Hosea 13.1-16
Where is your king?
When the Israelites came to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land two tribes, Gad and Reuben, asked if they could, as their inheritance, the land on the East of the Jordan. In response Moses said they could but that they had to cross the Jordan and fight with the other 10 tribes in securing the land of Cana. Moses added that if they did not cross the Jordan to fight: “You may be sure your sin will find you out” (Num.32.23). Sin always has a way of rising to the surface. Just when we think we are fine, upstanding and righteous something rises to the surface to reveal our wrongdoing and reveals how sinful we actually are. This is exactly where Israel (Ephraim) now stands as Hosea brings his prophecy to a close. King Hoshea, the last in a long line of ungodly and wicked kings, is on the throne but these are the last days of Israel as a nation. The Assyrians have laid siege to Samaria, and there is even a hint that they have already taken king Hoshea from the nation (verse 10).
Verses 1-3 The destiny of Ephraim outlined.
Verse 1 what a great nation they once were. When the nation of Ephraim spoke nations listened and trembled. They had authority and respect from the other tribes. However, those days are gone but Ephraim still clung to the past glories and lived in the past – and there is nothing but danger and death in doing that. Their mindset was of the past and not of the present reality around them and before them. God makes it clear that the reason for this change is because of the worship of Baal. In Deut.32.15-18 Moses spoke of just such a change happening because of the pride of the people. They were once great but now were facing captivity, slavery and death. Hosea does not mince his words – their idolatry has led to death – of both individuals and the nation. There is no life without God, only death.
Verse 2 Hosea tells them it is all because they had broken the first and second commandments – they worshiped other gods and made idols of wood and silver. They continually built sin upon sin until the stench of it reached the nostrils of God and God had enough of their sinful ways. That is a sorry picture painted here – sin being added to sin by the people of God. Amazingly they use their skills and craftsmanship to make graven images and even go as far as to offer human sacrifices before these images – aping the nations around them. These men bow down before these images and pour out the blood of another man, made in the image of God, and kiss these creations of their hands in homage and adoration. What an abomination before God. All this is in clear defiance of the commandments.
Verse 3 what a sorry picture is painted here of the people of Israel. They are so transitory, like the morning mist, like dew, like chaff before the wind and smoke escaping though a window. In essence God, through Hosea, tells them they will disappear as a people because of their idolatry. These idols that they have sacrificed to and kissed in homage will be powerless to help just as the morning mist can do nothing to protect itself against the heat of the sun. Their shallowness, the temporary nature of their gods and worship is seen in how easily it will all be swept away when God comes in judgment. Let me ask you, as Peter did, what will be shown of eternal value in your life when God comes in judgement.
Verses 4-8 The Power of God is displayed.
Verses 4-6 What a contrast the next 5 verses reveal to these people. God, is not transitory, nor is he temporary or impotent as their idols and idolatry is. Once again they are reminded of the power of God in bringing them out of the slavery of Egypt and of providing for them for 40years in the wilderness before they entered (and conquered) the Promised Land. Once more this retelling of the glorious redemption of the Exodus should have stirred them to repentance towards and faith in the living God. God had provided for all their needs and their response? Pride. They became a proud and arrogant people. They forgot God. They forgot God in the wilderness and they repeatedly forgot God during their time in the Promised Land. Do you forget about God? Are you swollen with self-pride and arrogance? The Israelites felt self-sufficient, self-made and self-secure. Why else would they fashion idols? Idols made in their own image and by their own hands. In their arrogance they were proclaiming their own strength but it was little more than mist and dew before the sun rose.
To forget God is not to know God and to no longer live in a relationship with God. They had left the one and only source of life and turned to pagan gods and pagan practices. All these would lead to was death. It leads to spiritual and eventually physical death. Those who would seek to save their own lives would in fact lose them because there is no life apart from the living God.
Verses 7-8 bring Hosea once more to words of warning. Once more Hosea warns the people of Israel that the judgment of God is coming upon them for their idolatry and spiritual adultery. The lion, the leopard, and the bear were known as fierce and ferocious wild animals. They attacked sheep without a shepherd to protect them and they were swift in their killing. They were ferocious and indiscriminate beasts. The people of Israel were sheep without a shepherd because they had rejected and wandered from the sheepfold and from the protection that their Shepherd provided. They thought they could survive on their own strength, unaware of the grave danger they had in fact placed themselves. Friends, with all humility can I say to you that some of you have placed yourselves in just such grave danger in this past week, maybe even in the past 24 hours. You believed you could resist that temptation on your own strength. You neglected your bible reading this week and you cannot remember when you last prayed. You have wandered from the sheepfold and the Shepherd’s voice is a distant whisper right at this moment. You think you can see the dangers and you think you are spiritually aware but let me say to you – you are blind, spiritually blind and as Christ warns ‘satan is a roaring lion, prowling around seeking lost sheep to devour.’ Some of you this morning really need to hear these verses of warning about relying on your own strength and of the lion, the leopard and the bear that are stalking your life right at this very moment. The judgement of Israel was swift and it was brutal (see verse 16) and the same will be true in your life if you do not heed the warning of Hosea 13 today. In Hebrews 12.6 we read that the Lord disciplines those He loves. It is out of love that God brings discipline into our lives, just as He did to the people of Israel. Remember that. If He didn’t love you He wouldn’t discipline you.
Verses 9-13 the rejection of God as King.
Every organisation needs a leader. Israel was no different. The problem was when they had settled in the Promised Land they no longer looked to the prophets for leadership but turned and looked at the nations around them. They saw the nations around them had kings and so they came to Samuel and demanded a king. God’s anger was riled by such a request because it was a rejection of His kingship over the people of God. Despite His warnings of how a king would oppress them etc, the people still demanded a king. They believed a king would give them stability and continuity. Secondly, that if they had a king they would be on equal footing with nations around them. Thirdly, that in times of war a king would lead them. Their first king, Saul, made a good start but soon the truth of his heart was revealed and God removed him as king. After the death of David the kingdom was divided and from Jeroboam 1 on there were about 20 kings, each of whom did evil in the sight of God.
In verse 9 God describes Himself as their ‘helper’ but they have rejected and turned against Him. Three times in the OT God is described as a ‘helper.’ In Psalm 10.14 He is the helper of the fatherless. In Psalm 30.10 He is the helper of those who deserve God’s punishment (Ephraim) and in Psalm 54.4 He is the helper of those who are being pursued by their enemies. Israel is fatherless, deserving punishment and the Assyrians are at the gates of Samaria. To whom do they turn for help? The One declares Himself as ‘their helper?’ No! They turn to their king and in verse 10 we read ‘Where is your king?’ Which can mean only one of two things. Either he has been taken into exile by the Assyrians or he is powerless before them. In verse 12 God points out to them that the reason they find themselves in this position is because of their own sinfulness. It is because the record of their sins, heaped one upon another (verse 2) is ever before God and it has found them out (Num.32.23). The futility and hopelessness of their situation is brought before them in the tragic words of verse 13. Both mother and child died in such a situation in the days of Hosea. All potential life was there but it came to nought because the child did not have the ‘wisdom’ to come to the opening of the womb that life might be had. What a tragic scene! We often recoil in horror at such imagery in the OT but do you see and hear the pain in the heart of God for His wayward people. They could have life but they would not come to the One who gives life. They would remain in the darkness of their sin and not enter into the light of life. They are foolish, without wisdom, because they did not take the opportunity laid before them to enter into new life. Friends, this morning are you wise or foolish with the opportunity that God lays before you today? All the blessings were to no avail – they turned to idols. All the discipline was to no avail because in their pride, their arrogance and their stubbornness they continued along the path away from God and towards slavery and death. What about you this morning?
The promise of new life – verse 14. What a wonderful verse in the middle of this dialogue on judgment and death. Note will you that it is God who once again takes the initiative and in love and mercy reaches out to His people with a promise of new life. Paul quotes this verse in his great resurrection chapter – 1 Corinthians 15.55. God does not ignore their sin and nor does it go unpunished – to ransom and to redeem someone came at a price to the Redeemer. God will ransom and redeem them with His own mighty power because the people are powerless. Something tremendous is promised here and something that is in total contrast to the judgment that is coming. There is hope in the midst of all of this for the faithful remnant. The people would fully understand the implications of these words. Their ransom and redemption was paid in Egypt by an innocent lamb and all who came under the covering of the blood of that lamb were saved from the angel of death. They knew the cost of redemption – the shedding of blood for the punishment of sin. To be ransomed meant your debt had been paid and you owed your freedom to the grace and generosity of another.
It is however, possible to read these first two sentences as questions beginning with ‘Shall I …?’ This would mean that the third and fourth sentences are a call on death and the grave to unleash their powers on the sinful nation of Israel. Why? Because ‘Compassion is hid from my eyes.’
Personally, in light of how Paul interprets this verse, in light of the resurrection of Christ and His victory over death, I believe it is a word of encouragement from God to His people. A word of redemption hope in the midst of death.
Verses 15-16 Prosperity will end, soon!
Once more Hosea turns to coming judgment and punishment. The prosperity, that the people have enjoyed for so long, will soon be gone. All the things which mark them out as prosperous will disappear. Just as the fruit of the orchard is destroyed by the east wind and the wells/springs of refreshment are dried up – so it will be with the life of the people of Israel. These are merely symbolic of the spiritual death in the people. All the things that they laid great store by and put their trust in will be taken from them. The silver idols they adored will be carried away as plunder before their very eyes. Remember that this morning. Your treasures that you put your trust in, that you believe give you security will one day be carried away as plunder by your enemies and where will you find yourself on that day? In verse 16 the people are left in no doubt as to why this has happened – their sinfulness. They have rebelled and turned from God and they must bear the guilt. Do you hear that this morning? They must bear the guilt – no one else is to blame and no else will be blamed. Guilt will be apportioned and assigned to the guilty. Their treasure troves will be plundered and all the means of life removed from them in judgment. Yet the horror is not finished. The last sentence paints an awful picture of destruction. From archaeology we know that such an image was true of the Assyrians when they went to war. They were merciless in their warfare, killing all before them. The totality of destruction is almost beyond their comprehension. Friends, remember the context of all of this. Gomer’s unfaithfulness to her marriage vows to Hosea. The very public visual aid of the unfaithfulness of the people of God to the covenant with God. These are words of warning – intended to bring the people to their senses so that they might repent and turn again to the living God. Yet these people refuse to repent because their hearts are stubborn and they are full of pride. God warns them – judgment will come in all its dreadful totality if you continue to rebel and walk away from me.
Friends, listen to me this morning. Some of you are exactly where the people of God in Hosea’s day were. Right this moment God is warning you of the coming judgment in your life and He is this morning giving you an opportunity to repent of your sin and to come to Him. Listen again to verse 14 – the words of promised redemption. The question is: What are you going to do this morning?
Amen.
