Hosea 5

 

Hosea 5

5:1 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.
5:2 And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.

Hear ye this…hearken…give ye ear – he addresses priests, people, and king, the whole nation was sin sick; the priests and king were a snare and a net to the people, that is, they were luring the people into sin.

5:3  I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled.

We like to think that when we forget God he forgets us, if we ignore Him He ignores us. No, I know, Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me.

5:4  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.

They will not frame their doings – I like the phrasing! They will not turn unto their God, they refuse to turn to God. Look unto me, and be ye saved.

the spirit of whoredoms – once again we see that this is an intense spiritual battle; they opened their hearts to this unclean spirit.

they have not known the LORD – this, of course, is the real problem; they don’t know the LORD, they refuse to turn to Him, as a result they have this demonic spirit in their midst, urging them on to idolatry and immorality.

5:5  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.

The pride of Israel – “their insolence and the deep depravity of their heart; but their pride and arrogance shall be humbled.” (Adam Clarke)

5:6  They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.

They will seek the LORD but not find him, he hath withdrawn himself from them. This is very serious. Why will they not find him? I see two possible reasons: They lacked repentance, and it was too late. But, can it ever be too late?

“Then shall it be too late to knock, when the door shall be shut; and too late to cry for mercy, when it is the time of justice.” (A Commination, Book of Common Prayer)

5:7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.
5:8 Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.
5:9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.

Blow ye the cornet and trumpet – the trumpet of war; God is pursuing them.

after thee O Benjamin - "Benjamin, fly for thy life! The enemy is just behind thee!" This is a prediction of the invasion of the Assyrians, and the captivity of the ten tribes.

I have made known that which shall surely be – pack your bags, it's going to happen.

5:10  The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.

The princes of Judah will be spared this time, but they are on thin ice.

5:11  Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.

It was the first king of Israel, Jeroboam I, who introduced the false gods and alternate priesthood and sacrifices, but the people followed willingly – they were not innocent in all this idolatry and immorality.

5:12  Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.

How terrible it is when God is against you and not for you.

5:13  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.

When they saw their sickness and wound, did they turn to the LORD? No! They would not frame their doings to turn to the LORD, instead they sent to Assyria for help. Not only could he not heal you, it would be Assyria who would take them away.

5:14  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 take away, and none shall rescue - Again, it is God himself who is against them. O the glory of the gospel! When we turn to God by faith in Christ, God is now for us and not against us. If God is for us, who can be against us?

5:15  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.

This is a hard chapter. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence. Their hearts are hard and judgment is certain, yet it ends on a note of grace and hope – in their affliction they will seek me early.

There is hope and promise and certainty in this last verse. God is not through with Israel. Yes, they sinned and were sent into exile. Yes, we still speak of “the 10 lost tribes of Israel”. Yet there is hope, as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 11

11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.
12 Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?
15 For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

What is all this to us? As Paul says, For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I helped thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. There’s an urgency in the gospel and grace of God, Now. Now is the time to come to Jesus. Now is the time to return to Jesus. Now, before sin hardens our heart so that we can’t come. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.