We have been offering some thoughts on the prophet Hosea’s message to Israel and Judah during the siege by the Assyrians. That siege was instigated by Israel’s idolatry, trusting in someone / something else besides God and His message and the immoral behavior that flowed from that false worship. Today, we consider chapters 9 & 10.
The primary god worshiped by Israel, relative to Hosea’s preaching, was Baal, the Canaanite god of fertility. It is understandable why an agriculturally-based economy would motivate a people to please such a god. But not with Israel, whose God had promised extensively in the Law (esp., Deuteronomy) that He would provide for their harvests. So, 9:1-2 promises that Israel’s harvests will fail. God will not allow Baal to “bless” Israel. For her sins, Israel will “return” to Egypt, which serves as a metaphor for the slavery / exile coming in Assyria.
There, they will be unable to worship God as they ought to worship (9:4). Rather than enjoying a bountiful harvest, Israel will experience weeds and thorns (9:6), the same punishment God promised to Adam once he disobeyed God (Gen. 3:18).
Israel’s sins had motivated her to think God’s prophets were a “fool” and “demented” (9:7). Consequently, God would punish her (9:9). What / Who we worship affects who / what we are (9:10). Again, in preaching against the fertility cult of Baal, God promises Israel: “no birth, no pregnancy, no conception!” (9:11)
God hates Ephraim (9:15) and has stopped loving them. The tribe whose name meant “fruitful” (Ephraim) will be unfruitful (9:16; see Gen. 41:52).
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God had blessed Israel, chapter 10 begins, but in her prosperity, Israel multiplied her altars to gods rather than dedicating herself to Jehovah God (10:1). He will destroy their altars (10:2). The calf at Bethel (if that is the one to which Hosea refers) was built by King Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28-29) and had been in existence for about 200 years! That calf will be torn down and carried into Assyria (Hosea 10:6). Then, Israel will be ashamed of her behavior.
Samaria will be thrown out like a stick floating on the water, helplessly drifting with the tide (10:7). At that point, Israel will cry to the mountains to fall on them and to the hills to cover them (10:8), imagery taken up by Jesus to refer to the later destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 23:30) and the apostle John to refer to the destruction of Rome (Rev. 6:16).
God will gather nations against Israel to punish her for her sins (10:10). Thus, Israel was to “sow with a view to righteousness” so that she might “reap in accordance with kindness.” She was to “break up her fallow ground” since it was past time to “seek the Lord,” who wanted to “rain righteousness down” on Israel (10:12).
Fundamentally, Israel “trusted in herself” (10:13). That is the essence of our sins today in the church and in our culture – trusting in ourselves. Trusting in our fellowman. “If so-and-so says it is okay, then it is okay,” regardless of the clear teaching of Scripture. Man hasn’t changed. But neither has God.
Paul Holland
