Book of Hosea
Chapter 9

Hosea Chapter 9
Commentary by Ron Beckham

Verse 1. "Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations! For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved harlots' earnings on every threshing floor."

This continues the central theme of the Book of Hosea, first seen in Chapter One – In the sin of Israel (and in your sins and mine), we are seen by the Holy God as though we are a prostitute; an unfaithful wife. Adultery was rampant in that nation, just as it is in present day America. But this does not simply refer to the physical act of adultery – it goes much deeper, into the spiritual realm of your heart and mine.

America, Britain, China, Russia, and all other nations: God has this against us, that we have gone after the "gods" of wealth, materialism, and power. We are His and yet we act as though we are somehow "free" to choose another. All people, all nations, belong to Him, and to take our "own" direction, is to deny the One who made us. He has the right to lead us and He is not pleased.

Verse 2. "Threshing floor and wine press will not feed them, and the new wine will fail them."

Israel loved the threshing floor and the winepress, much like we love the products we manufacture, along with the stock markets, and world trade. They were famous for the grain and wine they manufactured and exported, and we also have a system that has brought prosperity to many. But there is a problem. It is really GOD who has blessed the one who prospers, and yet as a people, we have turned our backs on Him.

Just as the threshing floor and winepress would ultimately fail them, so our economic system will not sustain us, in this time and place. In Christ, all things consist (are held together - Colossians 1:17), and it was not your efforts which brought you where you are. Your home, your job, business, your religion and nation, and all you care about are sustained by the Christ who made you. He intends to get your attention. If you trust in Him, He will bless you. If you do not, the substitutes you have chosen to "replace" Him, will not sustain you in the day of trouble.

Verse 3. "They will not remain in the Lord’s land, But Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat unclean food."

Canaan, also known as the nation called Israel, never precisely belonged to the people who have lived in the land. England is not the property of the British, and China is not owned by the Chinese. A hint of this is seen in Leviticus 25:23, where God reveals "the land is Mine, for you are strangers and sojourners with Me." The Arabs and the Jews both say the land is theirs, and probably the Druse do the same, but it really belongs to God. Native Americans, French, the Spanish, the British, and all who come after – none of us really "own" anything – we are tenants in the house of the Lord.

If you own a house, you may think it belongs to you (or to the bank), but it really is the property of the Lord God, who is the true Owner of everything that is. Ephraim (Israel) would be forced from the land and they would return to captivity where they would eat "unclean" (non-kosher) food – most of them would go to Assyria, while others would return to Egypt, from whence they came. You and I are tenants here (the earth and our very bodies belong to Him), and if we misuse His property, He will evict us.

Verse 4. "They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord, their sacrifices will not please Him. Their bread will be like mourners' bread; all who eat of it will be defiled, for their bread will be for themselves alone; it will not enter the house of the Lord."

The heart of this people was not right before God. They were highly religious – one could say incurably religious, and much like the Pharisees and Saducees of Jesus’ day, their religion did not please God. He wants your heart. You and I can take communion every day, pray publicly, constantly go to religious meetings, etc., but none of it will please God, unless your heart is right before Him.

Bread was a part of their worship and so was wine. They would now once again be slaves who had no wine, and if they had any bread, it would be used to keep them from starving to death. The "showbread" they loved to partake of would be denied them when they were in mourning (Deuteronomy 26:14). They now would be in a constant state of grief and any bread devoted to the Lord would be eaten as common food, lest they starve.

Verse 5. "What will you do on the day of the appointed festival and on the day of the feast of the Lord?"

In the U.S., we have great freedom to worship God, just as they did in Israel, and places of worship have abounded, then and now. In the day of trouble, just about everyone cries out to the Lord. But what we really need to do, is cry out to Him in the day of prosperity, and in such a setting, we can do it in joy and praise. What will you DO, if you wait for a time when religion is denied to the people of this land? When you can’t go to Church, you may well wish you could.

Israel chose do-it-yourself religion, in place of the worship of God. And suddenly their religious acts would be shown as useless in the face of true calamity. No longer would they have "freedom of religion" in the captivity to which they would be taken. That which could have been joyful, was now to be expressed in sorrow and humiliation. Today is the time to worship the Lord (there might not be a tomorrow for the land that rejects Him).

Verse 6. "For behold, they will go because of destruction; Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them. Weeds will take over their treasures of silver; thorns will be in their tents."

Their houses would be ruined, and their places of worship were to be destroyed. Weeds and thorn bushes would grow through the floors of their burned-out dwellings. Their silver and gold would be taken from them and be of no more use to any of the survivors. They came from Egypt, and back to Egypt some of them would go. (Memphis was the first capital of united Egypt, c. 3200 B.C.) Actually, most of them would go to Assyria, but the imagery here is that they came from slavery and to slavery they would return.

Have you been rescued by the Lord? I spent a good portion of my childhood in wheel chairs and He has rescued me from them. I’ve visited the elderly in convalescent homes and have seen that most will end up in wheelchairs. Our souls can be crippled also, and those who have been rescued from the clutches of sin, can return to the place of shame. Unlike those of Israel at that time, we must repent of our sins and trust in the Lord. He is the only One who can deliver you and me.

Verse 7. "The days of punishment have come, the days of retribution have come; let Israel know this! The prophet is a fool, the inspired man is demented, because of the grossness of your iniquity, and because your hostility is so great."

There is a day that will be the end of every man and woman, in relation to this world, and there is an appointed time for each and every nation. All our human resources of this world, will ultimately fail. And yet, NOTHING is lost, for right now, before any blow, any harm comes, we can place our trust in the Lord Jesus, who bore the "days of punishment" for us, and we will be delivered from our sin.

He is not only our only hope, but He is also our VALID hope. There are many religious leaders who teach otherwise (in this day, just like thousands of years ago). Such false teachers, if they think of themselves as "spiritual" or "prophets", are simply demented fools, if they think there is any other deliverance than the GIFT of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Verse 8. "Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a prophet; yet the snare of a bird catcher is in all his ways, and there is only hostility in the house of his God."

There were plenty of prophets and politicians (watchmen) in Israel, but few of them represented the Lord. The watchmen were supposed to be on the walls of the city, looking out for the inhabitants, alert for the attack of the enemy. But the watchmen of the time had become "blind…ignorant…like dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber" (Isaiah 56:10).

The watchmen in our pulpits are supposed to warn us of the enemy’s attacks, who often sends "attackers" such as unbelief into our midst. The enemy is indeed at our gates and the watchmen must sound the alarm! But the so-called "prophets" of Israel (most of them) were corrupt and were like double agents in the pay of the enemy. A few, like Hosea, the writer of this Book, were men of God, but most so-called "prophets" were like "fowlers" or "bird catchers", who would snare the little "birds" (people) of Israel in traps that imprisoned the soul.

Verse 9. "They have gone deep in depravity as in the days of Gibeah; He will remember their iniquity, He will punish their sins."

The sordid events relating to Gibeah can be found in Judges Chapters 19, 20, and 21. A Levitical priest took his concubine with him on a journey and spent the night in Gibeah, a city within the area of the tribe of Benjamin. The men of that place wanted the man, who saved himself by giving them the woman. She died from that night of horror and a civil war resulted from those events. The whole of Israel amassed against the small tribe of Benjamin.

Just about all of the people in the Book of Judges seem to leave something to be desired, but the actions of Gibeah were especially bad, and the city was indeed punished because of their sins. They were rampant sinners and they were destroyed. The ones who sin will not only bring destruction on themselves, but also on the land in which they live.

Verse 10. "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your forefathers as the earliest fruit on the fig tree in its first season. But they came to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame, And they became as detestable as that which they loved."

I was born in Maine and as a young adult, went to live in that place for 1 ½ years. I remember the delight of finding that blueberries grew wild in Maine, just about everywhere. I never planted a fig tree (often representing Israel in Scripture), but I did grow grapes, and I once planted a peach tree. I remember our excitement when the first peaches were ripe. It was a time of rejoicing (and the peaches were good).

God feels that way about you and me. If we receive Christ, it is cause for rejoicing in heaven! But when we sin, as Israel did by receiving idols called "Baal-peor" from the Moabites (Numbers 25:3 & context), it grieves the Holy Spirit of God. He would have us be pure and fresh, like the first fruits of spring, but people tend instead into shame, and they become detestable through the shameful practices they love.   Turn to Christ - today!  (You'll be glad you did).

 

This week:  Hosea 9:11-15

Verse 11. "As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird. No birth, no pregnancy and no conception!"

I’ve often thought of us like "faucets" – When we are in the "on" position, the "water" (life) FLOWS – and we feel – wonderful! Whatever we do – works! But then, suddenly, we are in the "off" position, and nothing works anymore. A point is being made to us. All that is good in our lives, including health, intelligence, creative ideas, marketing abilities, sales skills, genius in mechanical gadgets – EVERYTHING; every good and perfect thing in our lives, is from God. Ephraim (Israel) had been in the "on" position for a long time. It was time for a change. It would be as though they could no longer give birth to – anything!

Every once in awhile, He will turn you into the "off" position, so you might catch a glimpse that He is sovereign in your body, your mind, and your life. Those "skills" you think you have, are His gift to you (more like a "loan" actually). The greatest gift of all is Jesus Christ – if you ever wanted glory (and all do, in some manner or another), you will find more than enough in the Son of God. It is HIS glory, and He longs to share Himself with you. Your future is "on" with Him. The alternative is to be turned "off" – forever.

Verse 12. "Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them until not a man is left. Yes, woe to them indeed when I depart from them!"

Israel (Ephraim) just did not understand. By distancing themselves from God, they were casting away their only hope. All of their children, their dreams, desires and plans – they had (and we have) NOTHING without the Lord in our lives. Our accomplishments are EMPTY without Him who gives all to people. The very BREATH we are taking right this minute, is God’s gift to you and to me. Woe to us, when we refuse to recognize His kindness.

David sinned, just like we do. But he RECOGNIZED what he had done, and repented before his God. He said "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:10-11). Israel sinned and they kept right on in their sin. David sinned but he repented. When we fall, we must turn to our Lord and be quick to 1) change our ways, and 2) trust in Him.

Verse 13. "Ephraim, as I have seen, is planted in a pleasant meadow like Tyre; but Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter."

The city-state Tyre is an apt analogy for Israel of the time. Tyre was a powerful state that had a magnificent naval force, throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon besieged them, but the clever leaders of Tyre moved EVERYBODY and every thing, off the coast and onto a nearby island. Nebuchadnezzar essentially shrugged and went on to other battles. The "meadow" of Tyre was the safety of the ocean around them. Alexander the Great of Greece (Macedon) came along and raised the ocean floor between the mainland and the island of Tyre. They could not resist him and he destroyed them.

We may do very clever things. We may have the best mind, the finest position, the perfect reputation, and plenty of money. We may have health and respect and power, but none of it matters if we do not receive Jesus Christ as the Savior and Lord of our lives. We may be wonderful parents and protect our children constantly, but like Israel, if we reject the Lord, it is as though we are raising them for the slaughterhouse. God loves your children, even more than you do. He knows what they need – they need the Son of God; and so do you.

Verse 14. "Give them, O Lord, what will You give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

It is extremely sad to miscarry a child. We all know, way deep inside, that unborn children are people – and we also know that our little ones are God’s gift to those who receive them. The potential for love between a parent and a child is unique and wonderful. Understanding that, the shock of a lost child is beyond belief. Anger and grief fills the one who has lost that child. Sometimes, like in this verse, the issue is judgement, but not always – However, the issue CONTINUALLY is trust. Will you trust in Him – no matter what happens?

God loves you and He loves your children. The ones who are miscarried immediately go to be with Him. They are perfectly safe and content with Him (but woe to the person who deliberately harms them) – In their "loss" (the child is not lost) a message is being sent to the ones who did not receive this child. "Trust Me", He is saying to Israel. "Trust Me in a way you have not trusted Me before. I love you, and I would be Your love. Everything is wrong, but I will make it right – if you TRUST in Me."

Verse 15. "All their evil is at Gilgal; indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels."

The Lord God is very displeased with false religion. Human beings are insatiably religious and often prefer religious acts to simple trust in Him. ALL the religious acts of the nation Israel had become idolatrous, and where it mentions "they sacrifice bulls in Gilgal" (Hosea 12:11), we can be sure these were not sacrificing to our Lord. The people, from kings and princes on down, had become rebels in relation to the God who made them.

All mankind was created by God, for HIS purposes, and yet, we often live as though His function is to assist us in achieving OUR goals! Quite the reverse is true. IF we pray according to HIS will, He hears us (and answers – 1 John 5:14-15). IF you abide in the Son, "you will ask what you desire, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). He longs to give to you (and He has in Jesus Christ); but now, you must give yourself to Him.

Verse 16. "Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb."

It is WONDERFUL to be "fruitful" and have little ones. I look back and find that a key part of life has been my children. To lose them, as is discussed in relation to the children of Israel, would be pain beyond any ability to endure it. Children are wonderful, and people who can’t have them know this, often spending a lot of money and time to acquire them, through fertility drugs and adoption. Yet, the greatest "fruit" of all, has nothing whatsoever to do with human babies, lovely as they are. Something better is in store for us.

There is a God-given process where we bear fruit, and it works like this: We receive Christ, the Son of the living God, and we are changed, deep inside. All those who trust in Him, are given the Holy Spirit of God (and that’s where the "fruit" comes in). "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…" (Galatians 6:22-23). Ephraim (Israel) had forsaken God, and in every way, they were becoming like a dying tree, which had stopped bearing fruit for the Owner of the "vineyard". Trust in Him and let Him express Himself – through YOU. (You’ll be glad you did).

Verse 17. "My God will cast them away Because they have not listened to Him; and they will be wanderers among the nations."

God has a will for Your life, very much like He had (and has) a will for the nation Israel. His intention for them, was that they would be filled with His Spirit and spend their lives trusting in Him. They, on the other hand, wanted the BENEFITS God might give them, but as a group, did not want to respond to His will or Spirit. They liked the land but they essentially hated God (they rejected Him at every opportunity) – and so they would be cast away from the land, until they were willing to TRUST in Him who had given them the land.

God called me to ministry when I was 16-years old, but I did not want to follow Him. I ran away from Him at every possible opportunity, and finally He let me go. Later, when I wanted things from HIM (my life had gone bad), I found He had cast me away from the earlier call on my life. It was to be 25-years of wandering essentially from one failure to the next before that "call" was renewed – I should have said "yes" to Him in the first place! Israel is a model for us all – What happened to them can happen to You and me. I urge you to say "Yes" to Him who calls you, and trust in Him – forever!

Ron Beckham, Senior Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org