(The previous post covered Hosea marrying a prostitute, having kids with her, and then pursuing her after she committed adultery.)
(Hosea's marriage to Gomer represented God's Covenant with Israel. In the last chapter, Israel was told they would eventually return to God. However, we know this will occur after our dispensation ends. Next, God focused on their current moment.)
Hosea 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.
(God had a controversy (dispute) with the Israelites because there was no truth, no goodness (mercy), and no knowledge of God in the land at that time.)
2 There is nought but swearing and breaking faith, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
(Swearing, breaking faith, killing, stealing, and adultery were in the place of truth, mercy, and knowledge.)
3 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.
4 Yet let no man strive, neither let any man reprove; for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.
5 And thou shalt stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night; and I will destroy thy mother.
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.
(These were God's people and ought to have known God but were destroyed for "lack of knowledge" of God. They chose not to know God.)
7 As they were multiplied, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame.
(The more the priests increased (in numbers and power) the more they sinned against God and caused the people to sin against God.)
8 They feed on the sin of my people, and set their heart on their iniquity.
9 And it shall be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will requite them their doings.
10 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.
(Being focused on the short term and physical things will never fill you.)
11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the understanding.
(Verses 12-14: the idolatry of Israel.)
12 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.
13 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.
14 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.
(Verses 15-19: a warning to Judah.)
15 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.
(Judah was yet to follow Israel's footsteps. Gigal and Beth-haven, once sacred places, were desecrated by idol worship. God told Judah not to swear that Jehovah lived. God did not want the people to swear this because their actions would not follow it. Isaiah 48:1 stated that God said the house of Jacob swore by Jehovah but it was not by truth, nor Righteousness.)
16 For Israel hath behaved himself stubbornly, like a stubborn heifer: now will Jehovah feed them as a lamb in a large place.
17 Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone.
18 Their drink is become sour; they play the harlot continually; her rulers dearly love shame.
19 The wind hath wrapped her up in its wings; and they shall be put to shame because of their sacrifices.
(God also warned Judah to stay away from Israel. By this time, Israel was too far gone in their idolatry and would be judged. Remember, during the time of Ahaz king of Judah (2 Kings 17), God would have the king of Assyria take Israel captive. Judah being warned during the time of this passage meant it was not too late for Judah to repent and avoid judgment. Remember, this was before Hezekiah and Manasseh.)
Hosea 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.
(Israel was told to listen to the Word of God because judgment was toward them because they were a snare to Mizpah and Tabor. Mizpah and Tabor represented places hunters would set snares (traps) and nets. This analogy represented the leaders snaring the people into idolatry.)
2 And the revolters are gone deep in making slaughter; but I am a rebuker of them all.
3 I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me; for now, O Ephraim, thou hast played the harlot, Israel is defiled.
4 Their doings will not suffer them to turn unto their God; for the spirit of whoredom is within them, and they know not Jehovah.
(The actions of the Israelites were not towards God because they allowed the spirit of whoredom to be within them. They did not know God.)
5 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.
(Israel would fall in her iniquity and Judah would fall also.)
6 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.
(The wicked would be rejected by God. Jeremiah 7:16 and Jeremiah 14:12 showed God would eventually not hear their prayers.)
7 They have dealt treacherously against Jehovah; for they have borne strange children: now shall the new moon devour them with their fields.
8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: sound an alarm at Beth-aven; behind thee, O Benjamin.
9 Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.
10 The princes of Judah are like them that remove the landmark: I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; because he was content to walk after man's command.
12 Therefore am I unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.
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.
(The king of Assyria could not help Ephraim (Israel) and Judah.)
14 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.
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.
(God would withdraw until the people "acknowledge their offence." The people would have to remove their pride and consider they were wrong, they would have to be humble. Until then, their prayers would not be heard by God.)
Hosea 6
1 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.
2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him.
(An exhortation to return (repent) to God. God was the source of the judgment against Israel (torn, smitten) which would bring long term repair/repentance (heal, revive, raise). Only God could help them, not the Assyrians like we saw in Hosea 5:13.)
3 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.
4 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.
(What more could God do for them? The pattern was that as soon as Israel repaired, she turned away from God.)
5 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.
6 For I desire goodness, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings.
(God desired goodness (mercy) over sacrifice and knowledge over burnt-offerings (1 Samuel 15:22). This did not mean that God did not desire sacrifice or burnt-offerings at all. This meant God desired mercy and knowledge more.)
7 But they like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.
(But the men transgressed and dealt treacherously, they were not merciful, knowledgeable, or sacrificial towards God.)
8 Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity; it is stained with blood.
9 And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem; yea, they have committed lewdness.
(The priests were considered murderers.)
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing: there whoredom is found in Ephraim, Israel is defiled.
11 Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for thee, when I bring back the captivity of my people.
(A harvest was appointed for Judah…judgment.)
(This post covered God's warning that while it was too late for Israel, it was not too late for Judah.)
Day 263
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