship.
ephod ? ephowd (Heb.) outer garment
teraphim ? teraphiym (Heb.) a kind of idol used in household shrine or worship
v. 5 return?David their king ? Israel will return to serve God under a leader from the royal line of David. This was ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
the latter days ? In the end times when the Messiah reigns.
Hosea 4
v. 1 Hear the word of the LORD ? This phrase, found only here in Hosea, identifies that God speaking to His people through a prophet (Is. 1:10, Jer. 2:4, Eze. 6:3).
a charge against ? From here to the end of the book of Hosea the LORD lays out a long list of specific sins and offenses Israel has committed for which she deserves judgment.
no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God ? The basis of all Israel's sins is stated here. She has rejected truth, goodness, and the knowledge of the One True God.
v. 2 swearing?lying, Killing?stealing?committing adultery? ? a list of sins, which parallels breaking all 10 of the great commandments (Ex. 20:13-16; Deut. 5:17-20)
bloodshed upon bloodshed ? The LORD describes the scale of Israel's sin as one act of bloodshed that follows another without any break between (2 Kings 15:8-16, 25; Micah 7:2).
v. 3 Therefore the land will mourn ? God's judgment upon Israel affects not only the human inhabitants but also has a detrimental influence upon her wildlife.
v. 4 contend ? riyb or ruwb (Heb.) to strive, grapple or quarrel
rebuke ? yakach (Heb.) to argue; to decide, justify or convict
like those who contend with the priest ? The people of Israel were so far from receiving correction and reproof considerately from any good men that they will rise up against, and strive with even the priests, to whom not to obey was a punishable by death (Deut. 17:12).
v. 5 destroy your mother ? This could refer to either the entire nation of Israel itself of which the inhabitants are considered her children, or to Samaria, which was at that time the capitol city of the northern kingdom of Israel.
v. 6 lack of knowledge ? God's people Israel were about to be destroyed because they lacked the basic knowledge and understanding of God's word. This was because the priests were not properly instructing the people and because the people were rejecting the knowledge of God's law that was available to them.
reject you from being priest for Me ?addressed to the priestly line in the northern kingdom of Israel
forgotten?forget ? shakach (Heb.) to forget, ignore, to cease to care
v. 7 they increased ? referring to the number and power of Israel's priests
glory ? kabowd (Heb.) honor, abundance
shame ? qalown (Heb.) disgrace, dishonor, humiliation
v. 8 They eat up the sin ? The priests would eat the animal sacrifices and sin offerings presented by the people. Thus, the priests were actually feeding themselves off of the sins of the people.
They set their heart on their iniquity ? Rather than teaching God's people not to sin, the priests actually looked forward to the process of the people's sin and sacrifice that filled their bellies.
v. 9 like people, like priest ? The priests were corrupt. And so the people were also corrupt. Thus, both will be properly punished.
v. 10 eat, but not have enough ? Their food will not satisfy or fill them. Therefore, their hunger will remain.
harlotry ? zanah (Heb.) to commit fornication, be a prostitute
increase ? parats (Heb.) to break out in many applications, direct and indirect (literal and figurative) in this case; to prosper
v. 11 enslave the heart ? a depiction of addiction
v. 12 their staff informs them ? alluding to divining rods or wooden idols (Eze. 21:21-22)
the spirit of harlotry ? the mindset of unfaithfulness towards God
v. 13 sacrifices on the mountaintops?hills ? The pagan nations would set up places of worship in high places thinking they were closer to the gods (Hosea 10:8; Deut. 12:2; 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10). Israel copied this idolatrous technique rather than worshiping the true God at the Temple in Jerusalem as instructed by the LORD.
oaks, poplars, and terebinths ? These trees were used by the pagans in idol worship and nature worship. The groves of these trees were meeting places combining sexual activity and idol worship (Jer. 2:20; 3:6.)
harlotry?adultery ? These idols were worshipped by acts of prostitution. They became drunk from much wine in their idol worship (Hosea 4:11) and as a result their sexual passions were given no boundaries.
v. 14 I will not punish ? The men of this time would readily punish their women for immorality. But God declares here that to punish them while the men were freely allowed to pursue sexual immorality would be hypocrisy.
ritual harlot ? qedeshah (Heb.) a female temple prostitute
do not understand ? refuse to understand
v. 15 Let not Judah offend ? The southern kingdom of Israel was called Judah after the split. The LORD was in essence saying here, May Judah avoid such sin.
Gilgal ? the dwelling place of prophets in northern Israel about four miles from Shiloh and Bethel
Beth Aven ? Beyth ‘Aven (Heb.) house of vanity or house of iniquity; a city east of Bethel, site unknown
As the LORD lives ? The customary way to swear an oath using the name of God.
v. 16 forage Like a lamb in open country ? A lamb is vulnerable and could not survive open country without a shepherd. Therefore the LORD is declaring that He will leave Israel defenseless.
v. 17 Ephraim ? Ephrayim (Heb.) The tribe of Israel descended from the second son of Joseph (Gen. 41:52, 46:20)
v. 18 Their drink is rebellion ? as if to say, their diet is sin
v. 19 The wind has wrapped her up in its wings ? Likely a metaphor of the threshing floor where the wind blows away the chaff and useless byproduct of the wheat (Hosea 13:3, Ps. 1:4).
Chapter 5
v. 1 Because you have been a snare ? Israel's irresponsible leadership mentioned above will be judged by God because instead of leading the people to deliverance they have, by their examples, ensnared them in sin.
Mizpah ? Mitspah (Heb.) watchtower; the name of several places in Israel. This could be a play on words, the place that should have been on the alert (watchtower) was instead ensnared.
Tabor ? A mountain at the southeastern edge of Jezreel Valley. The LORD was likely referring to the site of well-known idolatrous events at that time which shamelessly illustrated Israel's corruption.
v. 2 The revolters ? the apostate king, priests, and people who have turned away from God to worship idols
v. 3 Ephraim ? The tribe of Ephraim was always foremost of the tribes of the northern kingdom. For 400 years in early history, it, with Manasseh and Benjamin, its two dependent tribes, held the pre-eminence in the whole nation. But now Ephraim is here addressed as foremost in idolatry and will be used from this point forward as representing all of the northern kingdom of Israel.
v. 4 the spirit of harlotry ? the very nature of the northern kingdom of Israel and the tribe of Ephraim was unfaithful to God in every regard
v. 5 the pride of Israel ? the arrogance of Israel
Judah also stumbles with them ? The southern kingdom (Judah) follows in the same idolatrous example as her northern counterpart into judgment.
v. 6 ?their flocks and herds ? Offering them as sacrifices to the LORD
v. 7 pagan children ? illegitimate children who did not belong to the LORD
New Moon ? a time of religious festivities
v. 8 blow the ram's horn?trumpet ? an alarm used to warn God's people of an invading army
Gibeah?Ramah ? Cities within the southern kingdom of Judah. The implication is that Judah is not safe or exempt from this decree of judgment from the LORD.
Beth Aven ? A city once belonging to Judah but at this time was just within the borders of the northern kingdom of Israel.
v. 9 I make known what is sure ? This prophecy of judgment from God is certain to come to pass.
v. 10 princes of Judah ? the political leadership of the southern kingdom
like those who remove a landmark ? The borders of each person's property at this time was often marked with a large rock or tree. A common act of dishonesty was to steal land simply moving the rocks or cutting down the trees.
v. 11 human precept ? Refers to the corrupt standards and idolatrous priorities of man rather than the true and righteous standards of God. At this time Jeroboam, the king of the northern kingdom of Israel had commanded his people not to worship in Jerusalem (the southern kingdom) but rather to worship the golden calves he had erected at the cities of Dan in the north and Bethel in the south of Israel.
v. 12 like a moth ? Moths eat holes in wool and other valued fabric. The LORD is declaring a judgment of rottenness and decay upon His people.
house of Judah ? the southern kingdom consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin
v. 13 sickness?wound ? Metaphorical language used to describe the damage these two countries had received from their enemies and natural disaster as a result of God's judgment.
Assyria ? The great and powerful country lying on the Tigris (Gen. 2:14) the capital of which was Nineveh.
King Jareb ? Instead of trusting in the LORD for help, the tribe of Ephraim ran to this king of Assyria who was unable to help them. Jareb means contender.
v. 14 like a lion ? Like a ferocious predator. The LORD again uses metaphorical language to declare that Ephraim (representing the northern kingdom of Israel) and Judah (the southern kingdom) will not escape His fierce judgment.
15 Till they acknowledge their offense ? The LORD threatens to withdraw His presence and favor from His people until they show signs of true repentance and seek His face. Although this is truly a dreadful judgment, there is yet hope in this decree.
PRAYER FOCUS
"Then the LORD said to me, ‘Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.' So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley." –Hosea 3:1-2
Lord, we read in Your Word about how we are to forgive. We know that Jesus told us to forgive our brother "seventy times seven." Yet, You know our hearts, God, and You know that forgiveness is hard, and we do not do it as often or as easily as we need to. Hosea's writings show us Your heart, God. Replace our hearts with Yours, so that we may forgive like You do.
MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT AND PRAYER REQUEST
TRANSFORMING VISION RETREAT
The Transforming Vision Retreat was a life-altering time for all of us who attended. God is faithful to respond when His children come together seeking more of Him. It was a time of conviction, cleansing, and joy. I highly recommend this event to anyone desiring a closer walk with God.
Prayer Points
* for the disciplers, that God would pour the gifts of His Spirit into them.
* for those being discipled, that they would remain steadfast in seeking Him.
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