Hosea 9

 

Hosea 9

This is perhaps the harshest chapter in all of Hosea. The other chapters offer a ray of hope, a note of grace, this one does not.

9:1 Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people: for thou hast gone a whoring from thy God, thou hast loved a reward upon every cornfloor.
9:2 The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her.
9:3 They shall not dwell in the LORD'S land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.

They shall not dwell in the land – they will be removed from their home.

9:4 They shall not offer wine offerings to the LORD, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the LORD.
9:5 What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD?
9:6 For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.
9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.

The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it – this has been told them, they had been warned, they had been exhorted to return to the LORD, and had steadfastly refused.

9:8 The watchman of Ephraim was with my God: but the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God.
9:9 They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.

They have deeply corrupted themselves - they didn’t just miss church two or three times, or six months, they were thoroughly corrupt.

The prophet is a snare – they still had prophets, but their prophets (and priests) were even more corrupt and led them deeper into sin and rebellion.

He will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins – This is a sober reality and is still true. O how glorious is the Gospel! Christ died for our sins! When we believe in him our sins are forgiven: And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. (Hebrews 10:17)

9:10  I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.

Israel had been enticed and tempted by Baal for a long time. Baal was a god of the Canaanites, the god of fertility and rain. This means he promised fruitful fields and fruitful wombs. The Canaanites had been in the land some 400 years, and a very fruitful land it was, a land of milk and honey, worshiping him must work. And to make it even more appealing, this god of fertility was worshiped through sacred prostitutes. Yeah, then as now, sex sells.

9:11 As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.
9:12 Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left: yea, woe also to them when I depart from them!
9:13 Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.
9:14 Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.
9:15 All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes [are] revolters.
9:16 Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb.
9:17 My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Ephraim is smitten…my God will cast them away. Why? They did not hearken unto him. Their judgment? They shall be wanderers among the nations.

Sin is serious. And comes with a serious price tag. Rebellion and apostacy, this is not fun and games. We are sometimes deceived - we sin and we are not crushed by God; even though we often pay a high price now, we still wake the next day and we are not in hell. We think, “Maybe this whole judgment thing is not true.” Oh but it is. He is giving us opportunity to turn away from our sin and rebellion, to turn to Him and find forgiveness, restoration, and life. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

“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.”