December 15

HOSEA 7

⁸ Ephraim mixes himself with the peoples; Ephraim is a cake not turned.
⁹ Strangers devour his strength, and he knows it not;
gray hairs are sprinkled upon him, and he knows it not.
¹⁰ The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they do not return

to the Lord their God, nor seek him, for all this.

¹¹ Ephraim is like a dove, silly and without sense,
calling to Egypt, going to Assyria.¹² As they go,

 I will spread over them my net; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens;
 I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation.
¹³ Woe to them, for they have strayed from me!

Destruction to them, for they have rebelled against me!
I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me. – Hosea 7:8-13

HOSEA 7 ON SPEAKING LIES AGAINST GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ

One is expected to obey his will and commands

His servant is to abide in him and live his truth

He is to keep away from the corruption of the world

It is evil and wicked to speak lies against God

You are serving the enemy when you do so.

In this account, Hosea describes what evil things Ephraim has done against the Lord. In verse 8, they were illustrated as “mixing with the peoples.” God specifically told them not to intermarry from outside the covenant people and is what exactly what they did. Without them even noticing it, they began to worship the pagan idols that their partners practiced. They didn’t keep their hearts pure for the Lord. Hosea also mentioned their pride in verse 10, they did not seek God anymore. They went to Assyria, a pagan country for help instead of going to their covenant God.  This stirred God’s jealousy and brought about destruction unless they repent and return back to the Lord.

REFLECTION

• How can a Christian lie against the Lord without them even noticing it?

December 13

HOSEA 6

⁷ But like Adam they transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me.
⁸ Gilead is a city of evildoers, tracked with blood.
⁹ As robbers lie in wait for a man, so the priests band together;
they murder on the way to Shechem; they commit villainy.
¹⁰ In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing;

Ephraim’s whoredom is there; Israel is defiled.

¹¹ For you also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed.

When I restore the fortunes of my people, – Hosea 6:7-11

HOSEA 6 WICKED & UNREPENTANT PEOPLE OF GOD

In this account, the people of God were likened to Adam in verse 7. Adam was the originator of sin, together with Eve.  In this verse we hear God accusing Israel of her lack of faith in him and unfaithfulness. Adam was the first man created by God and he was given dominion over all creatures. All his needs were met. He didn’t have to work, as God took care of all of them. He lived with God and had his presence constantly.  He was in paradise where he had no lack because God provided for all their needs. The Israelites were in a similar situation with Adam. They were given the Promised Land and were also provided, protected and cared for. God made a covenant promise to them. He provided them with food in the wilderness. Both Adam and the Israelites were unfaithful to God.

Biblehub.com says that Gilead is a region located east of the Jordan River, primarily in the territory that was allotted to the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. It is characterized by its mountainous terrain and fertile land, making it suitable for agriculture and livestock. The region is often associated with balm, a resin used for medicinal purposes, as noted in Jeremiah 8:22. Absalom, David’s son who led a coup against his father, camped in Gilead and it was there that Absalom died.

Clarke comments “The idolatrous priests there formed themselves into companies, and kept possession of the roads and passes; and if they found any person going to Jerusalem to worship the true God, they put him to death.” What distorted acts these priests did when they were supposed to be the one setting examples for the people of God to stay pure and holy. What wickedness these people did!

REFLECTION

·       How can these chosen people of God continue with their wickedness?

December 12

HOSEA 6

⁴ What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
    What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
    like the dew that goes early away.
⁵ Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets;
    I have slain them by the words of my mouth,
    and my judgment goes forth as the light.
⁶ For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. – Hosea 6:4-6

HOSEA 6 WHAT GOD DESIRES FROM HIS PEOPLE

In these following verses, God speaks to his people just as our parents would when we continue doing what is against what they have in store for their children. In other words, because of the unconditional love, God presents a rhetorical question to them to make them accountable for what they have done to breach their promise to him to stay loyal and faithful only to the One true God who loves them and cares for them the most. Hosea described the fickleness of their love to the Lord by comparing it to the morning cloud and the dew that goes quickly away. Clark comments “Ephraim and Judah had too much goodness in them to admit of their total rejection, and too much evil to admit of their being placed among the children. Speaking after the manner or men, the justice and mercy of God seem puzzled how to act toward them. When justice was about to destroy them for their iniquity, it was prevented by their repentance and contrition: when mercy was about to pour upon them as penitents its choicest blessings, it was prevented by their fickleness and relapse!”

God’s response to the idolatry and unfaithfulness of his people is laid down in verse 5. The synonyms for the word “hewn” are: cut, chopped, axed. God poured such judgments upon them because he didn’t want his people to perish. Clark once again comments on this verse “And my judgment is as the light going forth.  It shall be both evident and swift; alluding both to the velocity and splendor of light.”

Verse 6 defines how God wants them to worship him. Matthew 9:13 reiterates this desire of God. He says “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices. ’For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

REFLECTION

• How have you responded to God’s desire from you as his child?

December 11

HOSEA 6

“Come, let us return to the Lord;
    for he has torn us, that he may heal us;
    he has struck us down, and he will bind us up.
² After two days he will revive us;
    on the third day he will raise us up,
    that we may live before him.
³ Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord;
    his going out is sure as the dawn;
he will come to us as the showers,
    as the spring rains that water the earth.” – Hosea 6:1-3

HOSEA 6 LET US RETURN TO THE LORD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

In this account, Hosea invites the people of God to return to Him. He humbly reminded the Israelites that although they have sinned, there is a time for healing and binding them up again. We witness Hosea’s knowledge of God and his loving kindness and steadfast love and leads the people to return to the Lord as his love for them never changes despite all their sinfulness. Hosea presents how much God loves them just like a parent would unconditionally love a child and discipline is part of that loving kindness. When we are being disciplined, it may be very painful at the time that we are being corrected, but that is what true love is. The one who loves us deeply will never want us to go astray.

Verse 2 shows us again how much Hosea knew the Lord. He prayed confidently and trust that God will restore his people back again. He knew he is a promise keeper and he will never abandon his people. In this prayer, there is a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Jesus as he mentions that on the third day, God will raise them up. Just like how Jesus was torn on Calvary, died and raised up to life again.

Verse 3 summons the people of God to get to know him more. We are given his word so we can build up our faith and our intimacy with him. His mercy is abounding as Lamentation 3:22 says. His steadfast love never ceases. It is new every morning just as certain as the rising of the sun. Clark comments on the verse as surely as the early and the latter rain comes: “The first, to prepare the earth for the seed; this fell in autumn: the second, to prepare the full ear for the harvest; this fell in spring. Here is strong confidence; but not misplaced, however worthless the persons were.”

REFLECTION

• Why is it important for us to return to the Lord especially after sinning?

December 9

HOSEA 5

⁵ The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Israel and Ephraim shall stumble in his guilt; Judah also shall stumble with them.
⁶ With their flocks and herds they shall go to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.
⁷ They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord; for they have borne alien children.
Now the new moon shall devour them with their fields.

⁸ Blow the horn in Gibeah, the trumpet in Ramah.
Sound the alarm at Beth-aven; we follow you, O Benjamin!
⁹ Ephraim shall become a desolation in the day of punishment;
among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure. – Hosea 5:5-9

HOSEA 5 THE CONSEQUENCE OF PRIDE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When a child of God decides to choose arrogance

He will have struggles to follow God’s commands

His loyalty will be divided between God and himself

And he will most likely prefer to please the idol inside him

He will then suffer the pain of God’s wrath and punishment

For God hates those who think highly of themselves.

Sources say that the pride mentioned in verse 5 refers to the arrogance of the nation. Their pride was so visible throughout the Old Testament. Coffman comments “They jealously opposed Gideon, were disrespectful to Jephthah, made an Ephraimite concubine’s son king over Israel, presumptuously called their bastard nation “Israel,” the true name of the nation they had rebelled against, upheld for seven years the house of Saul against David, even though they knew it was against God’s will, joined Absalom in the rebellion against David, and in the final rebellion they supported Jeroboam of Ephraim against Rehoboam of the house of David. They were also conspicuous in their setting up of the bull-gods at Dan and Bethel in opposition to the worship of the true God in Jerusalem.”

In Isaiah 65:24 we hear that even before God’s people call on him, he has already answered them. We know that this time, God withdrew hearing their prayers. This shows how serious God judged their sins. In James 4:6, we know that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. Continued pride shows no humility and much idolatry as 1 Samuel 15:23 says. How can the Israelites have forgotten their covenant promise to God that they will be his people?

REFLECTION

• How is pride the sin of idolatry and what are its consequences?

December 7

HOSEA 4

¹⁵ Though you play the whore, O Israel, let not Judah become guilty.
Enter not into Gilgal, nor go up to Beth-aven, and swear not, “As the Lord lives.”
¹⁶ Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn;
can the Lord now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture?

¹⁷ Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.
¹⁸ When their drink is gone, they give themselves to whoring;
    their rulersdearly love shame.¹⁹ A wind has wrapped themin its wings,
    and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices. – Hosea 4:15-19

HOSEA 4 STUBBORN SPIRIT

According to Dr. Constable’s commentary, verse 15 was a warning to the Israelites not to influence the Southern Kingdom with their adultery. He also warned them not to go to the pagan shrines and take an oath in His name since they did not really worship Him. Gilgal and Beth-aven were representative pagan cultic sites mentioned in Hosea 9:15. The prophet had come to refer to Bethel (house of God) by the name Beth-aven (house of wickedness) because it had become one of the main centers of idolatry in Israel since the reign of Jeroboam I mentioned in Amos 5:5. The use of one name to represent a different though similar place is a figure of speech called atbash. Verse 16 indicates that God asked rhetorically if He could continue to guide Israel as its Shepherd since it was not behaving like a compliant heifer or lamb but had become stubborn and obstinate. Verse 17 refers to Ephraim, the largest tribe in the Northern Kingdom that stood for the whole nation had abandoned her Shepherd and replaced him with idols.  God instructs others to leave Israel alone with her sinfulness. Verse 18 states that the adultery was influenced by their drinking but even when they weren’t drinking, they have embraced such idolatrous acts. They loved their sins so much.

Aren’t we also prone to act like the Israelites? They have grown in their rebellion that the stubborn spirit was the result of such unfaithfulness to God. No wonder the first command of God was not to have any other gods but him. It opened their hearts to stubborn spirits. 1 Samuel 15:23 says that rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. 

REFLECTION

• Why do you think stubbornness is as bad as worshipping idols?

December 6

HOSEA 4

¹² My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles.
For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray,

 and they have left their God to play the whore.
¹³ They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn offerings on the hills,
under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good.
Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your brides commit adultery.
¹⁴ I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore,
    nor your brides when they commit adultery;
for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes,
and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. – Hosea 4:12-14

HOSEA 4 ISRAEL’S WHOREDOM

According to the topical encyclopedia “whoredom” in the Bible alludes to numerous forms of sexual immorality, such as prostitution, adultery, and idolatry. It is often used metaphorically to illustrate unfaithfulness to God, comparing spiritual infidelity to marital disloyalty. This word is mostly found in the Old Testament and is used to convey the gravity of disobedience to God’s laws. In Leviticus 19:29, one of the statutes of God says that daughters must not be profaned by making her a prostitute or else the land falls into prostitution and the land becomes full of wickedness. The account of Hosea and Gomer is a very poignant illustration of whoredom. God literally commanded Hosea to marry a whore so he could point out the unfaithfulness of Israel with their spiritual adultery.

These following verses describe what whoredom looked like. Verse 13 demonstrates the acts of such unfaithfulness to God. They sacrifice on mountain tops and burn offerings on the hills under oak, poplar and terebinth because they gave them good shade and it was convenient for them to do so. Verse 12 indicates that they consult wooden idols and their wooden staff instead of going to God’s truth. Vese 14 rebukes the Israelites for engaging both men and women in prostitution and offering sacrifices with cult prostitutes.

As a result of Israel’s whoredom, they are destroyed by such wickedness and unfaithfulness to God.  Proverbs 6:32-33 cautions that whoever commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.

REFLECTION                                                                          

• What are some acts that a believer can do that is synonymous to whoredom?
• What are the reasons why believers become unfaithful to God?