HOSEA - CHAPTER EIGHT

HOSEA CHAPTER EIGHT

This chapter begins with an image we’ve seen before, that of the shofar. (The word translated here as trumpet is “showphar”.) Refer back to Hosea 5:8 to refresh your memory about the shofar. 

What does the remainder of the verse tell us about what the shofar’s alert indicates?

Follow this link to an article about the shofar (you saw this in Hosea 5:8) to see the reasons for which the shofar was blown and compare to the sounding of the horn in this verse.

http://ohr.edu/yhiy/article.php/1191

The enemy comes against the house of the Lord “like an eagle” (NASB) or “like a vulture” (ESV).

Blue Letter Bible tells us something interesting about the word translated “eagle or vulture”. 

2) What does the root word mean?

3) Follow this link for information on the vulture in Israel. It’s an excellent resource. You might be surprised by the information you find. Make a list of the facts you learn about Israel’s vulture. (Be sure to include the griffon vulture’s diet, size, and wing span.)

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Environment/vulture.html

4) See Job 39:27-30 for more facts about the vulture and list them here. 

Here’s a video of a Griffon Vulture in flight over the Golan Heights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5og_VL-j254

5) Let’s put this together. The Griffon Vulture eats only __________. If this vulture is coming against the house of the Lord, it is because there is something _______ there, and the stench has wafted to the skies. 

It was the smell of death that drew the vulture. The people of God were dead spiritually, and they didn’t even know it.

6) Read 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. What kind of aroma should our lives emit? What kind of aroma do we emit? 

PRAYER PAUSE:

Let’s stop now and consider the aroma of our lives. Do we emit the sweet fragrance of Christ? Is our life a pleasing incense to Him? Pray that the perfume of our relationship with Christ would sweeten the atmosphere wherever we are. 

_______________

Imagine this image as Hosea described it. The bird we saw in the video, with an 8-foot wing span, was about to “swoop down” on the people of God. The root word for that translated as “eagle or vulture” means lacerate. When this bird ate its carrion, it lacerated it, or ripped it to shreds.

Clearly, the people did not believe Hosea, but, in 722 B.C., Assyria, the enemy to which they had turned for assistance rather than the Lord, came against them and took them into captivity. Assyria, in many ways, was the vulture that lacerated the nation.

Hosea 8:3 says the enemy will “pursue” them (radaph) because they have rejected their Lord. This word may be prophetic of more than the Assyrian captivity. 

7) Look at the meaning in Blue Letter Bible and consider the ways this “pursuing” has occurred since Hosea’s time.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7291&t=NASB

Hosea 8:8 says they are “swallowed up”. This word, bala`, can also be translated as “engulfed, destroyed, to be ended.”

8) How did the Assyrian captivity “swallow up” Israel?

 A little extra before we leave Hosea 8:1:

An Israeli Griffon Vulture was detained in Lebanon in early 2016 on charges of spying. I found this story fascinating. I’m including it because it’s interesting, not because there’s a connection to Hosea. (The Vulture was eventually released.)

http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/27/middleeast/israel-vulture-lebanon-spy/

Hosea 8:2

This verse begins a section that is reminiscent of a court trial. God presents His judgment and the people dispute its justice.

The people cry out to God. The word translated as “My God” is `elohiym, The Most High God. 

I found an interesting meaning for the word translated as “know”. Follow the link to BLB and scroll down to the Gesenius Lexicon. Look at definition 7b for how this word is used in Hosea 8:2.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3045&t=NASB

9) What does “know” indicate here? 

There is a vast difference between the intimacy of “knowing” experienced by a married couple and the regard or worship indicated here.

10) How did God’s people “know” Him in Hosea’s day?

11) How do we know Him? Is our knowing what it should be? What changes do we need to make?

Hosea 8:3 

God presents His rebuttal to dispute their claim of “knowing” Him. They have rejected “the good”. This refers not only to good versus evil, but also to what is precious and of highest quality. They have rejected the very thing that should have been of greatest priority and most precious to them, their loving Heavenly Father.

Priority. 

They didn’t remove God from their list of priorities completely, but He was far down their list. They still had a form of religion, but they had removed Him from first priority in their lives. That choice would ultimately lead to their destruction.

PRAYER PAUSE: 

Let’s stop a moment and consider our own priorities. What are the top five priorities in your life? Spend a few minutes considering which of those occupies the greatest percentage of our time, thoughts, resources, energies. That is the number one priority in our life. Is it God? Family? Children? Work? Now is the time to make an adjustment in our priorities as needed. 

___________

The people claimed to know God. They insisted they had not rejected Him, but God, like any good prosecuting attorney, presented the evidence against them.  

12) See Titus 1:16. What does this verse say about the difference between the claim of knowing God and the evidence of our lives?

13) What evidence does God give of the people’s rejection of Him? See Hosea 8:4, 9,10, 11,14 

a)

b) 

c)

d)

e) 

f) 

g)

h)

14) What evidence do the people offer in their defense? (See Hosea 6:1-3, 7:14, 8:2)

PRAYER PAUSE: 

If God were to examine your life for evidence of your relationship to Him, what would He find? How much evidence would there be for a deep and intimate relationship? How much evidence would there be of spiritual idolatry? Pause now to consider any changes you need to make so that the world can see Christ in you, clearly and without distortion. Pray for the willingness and the strength to make those changes.

____________

God’s prosecution continues against them. He uses the golden calf as His prime exhibit. One look at the golden calf, and the verdict is clear. Guilty as charged. 

If I were there, I’d have argued. “No, God. You have it wrong. That’s Jeroboam’s calf. It’s the king's responsibility to get this mess straightened out. Not mine.” 

God knew who worshipped the calf. He also knew who looked the other way. They were all guilty.

The word translated as “rejected” in verse 5 is zanach and it the same word used to describe Israel’s response to God in Hosea 8:3. There’s such a good truth in this verse that you’ll enjoy finding it for yourself, so head back to BLB. 

Here’s the link:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2186&t=NASB

15) Write what you learn about zanach here. How did God view the idol? (See Hosea 

Just as the stench of their spiritual death rose skyward to draw the vultures, so the stench of their idols rose skyward to draw God’s judgment.

16) What will happen to the idol? (vs. 6)

17) The image of fire is used in verse 5 again. Contrast it with the fiery image from Hosea chapter 7.

The word translated as “incapable” verse 5) is lo’ yakol. The idea here is of a failure to prevail against the temptation. They are incapable of innocence because they refuse to say no to the temptation all around them.

PRAYER PAUSE:

How have you failed to prevail against the temptations presented to you each day? Pray now for the strength to resist and prevail.

_______

Hosea 8:6-7

For now, we’ll just look at the last portion of verse 6 and the first portion of verse 7. God says the calf will be broken into pieces, or splinters. This indicates that the calves were probably made of wood and overlaid with gold, not solid gold. This is one more indicator of the insubstantial nature of their idols. The Golden Calves weren’t really gold. They were “gold-plated”. 

Hosea goes on to write that the people have sown the wind and will reap a whirlwind. The word translated as “wind” is often used in Scripture to indicate the Holy Spirit, but in this instance, it is used as in Isaiah 26:18 to indicate vanity or futility. 

If you’ve ever planted seeds, this question should be easy for you. 

18) How effective is the sowing when seeds are cast directly into the wind? 

19) Just in case, here’s a link to the definition of futility: 

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/futility?s=t

The choices the people of God made on a daily basis were like seeds sown in the garden of life. They had the option, every day, to sow seeds of righteousness or seeds of idolatry and futility. The choices they made were not only wrong, they were futile. They had no point. No good outcome.

In fact, they reaped what they never expected. A whirlwind, or tornado. 

20) Several verses speak of this whirlwind, so let’s see what God has to say and what we can learn.

Proverbs 22:8

Isaiah 66:15-16

Nahum 1:3

Not only does a whirlwind bring with it terror and destruction, it also brings loss and grief. Never does a tornado distribute joy, peace, or personal satisfaction to those in its path.

Added to the whirlwind is the problem of the grain that grew from the seeds. 

21) What’s the problem with the grain?

Standing grain is grain that’s matured and is ready for harvest. The problem with this grain is that it’s nothing more than spindly grass. There's no “head” and no nutritional value. This shows us that the seeds of idolatry yield nothing of value. It’s a futile effort that is destined to fail.

PRAYER PAUSE: 

When our choices are ungodly, we, too, sow to the wind. We, too, can expect to reap a whirlwind and harvest grain without heads. Pray now for godly choices for yourself and for those you love. Pray that the destruction of ungodly choices might reap just enough consequences to bring repentance.

____________

This passage continues with Hosea’s theme of threes. This time, he writes of three images used to describe God’s people. 

22) Let’s identify those images, then we’ll consider them one at a time. 

(See verse 8)

(See verse 9)

 (See verse 13. This one is a little subtle.)

The vessel in which no one delights:

Verse 8 begins with these chilling words. “Israel is swallowed up.” See 2 Kings 17:6. 

23) How were they “swallowed” and by whom?

The people were scattered like “a vessel in which no one delights”. 

24) What kind of vessel might this be? (See Isaiah 64:8, Jeremiah 18:1-6)

A potter I know says one of the most important tools in the pottery studio is his hammer. When a piece fails to meet his standards, he shatters it into shards. He wants the pottery that leaves his studio to bring honor to his skill and his business. If that vessel fails to measure up, no one will want it, least of all the potter. The pottery that is not “delightful” is destroyed. 

The word translated as “vessel” can mean more than just a bowl or cup. 

25) What other kind of vessel could this mean and how could it relate to Israel? Here’s your link to BLB: 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3627&t=NASB

26) How was Israel a vessel in which no one delights?

PRAYER PAUSE:

Isaiah 64:8 describes us as the clay with which our Heavenly Father, the Divine Potter, works. When He looks at our lives, does He see the kind of vessels in which He delights, or have we allowed sin to mar our vessel?

Pray now that He would remove anything that limits our usefulness in His Hands.

_______________

The wild donkey: 

Ishmael was the first one described as a “wild donkey of a man.”

27) What characteristics in Ishmael led to this description? (Read Genesis 16:12)

28) Read Jeremiah 2:23-24 to find another description of God’s people as a “wild donkey”. What behavior is described? 

I found a fascinating article on the “wild asses of the Negev” which is worth reading. Here’s the link: 

https://source.wustl.edu/2013/03/the-secret-lives-of-the-wild-asses-of-the-negev/ 

29) Now, put all you’ve learned about the wild donkey together. How was Israel like a wild donkey? 

The willing captive:

30) When Ephraim had trouble, to whom did they go for help (instead of to the Lord)? (See Hosea 7:11)

In Scripture, sometimes “Egypt” indicates the nation located to the southwest of Israel. Sometimes, “Egypt” is symbolic of slavery. In this instance, both are indicated. 

31) How could the two meanings of “Egypt” in Hosea 8:13 apply to Ephraim?

Mankind was created to have communion with the Triune God. He desires a no-holds-barred, all-in dedication. Paul described this relationship as being a bondservant, a willing servant who has relinquished all opportunity for freedom to serve his master for the rest of his live. It is an irrevocable commitment. (See Acts 16:17 and Romans 1:1) 

Paul understood an important truth. Mankind will subjugate ourselves to something. Either the world and sin will have dominion over us or we will relinquish control of our lives to Almighty God.

Israel chose a kind of freedom that served self and pleasure, but it resulted in a kind of bondage from which they never escaped. It was in stark contrast to the freedom of Christ

32) What did Jesus say would set us free? John 8:32 

33) Instead of serving ourselves, what should our relationship with Christ free us to do? Galatians 5:13,14 

The chapter concludes with three “I wills” from God. When something is repeated in Scripture, it’s done so to indicate a kind of confirmation. God is saying, “I’ve told you this already, and I’m repeating it because I mean it, so listen up.” (Leanna Paraphrase)

“I will gather them up” (v. 10) See Ezekiel 16:35-43 for a graphic description of God’s charges against His people and the penalty they will pay. 

34)  What does God say He will do to Israel?

This passage in Ezekiel is a powerful judgment against God’s people. Ultimately, Israel’s enemies will take all the things their idolatry seemed to give. It will result in total destruction. The severity of God’s response may seem harsh, but it will a tremendous impact on their sin. Judgment will bring their idolatry to an end. 

“I will remember and punish” (v.13)

We looked at the issue of God “remembering” sin when we studied Hosea 7:2.  When we sin, our desire is to conceal rather than reveal our actions. 

35) Read Luke 12:2 to find out what Jesus has to say about concealing and revealing and record it here. 

PRAYER PAUSE:

Now is the time for us to recognize our “hidden sins”, repent, and ask God to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Pray for the strength to live as those who have been redeemed by the cleansing blood of the Lamb.

____________

“I will send fire” (v. 14) See Ezekiel 22:20, Jeremiah 17:27 

The word translated as “palatial dwellings” (in my NASB) implies more than a fancy house. See BLB for more on this word. Here’s the link: 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H759&t=NASB

36) What does `armown indicate? (See Outline of Biblical Usage)

When God moves in judgment against His people, there is no citadel or fortress strong enough to provide protection from the fire of His wrath. 

37) See 2 Kings 25:9 to learn how Hosea’s prophecy was fulfilled.

Chapter 8 has a sobering lesson for us all. We may sin for a season, but there will be a price. God will allow His people to drift only so long. There will be judgment and, if our sin is unabated, He will allow the destruction that results from our sin to overtake us.

When God says, “I will”, He means it. 

PRAYER PAUSE:

Consider for a moment how the body of Christ in this country compares to the people of God in Hosea’s time. We are called to be salt and light to a dark and perishing world. Is the light of Christ emanating from your life sufficient to draw people to Christ? Does your “saltiness” leave people thirsty for living water? 

How can you fulfill the challenge of 2 Chronicles 7:14?

_____________________

Before we leave Hosea 8, it’s important to remember that God brought judgment on His people for a reason. He allowed them to go into captivity with a specific end in mind. God is not spiteful or overly harsh. Instead, He loves His own, and His desire is for a restored relationship. 

During Rheoboam’s reign, Shishak, king of Egypt, attacked Judah. The king and the people humbled themselves and cried out to God. He helped them, but not the way they expected.

38) What did God allow and why? Read 2 Chronicles 12:7-8.

Closing thoughts:  

My pastor taught a compelling series on Hosea recently. (The sermons are available online. Here’s the link to the sermon archive. 

http://www.nowsprouting.com/hopechurchtupelo/media.php?pageID=25

If you scroll down, you can find all five Hosea sermons. The Speaker column will list “Scooter Noland" and the Series (far right) will list “Hosea_ A Love Story” and the number of the lesson.) 

His lesson on Hosea 8 (taught on a Weds. night and, thus, not in the video series) included some profound lessons:

If we are God’s people, we must surrender to His Lordship.

2) When we reject His Lordship, we may get what we want, but lose what we have. There’s always a price. (Samson and Delilah is one example.)

3) Israel worshipped the golden calves because they represented power and fertility. They were so focused on receiving the blessings of God that they missed having a relationship with God. They sought His hand and not His heart.

4) Jesus plus anything is a trap to be avoided at all costs. Our Triune God will not share His Lordship with our idols.

5) God cares enough to warn us about the consequences of our sin.

6) A lost and dying world knows a vulture circling its carrion when they see it, even if God’s people do not. 

_____________

Good news! We are now 57% of the way through Hosea. Don’t give up. There’s more to learn and a blessing to receive, so persevere to the end. Thank you for your endurance and your desire to learn more about our sweet Lord.

A little extra:
The photo above is of Jericho, thought to be the oldest inhabited city in the world. This was the home of Zacchaeus. It was also the site of Israel's first battle upon entering the promised land.

Here's the link to Chapter Nine.

#Hosea #Biblestudy #ndepthBiblestudy

HOSEA CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER SEVEN

This chapter is breathtakingly beautiful, yet heartbreakingly sad. These verses tell of God’s passionate desire to forgive and to heal. His heart of love makes a stark contrast to the determined rebellion of His people. 

The price they will pay for their sin seems utter insanity when God longs to flood them with compassion if they will only repent. The question that comes to mind as I read these verses is WHY? Why would God’s people choose judgment and catastrophe over the sweetness of relationship with the Lord who loved them most? 

It’s easy to question their decisions, but, as I’m typing, I’m brought face-to-face with my own poor choices. For many years, I chose the world and the transient pleasure of sin rather than the eternal joy of following Christ. 

Before we begin, let’s take a PRAYER PAUSE and ask God to show us how we’ve chosen the world and rejected His love. I know we’ve dealt with our idols before, but faithfulness is a decision we make on a daily basis. We need to keep short accounts with God, so let’s consider if there’s an idol we’ve missed, and decide now to let it go. Let’s turn away from all those idols that so easily entice. 

Choosing the life of a disciple involves more than Scripture memory and Bible study. If we don’t put what we learn into practice, we’ve missed the point. Let’s also commit now to being doers of the word and not hearers only, (James 1:22) and begin to ask God what kind of doing He wants from us.

Hosea 7:1 

This chapter begins with a clear statement from God. “I want to heal you. I am willing to heal you.” God doesn’t want to give them a patch-up job. It’s much more than that. Much deeper.

Look at Blue Letter Bible and scroll down to the Gesenius’ Lexicon, click on the link to see more, and scroll again to “Metaph.” 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H7495&t=NASB 

To what does God want to restore them?

2) In every day terms, what is God willing to give them?  

Here’s a link to an online dictionary, in case the word “felicity” is not one you use often.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/felicity?s=t 

Perfect felicity or bliss. One example of “felicity” is that of a newly married couple on their honeymoon. They see each other through the eyes of love. Delight in their companionship. Rejoice over every moment spent together.

Think back on all we’ve learned about Israel’s sin. Despite everything they’d done, all the idolatry and disobedience, God still longed to restore to them the original joy of relationship with Him. 

His desire for communion with us has not changed. Our Lord wants a relationship with us that has the fervor of newlyweds and the depth of a decades-long married couple. 

PRAYER PAUSE:

Is that the kind of relationship you have with the Father? If not, stop now and ask him to restore the joy of your salvation (Psalm 51:10) and grow you deep in His love. 

___________

God wanted to heal, but there was a problem that prevented it. Ephraim’s sin was uncovered, as were the sins of Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom. (We’ve looked at this before. Both the reference to Ephraim and the reference to Samaria refer to Israel/Northern Kingdom.)

 The word translated as “uncovered” gives a powerful word picture that we’d do well to see for ourselves, so head back to Blue Letter Bible and scroll down to “Strong’s Definitions”. 

3) In what way will Ephraim’s sin be uncovered?

Ezekiel 24:12-13 speaks of God’s desire to cleanse Judah, and their refusal to be cleansed. He compares her to a rusted pot. 

4) What will God do with the rusty pot? How will it be cleansed? (see Ezekiel 24:12)

If you cook with cast iron, you know that rust will form in the pan if you’re not careful. I’ve had that problem more than once. No amount of scrubbing will completely remove the rust. The best way to restore the cast iron to usefulness is to put it in the fire and burn off the rusty residue. Once done, oil can be applied to season the pan, and it will be restored. Completely. All rust gone. Perfectly useful once again.

That’s what Ezekiel describes. The stain of sin is so deep in Judah (and, according to Hosea, also in Israel) that the only cure is the fire of affliction. Once completed, restoration will be achieved.

Hosea 7:13 also makes reference to God’s desire to restore His people. 

5) What do His people choose instead of truth? Why will they experience destruction?

Hosea 7:1 speaks of a thief and bandits. 

Follow the link below to find out about the deeds of the bandits.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H6584&t=NASB

6) To what extent do the bandits attack?

7) Look at John 10:10 and make note of the purpose of the thief versus the purposes of God.

Hosea 7:2 

The people act as if God has somehow forgotten their sin. They don’t pause for a moment to consider that He knows what they have done, thought, and said. 

He knows their hearts. He remembers their sin. Their deeds were constantly before His face so that He could never forget them. Sin piled upon sin upon more sin. 

When I read, “I remember all their wickedness”, I immediately thought about Psalm 103:12. Removing our sin “as far as the east is from the west” is not something that happens automatically every time we sin. This kind of complete forgiveness is a gift from God, and is reserved for those who “fear Him”, for those who are genuinely repentant. 

8) Read Psalm 103 and look for how God approaches us in our sin and how He treats us. Make a note of God’s blessings. 

9) What response from us must occur first?

Dr. R.G. Lee was pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church when he first preached his sermon, “Payday Someday”. He eventually delivered this message more than 1,000 times during his ministry. Many people were brought to Christ by these words. 

If you’ve never heard this sermon, it’s worth the listen. My mama heard Dr. Lee preach “Payday Someday,” and she never forgot it. Not long before her death, more than fifty years later, she still talked about it. 

It’s nearly an hour long, but I think you’ll be glad you’ve spent the time to hear it. I was.

Here’s the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNoMuCspTKE

Let’s return to the issue of God remembering our sin. Jeremiah was a prophet to Judah nearly eighty years after Hosea’s ministry had come to an end. The principles are the same, regardless of the part of the kingdom in which he prophesied. 

Read Jeremiah 14:7, 10. In this passage, Judah is languishing. They cry out to the Lord for help, but God does not act on their behalf. Verse 10 explains. 

10) Why does God refuse to accept their repentance?

Now Read Jeremiah 17:1.

11) Where is our sin engraved? Note the stylus used is of diamond. It is an indelible engraving that cannot be easily erased.

This “horn” is a reference to the “horns” on the altar and is described in Leviticus 16:18-19. This passage concerns the day of atonement. 

Two goats were used for the sin offering. One would be the scapegoat, presented alive before the Lord to make atonement, and sent into the wilderness to carry away the sin of the people. (Here we see their sin being “removed”.) 

The other goat would be slaughtered as the sin offering. The blood would be brought inside the holy place and sprinkled on the mercy seat to make atonement for the sins of the people. The blood would then be taken to the bronze altar.

12) Read Leviticus 16:17-18 to see what was done with the blood at the altar and record it here.

13) On the day that God delivered David from all his enemies, he spoke a song recorded in 2 Samuel 22. In verses 2 and 3, he refers to God as a “horn of salvation”. In what way was God David’s “horn’?

Zacharias, father of John the Baptizer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, prophesied concerning the birth of his son and the role he would play in the kingdom of God. 

14) What did he say God had raised up for them? (See Luke 1:69)

15) About whom was he speaking? How might He be our “horn of salvation?

To put all this together, we see Jesus concealed in David’s “horn of salvation” and revealed in Zacharias’ prophecy. Our sin is engraved with an indelible stylus on the horns of the altar. The nails of the cross acted as a kind of indelible stylus that engraved our sin upon our Lord. It was His precious blood, shed at Calvary, that flowed from and over those hands and feet, and purchased our pardon. He is the horn of our salvation that “took” our sin. His blood is the atonement that “covers” our sin and removes it from God’s sight so that He can remember it no more.

Hosea 7:3 says the people have made the king and princes happy with their wickedness and lies. According to BLB (Blue Letter Bible) the word translated as “king” refers to a civil authority, much as a king would today. It also refers to the “true” king over Israel, the Lord God Himself. In this instance, the people have made the “civil” king happy but not the heavenly King who is Israel’s true King. 

The word translated as “princes” does not refer to the son of a king. Instead, it has a different connotation. 

16) Follow the link below to find out which authority is referenced by the word “princes”.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H8269&t=NASB

There was a process in place for dealing with leaders who indulged in the kind of idolatry and immorality so rampant in Israel at the time of Hosea.  If the people had been living as they should, they could have dealt with the sin in their midst. Instead, the people sinned in the same manner and to an even greater degree than those in authority. Their leaders were delighted, because people who partook of their same sins were not likely to confront them.

PRAYER PAUSE:

In our United States Constitution, our Founding Fathers outlined a clear plan for dealing with elected officials who did not follow the rule of law. I am not presuming to editorialize about our elected officials, but now is the time to stop and pray for all those who are in positions of leadership in this nation. Read Proverbs 21:1 and pray this for our nation.

Hosea 7:4-7

If you’ve ever baked bread, you know that the dough needs a warm place to rise. The oven temperature must be constant for the bread to cook completely. Fluctuating temperatures will cause the bread to fall and become gummy inside. I’ve made (and eaten) some of that bread. It was barely palatable. 

Hosea says that they are “all” adulterers. The word translated as “all” literally means “the totality”. Hosea’s accusation was for the kings, princes, and the people. Everyone in the nation was immoral. 

He compares the immorality of the people to a heated oven. There is considerable theological debate about this passage. Here are links if you’re interested:

http://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom26.xiv.v.html

http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hosea/7-4.htm

I’ve tried to sort this out, and (based on having baked many loaves of bread over the years), this is how I see the passage.

When I decide to bake bread, I turn my oven to the appropriate temperature for baking. I then mix the dough and leave it to rise, usually atop the oven as it warms up. During the time spent waiting for the dough to rise, kneading the dough, and allowing a second rise, I don’t “do” anything to the oven. (In a way, I “cease to stir up the fire.”) The “fuel” (electricity) does the work of raising the temperature to the appropriate heat.

Sin in our lives is much like this. Rarely does someone suddenly commit a heinous sin without previous thought and desire. (Yes, I understand the idea of a moment of passion. I also know that a cooler head can prevail.) We first allow the idea of sin into our heads and hearts. When we fail to take those thoughts captive, they have free reign to spread like leaven and fill our minds. 

Once the enemy plants a thought in our minds and we choose to allow it to fester, he’s free to attack someone else. He may continue to fan the flames and stir the coals, but it’s not required. The seed of sin he has planted will, if allowed to grow, eventually bear fruit. The spark will grow into a flame.

At some point, the flames of our passions and the leavening of our thoughts combine in a kind of flash point, and action occurs. If we do not want to sin, we must take control of both our thoughts and our passions/desires, and do it without delay.

In that same way, the people of God (all of Israel) had become like an oven in which the fuel was placed and the fire kindled. The longer the flames were allowed to build (during the time when leaven was infiltrating the entire loaf) the hotter it became. At just the right moment of complete leavening and hot fire, the baking began.

Jeroboam I’s golden calves were much like the leaven. His priests like the bakers who stoked the flames. The entire nation didn’t participate in idolatry the first day he displayed the calf, but, over time, the entire nation was infected. At last, in a kind of spiritual flash point, the nation reached a tipping point at which the vast majority of people were deeply involved in the false religions of idols.

To make matters worse, Hosea says, on the “day of our king” (probably a birthday or other festive occasion) the princes became drunk with wine. This may have been a day-long occasion, with drinking and festivities beginning early in the day and continuing into the night. 

18) Read Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 31:4-5. What do these verses say about the king and alcohol use?

If a king was so drunk with wine that he was made sick, he had drunk more than a few sips, and more than a glass or two of wine. He had drunk a considerable amount. A teenager encountering alcohol for the first time might indulge to that degree, but it’s not likely that a king would. If a king drank all day to the point of sick drunkenness, it was not his first encounter with alcohol. It had likely become a way of life. 

Isaiah speaks of these drunkards and it’s worth reading this passage to get a better picture of the situation. Read Isaiah 28:1, 7-8. 

19) How does Isaiah describe the scene of the princes (“crowns” implies authority) Isaiah 28:1,7,8

20) “In that day” (when Jesus returns) there will only be one crown over God’s people. Who will wear that crown? See Isaiah 28:5-6

Hosea 7:5 sums up the problem with one word. Those in authority has surrounded themselves with “scoffers”, rather than men of faith and wisdom. See 

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H3887&t=NASB

21) Against what did these “scoffers” mock?

22) Compare this situation with 1 Corinthians 15:33.

PRAYER PAUSE:

Scripture is filled with examples of the bad influence of ungodly men and women on the people of faith. It rarely has a good end. Samson and Delilah come to mind, as do Rehoboam and his advisors.

In what way have you seen this truth in your life? Take a moment now to ask God to fill your life with people who love him, rather than scoffers. Ask Him to make you a good influence on the scoffers you know. Pray that those you love will surround themselves with people who will propel them toward Christ and not away from Him.

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Hosea continues with the actions of these scoffers and their drunken princes. Their hearts are as hot as an oven as they approach their “plotting”.

23) See BLB to find out what kind of plot they were hatching.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H696&t=NASB

24) What happened as the time for their plot to unfold? 

The idea here is that a plot is conceived in drunkenness. Alcohol dulls their senses and their better judgment. The longer the scoffers think about their deadly plot, the better it sounds. 

You may not have experienced this, but a tableful of drunken men (and women, too) will sometimes concoct an outrageous plan. The longer they drink and mull over their plan, the more committed to it they become. By the time the idea becomes a reality, their emotions are at a fever-pitch. 

Their passions have moved from a smoldering bed of coals to a flaming fire. All that was required was for one “mocker” to blow on the coals and stir it into life. The effect of the alcohol is so great, in their drunkenness, that better judgment is lost in the moment.

Hosea 7:6-7 continue the idea that the people are all like an oven, Hosea says, and they “consume their rulers.” 

The meaning here surprised me, so take a look and see for yourselves.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H398&t=NASB

(Hint: Scroll nearly mid-way down Gesenius’ Lexicon)

25) How did they destroy their rulers?

These ungodly men who were on the fringes of power had no intention of allowing the rulers of Israel to return to God. Repentance at the highest levels would mean a clean sweep of those who pushed them toward idolatry. There was a benefit to keeping leaders intoxicated enough to dull their senses. It helped to keep them from repentance.

26) How have you seen the damage of alcohol in the lives of those you love? In your own life?

This video is not a Christian video, but Brad Paisley has so accurately represented the perils of alcohol that it’s worth listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zkkLckeyM

Here’s a link to the lyrics:

https://play.google.com/music/preview/Ti6jlagvmjsr33hth23hhqjppgm?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics

Hosea 7:8 speaks of Ephraim’s relationship to the nations that surrounded them. 

Psalm 106 accurately portrays the sin of Israel. Read this chapter now to see how they repeated the sins of their fathers. 

27) What does Psalm 106:34-39 say about the result of “mixing with the nations”? 

Ephraim is described as a cake not turned. This does not refer to the kind of cake we might make to celebrate a birthday. This is a reference to a “cake” of bread, similar to a piece of pita bread. The bread has not been turned at the appropriate time. As a result, one side of the bread is burned and one side is barely cooked. Neither side is palatable and the cake is good for nothing but to be thrown away. 

Ephraim has become like a worthless piece of bread, burned past repair by the fervor of their sin. 

28) Hosea 7:9 says there are two consequences of sin that we might not anticipate.  

a)

b)

29) Compare this with the gray hair mentioned in Proverbs 16:31. 

The price of Ephraim’s sin is a kind of premature aging with loss of strength and premature gray hair. The last phrase in verse 9 suggests that, though Ephraim steadily loses strength and influence, they do not notice their decline until it is too late.

30) In what ways did Ephraim lose strength?

Read Hosea 7:10-16 straight through, then read what Isaiah (a contemporary of Hosea) wrote in Isaiah 9:8-21. 

31) Compare and contrast the two passages. 

32) How does Israel respond with pride in the Isaiah passage?

I have two notes in the margin of my Bible, dated 12/13/02, beside this passage. The first is adjacent to verse 8 and says, “When God moves against Israel, they assume they will build back bigger and better, but God will not stop until they are broken.”

Brokenness is not what Israel wanted, but it’s what they desperately needed. It’s the one thing we, too, seldom desire, but always need.

I remember well the circumstances of those days just before Christmas more than a decade ago, when I made the notation. Those circumstances broke my heart and brought me to the end of myself. It was a glorious but agonizing fire that burned through my pride, hurt, and fear. I didn’t want the brokenness, but I praise God for it, for through it, He transformed my heart and my life. I still have a long way to go to be the faithful disciple God intends, but He has done a work in my life. The breaking was worth the pain.

PRAYER PAUSE:

Let’s pray for brokenness, whether we want it or not. Pray that God will move to break our hearts over our sin, especially our pride and selfishness. Pray that we will have humble, gentle hearts that do not require a devastating blow to bring us to the end of ourselves but that we will respond to the gentle nudge of the Holy Spirit.

_______________

The second note in the margin of Isaiah 9 was written at the same time. “Wickedness consumes. Spreads. Leaves behind only charred lifeless ruins. The smoke produced can destroy those innocents who are sent to rescue.”

I read that today and wanted to strike through it. As a physician, though, I know that one of the greatest dangers firefighters face is not falling embers but smoke inhalation. It robs the lungs of oxygen and, without intervention, robs the body of life.

I have seen the damage in the life of an innocent because of the sin of a parent or person of authority. I wish it weren’t true, but my own sin has caused far too much damage. Perhaps you’ve experienced that same kind of destruction. 

PRAYER PAUSE:

Let’s stop and ask for forgiveness for the destruction our own sin and wickedness have caused. Ask God to heal and restore any wounds we have inadvertently or intentionally caused. Pray for those you know who are suffering because of someone else’s sin. 

_______

As we’ve already seen, no matter what consequence they suffered, Israel/Ephraim refused to return to God. These verses speak of how Ephraim has done everything except repent. 

We saw from Isaiah that Ephram had serious problems. Rather than turn to God, they sought help from the world. Hosea 7:16 says they turned, but not upward. This implies a horizontal turning, rather than a vertical one (toward heaven, God-ward). 

33) Where did they turn for help? (v.11)

Hosea compares Ephraim to a “silly dove”. The dove was one of the most common birds in Israel. It was a wild bird but easily domesticated. It readily exchanged the freedom of the skies for the prison of a cage. 

34) How has Ephraim exchanged their freedom for slavery?

In verses 12-15, the pronoun ME or My is used seven times. (Seven is the number of perfection in Biblical numerology.) I believe this is done to emphasize the importance of our perfect God and the difference between His actions and those of Ephraim. 

He trains. They turn. 

He woos. They stray. 

He spreads His net. They call to Egypt and Assyria. 

He would redeem. They lie. 

Verse 14 sums up the situation.

35) How do the people respond toward God?

36) Is this sincere repentance and a desire for reconciliation with God?

37) What is their goal?

Repentance that has our own gain as its goal is not true repentance. God is not deceived. No form of false repentance will stay God’s hand of judgment, as Ephraim would soon find out.

38) To what does Hosea compare Ephraim in Hosea 7:16? 

I have a bow. I’m not a great archer, but I did win a huge trophy once in an archery competition. I managed to hit the target a few times, but it wasn’t my skill that won the prize. I won because I was the only archer in my class. 

I don’t claim to know a lot about archery, but I do know that, to hit the bullseye, the arrow must fly straight and level. You cannot hit the mark if you shoot straight up in the air. 

God says Ephraim is like a “deceitful bow”. 

39) How would a deceitful bow perform? How straight would an arrow from this kind of bow fly? 

C.J. Rolls, in his book The Prophecy of Hosea, writes about the five character traits described in this chapter. Each trait is represented by a simile to which Ephraim is compared.

We’ve mentioned them previously, so I’ve summarized this information in a table.

There’s an interesting point about each of the things to which God compared His people. In the proper setting, each of these could be associated with a positive connotation.

40) Let’s look at each of the similes and try to discern how they could have become a good trait or indicate a good characteristic of our Lord.

a) Flaming fire - See Jeremiah 23:29

b) Cake not turned - See Exodus 23:25, Deuteronomy 8:3, John 6:32, 35

c) Gray hairs - Proverbs 16:31, Isaiah 46:4

d) Silly dove - Psalm 91:4, Matthew 3:16

e) Deceitful bow - Psalm 127:3-5 (hint: one of the idols the people worshipped was Molech)

In a way, we see that the people had become a poor imitation of what only our God could be, what only He could do. They had exchanged truth for a lie, and it cost them dearly.

The most astounding part of this chapter is that, despite all Ephraim has done, it begins and ends with God’s affirmation that He is still willing to heal and restore His own. 

We, too, can take comfort from the enduring love of our Lord. His desire is to purify and restore. If we truly repent, He will forgive. Every single time.

Closing thoughts:

We’ve now completed 100 of Hosea’s 197 verses. Half-way through. It sounds good, doesn’t it? I’m so proud of you for persevering to this point, no matter how long it took you to get here. Thank you for your commitment to God’s Word. I’m praying that you will endure to the end, for I’m sure God’s word will not return void, but will accomplish all He intended in your life. (Isaiah 55:11) 

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A little extra:
The picture above was taken in Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The small opening you see near the center is Cave 4. 90% of the scrolls were located in this cave. Some of the oldest copies of Old Testament scriptures were found in the Qumran caves. Portions of all of the Old Testament (except the book of Esther) were among the texts on the scrolls. Scripture, preserved and protected during the years when God's people were dispersed around the world, is as accurate today as when the Essenes copied the scrolls more than 2000 years ago.

Here's the link to Chapter Eight.
#Hosea #Biblestudy #indepthBiblestudy