Scripture Reading: Hosea 7; Hosea 8
Chapters seven and eight of Hosea cover the sins of Israel in forsaking Jehovah and Jehovah’s punishments on Israel because of their forsaking of Him.
The sins of Israel were in two categories: sins in their social life among the people and the rulers and evils in their relationship with Jehovah. Israel was wrong with man and also with God.
Hosea 7:1-7 speaks of the sins of Israel in their social life.
Israel’s sins in their social life included falsehood, theft, raids, evils, lies, intoxication, and scorn (7:1-3, 5). On the feast day of the king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine, and the king stretched out his hand with scorners.
Adultery was practiced by all of the people. They burned like an oven in their lust, devouring their judges (the priests) and making all their kings fall (vv. 4, 6-7). Hosea used the parable of a baker to portray Israel’s burning lust. Even the kings could not stand against the burning lust within them.
In verses 8 through 16 Hosea speaks regarding Israel’s evils in their relationship with Jehovah.
They wandered from Jehovah, not returning to Him and not seeking after Him (vv. 13, 10, 16a, 14).
Ephraim (another term for the northern kingdom of Israel) was likened to an unturned cake (v. 8). This symbolizes that they were stubborn to remain in a charcoaled condition and would not turn to Jehovah.
Verses 11 and 12 say, “Ephraim has become like a silly dove / Without understanding: / They call to Egypt; / They go to Assyria. / When they go, / I will spread My net over them; / I will bring them down like the birds of heaven; / I will chasten them according to the report given to their assembly.” Israel’s being likened to a silly dove symbolizes that they were lacking the proper knowledge of God in His economy. Many of today’s Christians are lacking the knowledge of God’s economy. They do not realize that God’s present chastising of Israel and His punishing of the nations will issue in the manifestation of Christ to bring in the restoration.
In verse 16a Israel is likened to a deceitful bow. This symbolizes that they were rebellious toward God and were not faithful to fight the battle for God’s kingdom.
Chapter eight describes Jehovah’s punishments on Israel because of their forsaking of Him.
Like an eagle the enemy would come against the house of Jehovah, because they had trespassed Jehovah’s covenant — Jehovah’s binding of Israel in His holy requirements and righteous terms — and because they had transgressed against Jehovah’s law — Jehovah’s regulating of Israel according to what He is: love, light, holiness, and righteousness (8:1).
Israel had cast off what is good, and the enemy would pursue him (v. 3).
They had set up kings but not by Jehovah. They had set up princes, but Jehovah did not acknowledge it (v. 4a). They had their own way of setting up an authority, and Jehovah objected to it.
With their silver and gold they made idols for themselves, that they might be cut off (v. 4b).
Verse 5a says, “Your calf has cast you off, O Samaria; / My anger burns against them.” Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, and her “calf” was an idol, a golden calf image (cf. 1 Kings 12:28; Exo. 32:4). This idol cast Israel off, and Jehovah’s anger burned against them.
Verse 5b goes on to say, “How long will they be incapable of innocence?” Here to be incapable of innocence means to be incapable of not making idols. Israel lacked the capacity not to make idols; that is, they were very capable and active in making idols. Thus, Hosea was asking when they would lose their capacity to make idols, when they would no longer be able to make idols. The situation of humankind today is the same. Human beings may not be capable of understanding the Bible or of knowing God, but they are very capable in making many things their idols.
Hosea 8:6 says, “For from Israel is this! / A workman made it; / Thus it is no God. / The calf of Samaria / Will be shattered to pieces.” One day God will come in to shatter that idol to pieces.
In making idols they had sown wind and would reap a whirlwind (v. 7a). Because of the whirlwind, they would be lacking in food. For this reason, verse 7b continues, “It has no stalk; should there be a sprout, / It will not produce flour; / If so be that it does produce, / Strangers will swallow it up.”
Israel had been swallowed up and had become among the nations like a vessel in which no one takes pleasure (v. 8). For they had gone up to Assyria like a wild ass alone by itself. Ephraim had hired lovers (v. 9). Though they had hired such among the nations, Jehovah would gather them for their punishment, and they would begin to be diminished because of the burden of the king of the princes (v. 10). Today there is a little nation in Palestine with Jerusalem as its center, but what nation takes pleasure in Israel?
Because Ephraim had multiplied altars, altars would be multiplied to him for sin (v. 11).
Jehovah wrote for Ephraim the ten thousand things of His law, but they were considered a strange thing (v. 12). This means that Ephraim, the kingdom of Israel, did not care for God’s law. No matter how many items God wrote, Ephraim did not care for them.
As for the sacrifices of Jehovah’s offerings, they sacrificed flesh and ate it, but Jehovah had no delight in them. He would remember their iniquity and would punish their sins, and they would return to Egypt (v. 13).
Israel had forgotten his Maker and had built palaces, and Judah had multiplied fortified cities. But Jehovah would send fire into his cities, and it would devour its palaces (v. 14).
The minor prophets spoke concerning the evils, the rottenness, and the corruption of Israel, but Israel was stubborn and would not listen to them. Eventually, God was forced to send Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army as the fire to judge, to punish, and to chastise His rebellious and apostate people.
