Studies in Hosea
6 - Unfaithful
We’re studying the forgotten book of Hosea where Israel’s the root problem is piercingly exposed. There are two themes that emerge – the judgement of God and the love of God. Two faces of a single coin. In Hosea there are unparalleled expressions of the love of God and the grace of God, and God’s unbelievable depths of tenderness shine through so gloriously.
To Israel her decline was doubly imperceptible. It was unnoticed through its gradualness and it was invisible to their pride. Israel was past her sell-by date and must come to judgement. The Lord uses such scathing word pictures – the inedible cake (chapter 7 verse 8), the first grey hairs (verse 9), the flustered bird (verse 11) and the flawed weapon (verse 16).
Let me read Hosea chapter 7 verses 8 - 10 in the Living Bible. “My people mingle with the heathen, picking up their evil ways; thus they become as good-for-nothing as a half-baked cake! Worshipping foreign gods has sapped their strength, but they don’t know it. Ephraim’s hair is turning grey, and he doesn’t even realise how weak and old he is. His pride in other gods has openly condemned him; yet he doesn’t return to his God, nor even try to find Him.”
One commentator has written, “How better describe a half-fed people, a half-cultured society, a half-lived religion, a half-hearted policy, than by a half-baked scone?” ‘Mixing with the nations’ has resulted in such a loss of conviction. The unique identity of God’s people has been obscured through compromise, pragmatism and expediency. By mixing with the nations and ignoring the Lord, the nation was secretly losing her strength. She was having to pay tribute to foreigners to keep them at bay. No wonder God has to keep turning up the volume of His judgement until it reaches an intensity that captures Israel’s attention. Only after the judgement has reached the terrifying magnitude of the destruction of the entire kingdom and the exile of its people will the seeking and returning take place (chapter 3:5).
The nation has no direction. “Ephraim is a silly, witless dove, calling to Egypt, flying to Assyria. But as she flies, I throw my net over her and bring her down like a bird from the sky; I will punish her for all her evil ways” (verse 11 - 12 Living Bible). The nation tries out every policy but the right one. They will not turn back to God, the true Head of State. Israel’s foreign policy kept altering. She changed alliances with every shift of the political wind, flitting from Mesopotamia to the Nile in search of an ally. There was an innate inability in Israel to come down off the fence and be definite. With all her cleverness, she was out manoeuvred by God. Israel would fly straight into the one peril she had overlooked – the net of divine judgement. If Ephraim will be the dove, Yahweh will be the crafty hunter.
God is at the end of His tether with them. They have strayed from Him and rebelled against Him. Here’s the heart ache of God, “I long to redeem them but they speak lies against Me (verse 13). They do not cry out to Me from their hearts” (verse 14).” “I trained them and strengthened them, but they plot evil against Me (verse 15). They do not turn to the Most High: they are like a faulty bow” (verse 16).
Perhaps the greatest sin in all the world is to become unfaithful to the one who loves you. Israel is sinning against love. In chapter 2 it was a husband’s love. In chapter 7 it is a father’s love. God desired to pasture His people ‘like lambs in a meadow’ (chapter 4:16), training and strengthening and rescuing were what God had in mind. Israel’s agenda was somewhat different – wandering, lying (verse 13), rebelling, plotting and insolence (verse 16).
Here’s the verdict, God’s people are like a crooked bow that always misses targets. Their leaders will perish by the sword of the enemy and all Egypt will laugh at them.
The date line is still 733 BC. A bird of prey is circling the nation ready to pounce. The nation is in terminal decline. Chapter 8 begins, “Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the Lord because the people have broken My covenant and rebelled against My law. Israel cries out to me, ‘O our God, we acknowledge you!’ But Israel has rejected what is good; an enemy will pursue him” (chapter 8 verses 1 - 3).
Having turned from God and looked elsewhere, Israel had ‘sown the wind.’ Now it will ‘reap the whirlwind’ of consequences and judgement is unavoidable, destruction inevitable. Their worship was unclean, their fields were empty (a judgement of famine) – everything Israel did turned to ashes. Their dangerous self-reliance and their man-made gods have brought ruin upon them.
“They crave kings, but without asking Me. They set up princes but don’t let me in on it. Instead, they make idols, using silver and gold, idols that will be their ruin. Throw that gold calf-god on the trash heap, Samaria! I’m seething with anger against that rubbish! (verses 4 to 5 The Message).
One can sense God’s tenacious love yearning over them as he asks, ‘How long will they be incapable of purity?’ (verse 5). They have chosen the wrong allies. Their foreign alliance, their special relationship with Assyria, will cost them dear. Forgetting they had a covenant exclusively with God, they made covenants and treaties with other nations. The result is “Israel is swallowed up; now she is among the nations like a worthless thing” (verse 8). Israel has prostituted herself amongst the pagans ‘like a wild donkey’. ‘Ephraim has sold herself to lovers’ (verse 9). Kings of Israel were paying a tribute to the Assyrians for their protection. Ephraim (Israel) hasn’t understood that God does not want more religion “Though Ephraim built many altars for sin offerings, these have become altars for sinning” (verse 11). Religion had become a curse. The law of God was regarded ‘as something alien’ (verse 12). It was totally ignored, but the ceremony went on. Such a performance sickened God and attracted the very judgement it was supposed to avert. They never stopped to ask what God made of all this. Human sin inflicts incredible hurt on God.
The chapter ends with the clear statement, “Israel has forgotten his Maker” (verse 14). But no impressive fortress in the north or in the south will be able to withstand God’s impending day of reckoning.