And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. And the LORD said unto Moses,
“Take all the heads of the people, and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel.”
And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, “Slay ye every one his men that were joined unto Baalpeor.” And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; and he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel. And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.
Numbers 25:1-9
Whoredom
The Redeeming Love of God – Hosea 9:1 – 10:15
NOW Is the Time to Seek the LORD</>
Hosea 9:1 – 10:15
Herschel Ford has told a story of a man who committed suicide. He was rising higher and higher in a hot-air balloon. He took a knife and began to cut the three ropes holding the gondola to the fabric of the air-ship. A crowd below was watching. They shouted warning after warning. “Don’t cut it”, until he came to the third, and still they were shouting, “Don’t cut it”. He did not listen, and fell to his death.
When people persist in cutting off the strands that keep them in the way of God we commit spiritual suicide. Cutting the cords of God’s love ends in destruction. God continues to warn His people, giving us ample opportunity to turn from our sin and walk in His paths. This period of grace does not last forever. He does and will cut it off, and bring evil to an end.
“Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor. The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria. They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto Him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD. What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred. The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins.” Hosea 9:1-9 (KJV)
How blind the children of the LORD tend to be when the LORD’S judgment and justice has come upon us. When the Bible speaks of judgment it often puts it in the present tense – as being here. Now!
There was no reason for joy in Israel due to the fact they had left God to walk in the harlotries of other nations. The “other people” were rejoicing in their idol worship – the licentious sexual behavior of Ashtoreth. God’s people were never called on to worship anything but God. To do so was “Whoredom” and wickedness in God’s sight.
The very idea of them actually worshipping Baal was proof of their unfaithfulness to God.
There are seven features of God’s judgment upon Israel listed in verses two through six:
- God would attack the heart of fertility worship by taking away the bountiful harvest (v. 2);
- He would remove them from His land (v. 3);
- He would place them in Assyria in Egyptian-like captivity (v. 3);
- God would bring an end to their wicked worship (v. 4);
- God would cut them off from their appointed feast days (vv. 5-6a);
- They would die in captivity (v. 6);
- God would desolate Israel’s fertility idols and shrines (v. 6).
In verse six “Memphis” is a place in Egypt where the dead are buried. They would die.
“What will ye do?” Hosea asked. How one responds to God’s warning determines one’s eternal destiny.
There is a story told of two brothers who lived in a sheep herding area of Europe. These two brothers were caught stealing sheep. The sentence the community gave them in judgment was that they be branded on their foreheads with the letters S T and understood to mean “Sheep Thieves”. These young men in later years met Jesus as their Saviour and their lives were radically changed. They became a credit to their community; giving help to people in need; aiding struggling city coffers when they possibly could. All the time bearing the marks on their foreheads “ST”. As the years went by one day a young boy with his mother saw these two godly men with “ST” branded on their foreheads; “What does that “ST” mean?” The mother answered her son and said, “I don’t know; but I suppose it means Saint.” There is hope and change for all who will believe God, trust His Saviour and His Word.
The people of Israel were guilty of rejecting God’s prophet, and accepting the foolish jibberish of the paid off cult and court prophets. Calling God’s man a fool. Hosea remained faithful to God, because he was certain of God’s calling and confident of God’s message. The sin and iniquity of the people causes them to hate the message of God and His messenger.
“I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. Give them, O LORD: what wilt Thou give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of Mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.” Hosea 9:10-17
From the preceding verses we find Israel in persistent rebellion, and judgment will sweep them away.
In verse 10 Israel is likened to a fruitful vine found in the wilderness- and what a magnificent find that would be to a weary and thirsty traveler. They are also likened to a first ripened fig – the best. Made this way by God in His bountiful grace they have chosen to leave this condition in God to serve idols, and destroy their land, their homes, their kingdom, and their relationship with God, who placed them in His glorious position.
They bring shame and their glory flies away as a bird. Their children shall die. The wombs of the women will be fruitless, those who do conceive will never hold a live child in their arms (v. 14). The greatest tragedy of sin is found in verse 12 “…Woe also to them when I depart from them!” For God to depart, to hold back His mercy and grace is catastrophic to His people. They get what they deserve. The blessings they had before was God’s mercy on display.
Verse 15 makes a bold statement of God’s hatred for sin and evil. Israel had given themselves to evil, were bound to evil, and could not get free. The “Wickedness of Gilgal” is a reference to Saul’s rebellion in 1 Samuel 13. King Saul determined to not wait for Samuel, and to offer sacrifice himself. In this he showed much pride, impatience, and rebellion toward the laws of God. He also tried to sacrifice to justify his disobedience (1 Samuel 15), which is also seen of Israel in Hosea’s day.
God would cast them out to be strangers and foreigners in other countries. God loves His people so much He will not allow us to live in unrepented sin.
“Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: He shall break down their altars, He shall spoil their images. For now they shall say, ‘We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us?’ They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field. The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it. It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water. The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, ‘Cover us;’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us.’
O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them. It is in My desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows. And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods.” Hosea 10:1-11
Now, God says, that, they are an “Empty vine”. This is a drastic contrast to what we found in verse 10 of chapter 9.
Israel had a heart condition. No electrocardiogram would be able to detect the problem. Nevertheless, they had a bad heart. Their heart was divided. God cannot use divided hearts. This compares with the “Double-minded man” of James 1:8 – unstable and unfit for service to God.
The people of Israel had two institutions which were highly esteemed by them; their kings (politics, military, and democracy for us), and their religion. Their kings were unjust and greedy, and their religion was empty and separated them from God, because they were more concerned with ritual sacrifice and offerings rather than a personal relationship with God.
Kings make promises, but do not fulfill them (v. 4). The graven images which they have worshipped will lose their glory – no one will be able to protect them. Who needs a god that needs protection anyway? God is having their idols carried away shows the futility of trusting in them (Isaiah 46:1-5).
“Aven”, mentioned in 10:8 means deception. It has been a place of deception because the people were deceived by their own desires and they strayed from God’s paths. God says, that, He will destroy their sin. The power of sin has been ultimately destroyed by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, and overcoming sins power by His resurrection from the dead. All who refuse God’s way suffers eternal judgment.
Instead of crying out to God for mercy they cry out for the rocks and mountains, “Fall on us” (v. 8; Revelation 6:16).
Because of their stubborn and rebellious hearts they would be as a heifer yoked to hard labor whereas, before their labor had been light and blessed.
“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you. Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children. So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.” Hosea 10:12-15 (KJV)
The “Fallow ground” of verse twelve is land that had previously been plowed, but now left unused. God’s Word and His Spirit is the plow that is needed to break up the soil of a hard heart (See Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23). Hard hearts cannot yield crops of righteousness and mercy.
It is a prominent theme in Hosea that the children of Israel will reap exactly what they have sown. It is a law of God’s created order to reap what we have sown – and that, no matter the timeline, culture or society which we may live.
Hosea gives us three steps to heal the land:
- Break up your fallow ground (v. 12);
- Put God’s Word in your heart – “sow with a view of righteousness” (NAS v. 12);
- “Reap in accordance with kindness (NAS) referring to the breaking of their hard hearts through repentance and sowing the seed of God’s Word in their lives.
God gives Israel every opportunity to repent. It is God’s desire then to cleanse them, and make them a vessel of His grace. Judgment would come.
“Hosea 9 – 10 reinforces the basic lesson that persistent sin eventually leads to destruction.” Traylor. This is also true for people of the 21st century as well. God’s people (Christians) need to open their eyes and know that the Lord, though He has provided a way into His presence, still calls for His people to repent.
We need to keep this thought in mind; “God loves us the way we are; but He loves us too much to leave us the way we are.” He will do whatever it takes to make us holy.
There is only hope for all through the shed blood of Jesus on the cross of calvary – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ; Son of the Living God.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Redeeming Love of God (Hosea 5:1 – 6:11)
Rebellion and False Repentance
Hosea 5:1 – 6:11
To love God is to hate evil (Psalm 97:10). “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13). So declares the inspired Scriptures.
The problem with Israel as much as with people today, in general, even professing Christians, is that, we claim to love God, and hang onto evil as well. That cannot be, if we love God. God says so, and it is so often ignored.
God’s desire for His people is that we learn. Learn His ways, walk His paths of beauteous splendor. But, there is such (what seems like) an unwillingness to learn, such desire for ignorance, rather than for a knowledge of God.
Many times in Scriptures the words “hear”, “give heed”, and/or “listen” are verbalized with great vehemence, that God cries out for their attention, but they do not give it. Maybe I ought to say “We do not give it” just to be fair.
The Word of God has been rejected and despised by the priests and rulers of Israel. They have captured the people for their own gain. The priests, the common people, and the king are guilty before God. They all must repent and seek God.
“Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor. And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.” Hosea 5:1-2 (KJV)
Many times God cries out through His messengers, the prophets, for His people to “Hear”. Sometimes they listen and hear and turn form their path of destruction; many times they do not.
The judgment is toward all who are in the land. As a response to hearing the Word some will turn, but will still suffer in judgment along with the nation. Like we are told in Scripture “It rains on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), and that includes blessing and judgment.
The leaders; the priests, the king, tribal leaders had ensnared and exploited the people. The nobles and leaders were not only indulging in the practiced sin of the nation, but were also profiting from the immorality. They did not want to cease from their sin. There was too much profit, and an extravagant amount of pleasure to lose in doing so. As long as there is enjoyment in sin there is no chance for repentance, and no blessing from God.
There was much bloodshed “slaughter”. Slaughter of innocence. The baby to the fire, the elderly “No longer useful to society”, those who cry out against audacious and vile decadence. This will be judged. There are many people today who worship at the fiery idol of “Choice”.
“I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from Me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn Himself from them. They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.” Hosea 5:3-7
Rebellion and impenitence is the theme of these verses.
When a lost soul turns to God for salvation, that same soul has turned away from sin and the path of Hell. There has been a change of heart and of life, and of lifestyle.
This is what God was wanting for Israel. Israel’s problem is that, they wee caught in a trap. They were enslaved to their won devices of sin, and could find no way out. In fact they did not want out. That is the blindness of sins darkness. Jesus spoke of the bondage of sin and its darkness in John 3:19-20. He said, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” (NKJV).
In verses three through seven God cites five reasons He would chastise Israel, and ultimately Judah. There were probably some in Hosea’s audience who would not believe Israel could or would be destroyed, thus, the five reasons.
- Ephraim had prostituted herself, and Israel stood defiled (v. 3);
- The Israelites deeds would not allow them to return to the Lord their God (v. 4);
- They in their pride had rejected God’s appeal for them to turn to Him for help (v. 5);
- They, instead, turned to the fertility gods for help (vv. 5b-6); “The real tragedy is that their sin had so blinded them that they thought they were seeking God by the sacrifices, and other rites at the fertility shrines.” Traylor page 56.
- Their treachery against the Lord God (v. 7).
On the part of Israel was betrayal, rebellion, and an intensity to sin. On God’s part, He remained faithful. The result of Israel’s continued rebellion against God was destruction. Who are we to think that it cannot happen to us when we want to hang on to our sins?
“Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment. Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. 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 take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go and return to My place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek My face: in their affliction they will seek Me early.” Hosea 5:8-15 (KJV)
Judgment would come from within and without. For those today who say, “Well, God wouldn’t do that” you better get a new thought. God does not allow His children to sin successfully.
This blowing of the “Ram’s horn” is a warning to invaders. There is a need for sounding a warning of invaders when people forsake God, and refuse to return to His way. The warnings, as with Israel, often go unheeded, and the people continue to live a life of indulgent sin. Wanting the blessings, of God, and yet clinging to godless living.
Judgment is inevitable when people hear the Word of warning, and refuse to turn. The judgment comes due to the lack of care. Complacent, and apathetic toward the warnings; the enemy then comes in tearing and ripping and killing fulfilling the rebuke of God to turn His people from their sins. Who can rescue one who is under the judgment? God says, “No one can.”
God leaves His children to face their own sin, and its fruit. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galations 6:7). He will not come to their aid until they confess their evil and repent of it. God’s judgment upon His people is always redemptive. Do not deceive yourselves; there are consequences to your sin. You will reap the harvest of those sins.
“Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.” Hosea 6:1-3
By all appearances these verses seem to be a sign of true repentance. At least what the Lord requires of His people for His promise to be fulfilled. Let us keep them in context with the verses which follow.
How long does it take us to learn that we cannot fool God? He knows our heart. He knows our thoughts. He knows when we are truly penitent, and when it is false.
Sorry they had been discovered, their sin found out, they want to avoid the judgment that was about to fall upon them. Notice, there is no mention of forsaking their evil ways, only seeking to return in order to get blessing again. They want healing, revival, and the rains, but God knows the heart.
“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 early dew it goeth away. 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. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against Me. Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood. And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. Also, O Judah, He hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of My people.” Hosea 6:4-11
God will, and does judge His people to produce godly knowledge, and loyalty to Him.
The two questions of verse four are very penetrating. They imply with force, “Why do you deceive Me?” The repentance of “Ephraim” is only fleeting. Clinging to their sin, loving their sin, they cry for forgiveness. The “Morning cloud” appears until the light and heat of the sun hits it, then, it is gone. The “Early dew” lingers on the leaves, grass, flowers, and the fields until the light of day causes it to evaporate into nothingness, and it is gone. The describes the repentance of Israel. Sadly, it also describes the feeble cries of repentance; if there are any; in the Church of the 21st century. While wanting the blessings of God we also want to cling to our sin that separates us from God. Wreaking havoc upon ourselves, our Church, our nation, and the world, sin continues while God calls us to repent. God’s people are to be a stabilizing force in society, and culture by being unmoved by passions of lust and greed.
The Word of God in written form, and from the mouths of His prophets inflicts wounds to cut out sin. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is the Law which shows the way of freedom. Sin is an evil, and cruel master destroying life, and godly relationships.
The LORD God desires permanence in our loyalties. His frustration is with words that have no commitment, no devotion, no perseverance. When judgment comes it is as a light revealing pitfalls, stumbling blocks, and dead-ends. Judgment shows that departure from God to sin has taken place.
False repentance is eager to sacrifice money, maybe time, and even attendance at worship, programs and feasts, but not personal commitment to change, to show mercy and kindness, to love as God loves – loving “God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; and our neighbor as we love ourselves”- to know God, and not just ritual.
The vileness of man’s heart continually transgresses God’s Law. Acts of treason are committed against Him daily. Treachery, the act to deceive, and that which destroys trust, is committed by refusing to obey what has been agreed to by all parties. God has no other choice but to judge. Remember our God is holy.
Bloodshed, robbery, harlotry seem to be permanent encroachments upon the land. God says, that it is “A horrible thing in the house of Israel.” The house of Judah will not be exempt. None who turn from God to serve self are exempt from God’s wrath. Is there hope in that? Those who experience God’s judgment, and confess their sins, and turn from their sins [repentance] to Jesus Christ, God’s holy Son will experience His mercy and grace.
-Tim A. Blankenship
The Fire and Hammer 