Hosea 13:1

Hosea 13:1 says, When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.  When Ephraim, a part of the nation of Israel, worshipped God in the awe that He deserves, Ephraim was successful.  The people were not satisfied with God's provision and protection of them though, and sought out idols, represented here by Baal.  We should learn to be content with our needs being met and not fall into the trap of allowing material desires to become what we are most interested in.  Ephraim was guilty of pride and greed and looked to man-made gods to fulfill these desires.  Verse two adds, And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves.  Sin breeds sin.  God's chosen people were falling farther and farther away from Him.  We cannot allow even a small amount of sin in our lives if we are to effectively serve God.  Verse three continues, Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.  Though the people of Israel felt successful, their real accomplishments would be no more lasting than the dew or mist.  As soon as the sun came out, they would pass away.  If our works are not for God, they will not last in the Light, which Christ brings to our lives.  Verse four proclaims, Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.  God was reminding those who called themselves His people that He is the only God.  God is the only One Who can deliver and save people.  In this, we as His followers, must always be exclusive.  There is but One true God, and He alone can deliver us from sin and its penalty. Verse five adds, I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.  I believe that God was reminding the people of Israel that He was not some new god, like the ones they were worshipping, but that He had been with them since He called them.  Even in the bad times, God was with them, and so He is with us today. Verse six continues, According to their pasture, so were they filled; they were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me.   God had been the One to bring them success, yet they had forgotten Him.  Sometimes, we seem to be closer to God in our struggles than we are in our successes, but we must remember that we owe it all to God.  Verse seven says, Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard by the way will I observe them:  Verse eight adds, I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them.  When God's people refuse to follow Him, they can expect God's judgment on them.  This is not God's desire, but it is a choice people can make.  Once more, if we are truly His through Christ, we are saved forever, but if we stray from His will, we can expect the things that we do that are not in God's will to be destroyed.  We must always remember that God alone should direct our lives.

Hosea 12:7

Hosea 12:7 says, He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.  Here, God is referring to Ephraim and comparing them to the merchants of Canaan.  The people of Ephraim were successful because they cheated people and loved to oppress them, just as the merchants of Canaan had done.  Remember, these were people who called themselves God's people.  We as followers of Christ are God's people today, and we must deal fairly with people in all our dealings with them.  We may not become as materially rich that way, but we will be spiritually enriched.  Verse eight adds, And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin. The people of Ephraim were basically saying that it didn't matter how they became rich in the things of the world, only that they had.  Their pride was in their business abilities, no matter how corrupt those business abilities might have been.  They were trading an everlasting relationship with God for temporary riches of the world.  They also felt it was all for their self-gratification at the expense of those they were supposed to be reaching for God.  Verse nine continues, And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.  The people of Israel may have failed in their part of their covenant relationship with God, but He would still remain true to His part, as soon as they repented and returned to Him.  When we, as followers of Christ, fail to live up to our commitment to God, He does not cease to be our heavenly Father.  God was speaking to the remnant of true believers and those that would later come to Him through faith.  He would give them tabernacles to live in.  They had worshipped in tabernacles during their wandering in the wilderness due to lack of faith, and they were going to be wanderers again. We think of tabernacles as places of worship, and with the Holy Spirit indwelling us, wherever we reside should be a place to worship God.  Verse ten states, I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.  God was still active with those who were called His people.  God sent prophets whom He spoke to through visions to minister to His people.  We, as God's people today, need to have a vision from God of what we are to do in the world.  We must not rely on our own strength or desire.  Verse eleven adds, Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.  The question is mostly rhetorical.  God answered that yes there was.  The people were full of self-pride and were worshipping false gods.  Verse twelve continues, And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.  God was reminding them that even though Jacob received the blessing that went with the birthright, he did so through deceit and had to flee with nothing.  He was a shepherd working for a wife instead of a leader of God's people.  When we attempt to go our own way instead of following God, we will be brought low spiritually.  Verse thirteen declares, And by a prophet the LORD brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he preserved.  Israel, was not restored until the prophet of God came to them in the land of Egypt.  God always calls us back to a right relationship with Him when we stray. Verse fourteen adds, Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto him.  Ephraim, and all the people of Israel, were turning away from God and to idols.  They brought punishment on themselves.

Hosea 12:1

Hosea 12:1 sats, Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.  God was again reminding His chosen people that they could only find security and satisfaction thorough following Him.  When they looked to the world powers for security, they would find themselves feeding on nothing but their own vanity, which would be as fulfilling as eating air.  If we are not following God's will for our lives, we are filling our lives with empty accomplishments.  Verse two adds, The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.  The people of Judah were also beginning to turn away from God, and they were dealing deceitfully with Him.  They were descendants of Jacob, who had dealt in deceit with those around him until he turned to God in faith.  We likewise deal with God in deceit until we come to Him by faith through Christ.  We need to be thankful that God deals with us through mercy instead of through justice, because justice can only bring punishment.  God calls on us as His followers, His people, to treat the people of the world the same way.  We are to approach them with mercy, not hatred or contempt.  If we are no different than the rest of the world, then that says that God does not change people into a new creation.  Verse three continues, He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:  This is still referring to Jacob.  Jacob is said to have been fighting to claim the birthright of the first born even in the womb but was unsuccessful.  No matter how early in life we may attempt to claim God's blessings of our own ability, we will fail.  Jacob was able to claim the birthright by deceit, but we can never claim a right relationship with God through deceit, but only through the truth of Christ.  Verse four states, Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;  This could be interpreted as Jacob defeating the angel and enforcing his will on God, but I believe it really says that until Jacob stopped wrestling with God and instead submitted to Him he never received the blessing of God.  We cannot come to God through our own strength and will but can only come to Him by asking His forgiveness through Christ.  Verse five adds, Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial. This tells us Who it was that sought Jacob and entered into a covenant relationship with him.  It was the Lord of hosts, the only true God.  Jacob's relationship with God was to be a memorial to God and not a memorial to Jacob. When God seeks us out and calls us into a relationship with Him, it is for our benefit but for His glory.  Verse six continues, Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.  The same call applies to us today.  We are to turn to God for direction in life.  God calls us to have mercy and use His judgment, not our own, to relate to the world.  Jacob was impatient to claim an earthly birthright, but he learned to wait on God for an everlasting birthright.  We must learn to likewise wait on God's direction continually.

Hosea 11:7

Hosea 11:7 says, And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.  Though Israel was called to be God's people through His mercy and their acceptance of Him as their God, they had backsliden into sin.  Though they were called to do God's will in their lives, none would exalt God.  We today as followers of Christ are God's by His mercy alone, and we are called to exalt Him in all that we do.  When we fail to do so, we like Israel are guilty of backsliding into sin once more.  Verse eight adds, How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.  This states that God debated with Himself about the fate of His chosen people.  Though nearly all had rejected Him, God was still ready to sustain them if they would turn to Him.   God does not let His people suffer destruction easily. Today, when we backslide, God isn't just waiting to destroy us, but He is waiting in mercy to restore us.  God does not want anyone to go away into everlasting separation, but He will allow it if we do not accept His gift of salvation. Verse nine continues, I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city. If God had acted as men act, Israel, or Ephraim as a part of the nation was singled out, would have been utterly destroyed.  God was not a man though, but He was and is God.  Verse ten states, They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.  Though most of the people of Israel had turned away from God, there was coming a day when all people would be called to follow after Him.  Though God could have destroyed them, He chose instead to call them to Himself again.  His voice would be like a lion roaring, something that could not easily be ignored.  When we as sinners hear the voice of God calling to us, we should tremble.  When we as redeemed sinners hear His voice, we should rejoice.  Verse eleven adds, They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.  Though the people of Israel were scattered, when they heard God voice and responded to His call, they would be restored to their houses.  They would no longer be under the bondage of sin but would be restored to a right relationship with God.  We know this happened when Jesus Christ came into the world. Through our faith in Christ, we have a heavenly home.  There is a debate today about whether this is a mansion or a room, but that is not really the point.  It is where God is and if He prepared it, we can be certain that it will be perfect for us.  Verse twelve continues, Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.  God said that at this point, Judah, part of the divided kingdom, had not totally turned their backs on Him.  We know that they to would eventually be destroyed for their disbelief, but not yet.  There was always a remnant who believed, even when the nation as a whole turned away from God.  We as His followers are the ones who need to remain true to Him, no matter what the rest of the world does.

Hosea 11:1

Hosea 11:1 says, When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.  When Israel was as a child, looking to God for their deliverance, God called them His children.  God had delivered them out of Egypt, not just with their lives, but with a purpose.  They were to show God's love and mercy to the people around them and rely on God for their strength.  We, as followers of Christ, have been freed from the power and penalty of sin, becoming children of God.  Yet too often we place ourselves back under the power of sin.  The penalty has been paid by Christ, but we can still put our lives under the power of sin.  Anytime we fail to follow God, Who has redeemed us by His mercy, we allow sin to have power over us once more.  We must remember that the devil cannot make us do anything, but we can choose to give in to the temptation that he leads us to.  Verse two adds, As they called them, so they went from them: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images. The temptation of the world, of those false gods, called to God's people, and they followed.  God through His power had made them His people and protected them, but they wanted what they thought was more that was promised by false gods.  We today may be tempted to chase after any number of false gods, but we need to remember that through God alone can we find true peace and purpose.  Verse three continues, I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms; but they knew not that I healed them. God was reminding His people that He had delivered and healed them, but they no longer acknowledged this.  We cannot become so self-satisfied that we begin to feel that we do not need God. So often, when we think we have accomplished something great in life it is because God has been working through us without our even realizing it.  God was the reason for the success of Israel, but they didn't acknowledge it.  Verse four states, I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.  God was continuing to remind the people of Israel of all that He had done for them.  We shouldn't need that reminder.  When we are following God's leadership, we will always know that He is the reason for every good thing in our lives.  Verse five adds, He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return. Israel was not going back to Egypt, but since they refused to return to God, they were going away into captivity.  When we turn away from God as followers of Christ, we do not go back under the everlasting death sentence of sin, but we do put ourselves back under the power of sin.  We cannot be neutral.  We either follow God or we follow sin.  Verse six continues, And the sword shall abide on his cities, and shall consume his branches, and devour them, because of their own counsels.  When Israel followed their own council instead of the council or leadership of God, they were destroyed.  As followers of Christ today, when we follow our own council instead of the council of God, we will have the things that we accomplish ultimately destroyed.  Only those things that we do under the leadership of God will bear everlasting fruit.

Hosea 10:8

Hosea 10:8 says, The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us.  God was telling the people of Israel what was to come of their worshipping idols.  The high places where they committed the sin of idolatry were to be destroyed.  Soon, there would be no evidence of their existence.  The thorns and thistles would overtake them.  The same is true of any idol we allow to come between us and our relationship with God.  One day, they will no longer be remembered in the world or in heaven.  Still, Israel, those chosen to be God's people, would be looking to those high places for deliverance instead of returning to God.  If we allow things to get between God and us, we must look to God for forgiveness, and never be guilty of looking to those things that have failed us.  Verse nine adds, O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.  I believe Hosea was telling the people of Israel that God saw that their iniquity was greater than those of their forefathers.  As God's people, they were to represent Him to the world and lead the people around them to God.  Instead, they chose to be led by the world and bring dishonor to God.  As followers of Christ, we need to make sure that we lead the world to Him and never allow ourselves to be lead away from God.  Verse ten continues, It is in my desire that I should chastise them; and the people shall be gathered against them, when they shall bind themselves in their two furrows.  God did not desire their destruction but was going to allow them to be chastised for their disobedience.  When we are out of God's will, He will allow us to be chastised so that we might look to Him again for our strength.  Verse eleven states, And Ephraim is as an heifer that is taught, and loveth to tread out the corn; but I passed over upon her fair neck: I will make Ephraim to ride; Judah shall plow, and Jacob shall break his clods. I believe God was telling the people of Israel that they were all to become slaves to other nations.  They had been free to enjoy the fruits of their labor, but now were to be yoked to labor for others.  Verse twelve continues, Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.   God was calling for them to return to Him.  Their coming captivity was a result of their disobedience to God, but He stood ready to forgive them whenever they repented and returned to Him.  If we stray from God, He stands ready today to forgive and restore us.  We need to sow righteousness so that we may reap mercy.  I don't believe this means we are to work for restoration with God, but that when we return to Him righteousness will flow from us as we claim His mercy toward us.  Verse thirteen states, Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.  God's people were living wicked lives filled with iniquity because they had believed the lies of the world instead of the truth of God.  They put their faith in mighty men instead of God.  Verse fourteen adds, Therefore shall a tumult arise among thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be spoiled, as Shalman spoiled Betharbel in the day of battle: the mother was dashed in pieces upon her children.  Israel was to be left without God's protection, and they would be completely destroyed.  If we allow anything to come between God and us, the results of our labor will ultimately be completely destroyed.  Verse fifteen continues, So shall Bethel do unto you because of your great wickedness: in a morning shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off.  The kingdom of Israel was to be without a king and cease to exist as a separate nation because of their failing to keep their covenant relationship with God.  Through Christ, we enter into a covenant relationship with God, so we need to strive to live for Him.  When we do, we need not fear anyone or anything in this world. We are God's for time everlasting.

Hosea 10:1

Hosea 10:1 says, Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land they have made goodly images.  Though the people of Israel might have been prosperous, the prosperity was empty since it was based on their own strength and not God's power and protection.  The people of Israel had built many altars, but they weren't built to worship the one true God.  In our prosperity today we may build up many altars that we worship at, but unless they are built for glorifying God, they are empty altars.  Verse two adds, Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.  The heart of the people of God was divided.  This speaks of the nation as a whole. Their hearts no longer belonged to God alone, but they were attempting to make Him no more than just another God.  We today cannot serve God effectively if our heart is divided between God and the world. If we are to be a Christian nation, then we must put God first in all things.  Verse three continues, For now they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the LORD; what then should a king do to us? The people of Israel seemed to know that their problems came from not fearing God.  Again, this does not mean that they should have been trembling because of what God might arbitrarily do to them, but that they should have had an awesome respect for Him.  There was a time when Israel demanded an earthly king, someone that other nations could see, but now they were questioning what good it did to have a king.  If we begin to put our faith in earthly rulers and forget about God, we will soon be asking the same question.  Verse four states, They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.  Israel still claimed to be in a covenant relationship with God, but their words were empty or meaningless.  Unless we as followers of Christ are lead by the Holy Spirit in all that we do, we too are guilty of not living up to our covenant relationship with God.  If we are out of God's will then what we do will be like poison to our relationship with God.  Verse five adds, The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it.  Israel was to mourn, not over breaking their covenant relationship with God, but over the failure of their idols to protect them.  Verse six continues, It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.  The idols that they built and worshipped were going to be given to the king of Assyria as a present.  Anything that we allow to become an idol in our lives will ultimately go to someone else.  Anything we put more faith in than what we put in God will never last.  It would be best if we tear down these idols, but if we don't, we can be sure that they will ultimately be torn down.  Verse seven concludes, As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water.  The earthly kings that Israel put their faith in were no more than foam on the water and would ultimately be destroyed as well. All that oppose God will ultimately be destroyed.

Hosea 9:11

Hosea 9:11 says, As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception.  The glory that Ephraim felt in their own ability apart from God's will was going to fly away like a bird.  God's people had been separated by God so that He might protect them as they followed His will.  They were now filled with self-pride and didn't feel the need for God, so He was going to remove His protection and let them fall.  They would no longer be a nation set aside for God from the time they were born but would be scattered throughout the land until they returned to Him.  We as followers of Christ are set aside for His purpose, not from the time we are born, but from the time we are born again through faith in Christ.  If we begin to stray from God's will, we will be allowed to suffer the consequences of that straying or rebellion.  Verse twelve adds, 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! Children were still being born into the nation of Israel, and God had already told the parents that it was their responsibility to teach them about Him.  Since they had failed not only to teach them about God, but also led them to follow false gods, the nation was going to be destroyed.  We still have that responsibility today.  We are to teach our children about God, so that they will come to Him through faith in Christ.  Still, the responsibility for accepting Christ lies with them.  If we fail to reach the next generation, the church, the followers of Christ, will cease to exist.  Verse thirteen continues, Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer.  Those who were called God's people, but who had rejected Him in fact, were going to lose His protection, and without it, they were doomed.  When we decide to live by our own strength instead of under God's guidance and protection, we too will fail in this life, no matter how successful we think we are.  Verse fourteen states, Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.  The people of Israel were to be a great nation because of their relationship to God, but they had forgotten that.  We, as followers of Christ, are made great through our relationship to God, and never of our own worth.  We must never forget that fact. Verse fifteen adds, 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.  God said because of their wickedness, He would drive them out of His house.  Today, if we begin to give in to sin, though we do not lose our salvation, we may be driven out from under God's protection in this world.  As followers of Christ, God gives us abundant life, not just occasional peace and joy.  When we doubt Him, we lose these things.  Verse sixteen continues, 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.  God's people, when living under their own abilities, lost their claim to be God's.  Verse seventeen concludes, My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations.  Though there is now a nation of Israel once more, they were indeed without a country for many centuries.  Though they continue to call themselves God's people, the still reject Christ as their Savior, and we must accept His salvation to truly be God's people.

Hosea 9:7

Hosea 9:7 says, 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. Can you imagine how Hosea must have felt bringing this message to Israel?  They felt that they were so successful that they didn't even need to remain faithful to God, yet Hosea continued to tell them they were going to be destroyed.  Many false prophets prophesied of prosperity to come so they would be popular with Israel, but Hosea proclaimed the truth.  The days of destruction were at hand, and there was nothing the people of Israel could do to delay that fact, other than return to God, which they refused to do.  There would be no doubt to Israel that Hosea was accurate in his prophecy.  There are people today who promise that as long as we simply claim to be God's people, whether we are actually following His will and His teachings or not, that everything will be all right.  Being one of God's people, His children, requires more than simply speaking the right words.  It requires a whole new attitude and change of heart.  God said the prophets of Israel were fools and the spiritual men were mad, because they really were not seeking God's guidance and protection.  Their sin and hatred were great, and that was not what God had called them to be ruled by.  We today are called to witness to people with the love of God and not with hatred in our hearts.  Verse eight adds, 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.  God's prophets had been His watchmen over the people of Ephraim, and the whole nation of Israel.  Now, they were following false prophets who were snare to their relationship with God.  Instead of the house of God being a place of refuge and worship, it had become a place of hatred.  I believe this applied not only to the people's attitude toward others, but also to their attitude toward God.  We cannot not love with all our heart and hate those around us and the way His word teaches us to live.  Verse nine continues, They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.  God's people were special because He had called them into a covenant relationship with Himself, but now they were turning away from that relationship.  It had happened before, and Israel had suffered for their rebellion.  God was telling the people of Israel at this time that they were no better than those who had turned away from Him before.  It would be wonderful if God's people always were always devoted to following His leadership, but we know that is not always the case.  Still, when we do fail, we must acknowledge that failure and ask for God's forgiveness and restoration before we find ourselves totally useless to Him.  Verse ten concludes, 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.  God was reminding the people of Israel that they weren't God's people because they were special, but that they were special because He chose them to work through to reveal Him to the world.  They had been true to God at first, but now had separated themselves from Him to their shame.  When we start to live without daily seeking God's direction, we become separated from God in our effectiveness.  Again, this does not mean that we have lost our salvation, but we have certainly lost our effectiveness for God.  This should cause us to feel shame for our actions and to repent and return to God, which Israel refused to do.

Hosea 9:1

Hosea 9:1 says, 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.  God's people were warned that they should not rejoice in their idolatry.  They were sacrificing the things of God to idols.  If we are putting our faith in the things of this world instead of God, we certainly have no reason to rejoice.  We must rejoice in faith in God alone.  Verse two says, The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail in her. While God's people looked to other gods for their deliverance, they were again warned of their ultimate failure.  We may feel secure in our place in the world, but if we are allowing anything to come between God and us, we can be certain that whatever it is will ultimately fail us.  Verse three continues, They shall not dwell in the LORD’s land; but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean things in Assyria.  God's people were promised that without their obedience to Him that they would not be allowed to live in His land and under His protection.  We today, when we follow Christ, live in His land and under His everlasting protection, no matter where we are in the world.  Hosea told the people of Israel that they were going to eat unclean things in Assyria. They were already eating things that were spiritually unclean, but now they were going to be at the mercy of Assyria for their food.  When we turn away from God, everything we eat can be said to be spiritually unclean, even if we have gone through the motions of asking God to bless it.  God does not bless half-hearted obedience. We have to put Him first if we expect to be blessed by Him.  Verse four states, 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.  This verse continues what was being said in verse three.  The people of Israel would no longer be allowed to offer sacrifices to God, and even if they went through the motions, the sacrifice would not be accepted, because they had turned their backs on God.  There was a second warning, that the bread of their soul would not come from God.  When we are not in God's will, we cannot expect to be spiritually filled.  Verse five adds, What will ye do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the LORD? Now that Israel had turned away from God, and their sacrifices were no longer acceptable to Him, God asked them what they were going to do on those solemn days of worship. They weren't willing to acknowledge God, so what were they to do when they should have been worshipping Him?  We need to understand that just because we show up for religious services, that does not mean that God has to accept our worship if we are out of His will.  God might indeed ask us what we are going to do instead.  Verse six continues, 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.  God told Israel in no uncertain terms that their nation was going to be destroyed.  The people would still live, but they would live under the authority and power of another nation.  We today when we reject God's will lose the freedom, He gave us through salvation and place our lives back under the authority and power of sin.  Though we may live, we are dead to the joy of salvation.

Hosea 8:7

Hosea 8:7 says, For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: it hath no stalk: the bud shall yield no meal: if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up.  Israel turning away from God and turning to idols was compared to sowing the wind.  Israel could not expect to reap good crops by simply throwing seeds into the wind.  The worship of idols was as useful as throwing empty hope into the wind. There could never be any satisfaction in it.  Everything that the people of Israel thought they had gained would never bring satisfaction, and they stood in danger of reaping the whirlwind of God's destruction. We need not be fooled, because sin will always lead to destruction.  Verse eight adds, Israel is swallowed up: now shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure.  Hosea was warning the people of Israel that they were to be defeated and no longer a distinct nation of God.  They were to be under the rule of the Gentiles, because they had become a vessel that brought no pleasure to God.  We today, if we individually or as a nation, cease to follow God's direction, we will bring no pleasure to Him, and though if we are truly His through faith in Christ, we will ultimately be victorious over the evil of this world, we may find ourselves temporarily defeated.  God assures us that when we put our faith in Him that He will never let us be permanently taken away from Him.  Verse nine continues, For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.  God's people were compared to a wild ass.  They would not accept the guidance of God but went on headstrong in their own way.  They were attempting to buy friendship and protection from the Assyrians instead of remaining faithful to God.  We today can never find eternal security anywhere but through faith in God. Verse ten states, Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.  The people of Israel were to experience sorrow because of their alliance with Assyria.  I believe that Hosea was giving them some hope with the statement that God would gather them again.  If we are God's through faith in Christ, if we stray, we may suffer a little while, but He will gather us again.  Verse eleven adds, Because Ephraim hath made many altars to sin, altars shall be unto him to sin.  God had instructed His people to build altars and make sacrifices to Him, but even though they had made many altars, they were not for God, but for the idols that they worshipped.  As God's people, we need to make sure that we are not sacrificing to false gods in our lives today.  Again, any time we put our faith in anyone or anything but God, we are guilty of worshipping at a false altar.  Verse twelve continues the basic problem, saying, I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.  God's people had His law, but they counted it not as a great truth, but as a strange concept.  We can never decide that what God teaches us through His word is something that we find strange and not worth following.  Verse thirteen says, They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.  Empty worship will never be acceptable to God.  The people of Israel were still going through the motions of sacrificing to God, but they were doing it without any faith in God.  God had delivered them from Egypt, but they had turned their backs on Him and now He was going to allow them to be overthrow again.  God through Christ has delivered us from the power of sin, but if we allow our faith in Him to waver, we will be allowed to suffer for it.  God wants more than empty worship from His people.  Verse fourteen adds, For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof.  God's people had forgotten God, the Maker of all. They were putting their faith in the powers of the world, and God warned them that He was still the only source of strength and security.  We must put our faith in God alone, because everything else will ultimately fail.

Hosea 8:1

Hosea 8:1 says, Set the trumpet to thy mouth. He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant, and trespassed against my law.  God through Hosea was making His warning to His people very clear.  Israel was His in name only, but they had broken the covenant God had made with them.  When people who call themselves Christians add to or take anything away from salvation through Christ then God will give His warning.  If we are truly His followers and start to stray, God will sound the alarm in our hearts, and then we need to repent and return to following His will.  Verse two adds, Israel shall cry unto me, My God, we know thee.  Even as they rebelled against His covenant, Israel would cry to God that they knew Him.  Just professing to know God without accepting Christ as Savior and Lord does not make us His. We must allow the Holy Spirit to direct our actions and give us peace and security.  Israel cried that they knew God, but their actions denied it.  Verse three continues, Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him.  Israel had cast of their covenant relationship with God, that thing that was good.  Anytime we look to the things of the world for strength and security instead of looking to God, we are casting off that which is good.  Verse four states, They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. The people of Israel had set up kings without consulting God.  As followers of Christ, we need to consult God before we elect leaders.  We may not always have a very good choice, but we must ask God's direction in our choosing the person to vote for.  Israel had turned their silver and gold into idols, and though we may not actually build idols, we can start to worship our silver and gold.  We may want what is best for us financially instead of what is best for everyone, especially those who are less fortunate than we are.  Verse five adds, Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency?  God told them that their idols had failed them and asked them how long it would be before they returned to Him.  They could only attain innocence through the mercy and forgiveness of God.  This is still true today.  If we stray from God, we need to look to Him for forgiveness.  Verse six continues, For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. My God, we know thee.  Idols made by hand will never be God, and ultimately will be broken into pieces.  God alone is God, and anything else we put above Him will ultimately be destroyed.

Hosea 7:8

Hosea 7:8 says, Ephraim, he hath mixed himself among the people; Ephraim is a cake not turned.  God here refers again to Ephraim, one of the families, or tribes, of Israel.  Though not all of the tribes are singled out, they had all turned away from acknowledging God and following His leadership.  There is another analogy to baking.  Ephraim was like a cake that had not been turned, burning on one side and still doughy on the other.  They tried to follow God at times while still chasing after false gods.  They had allowed the world to guide them as they mixed with the people of the world.  They did not set themselves apart for God.  We have a commission to go into the world, but we can never allow the sinful nature of those we witness to become more important than remaining true to God.  Verse nine adds, Strangers have devoured his strength, and he knoweth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not.  I believe God was telling the people of Ephraim that the world had stolen their strength, which came from God, and they didn't even realize it.  They had gotten so far away from God and so committed to the world that they did not even realize that they had lost the source of their strength.  Today, we must always remember that as followers of Christ, God alone is the source of our strength. We need not look to the powers of the world for security, because our security rests in God alone.  Verse ten continues, And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face: and they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek him for all this.  Israel had been pulled away from God by their own self pride.  They no longer looked to God for their strength, even as they were about to fall captive to another nation.  We must always look to God for our strength in the world today.  Verse eleven states, Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart: they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.  We equate a dove with peace, but Ephraim was called a dove without a heart.  They may have wanted peace, but they had no heart for God where peace could be found.  Instead of staying under the protection of God, they looked to Assyria for protection.  Verse twelve adds, When they shall go, I will spread my net upon them; I will bring them down as the fowls of the heaven; I will chastise them, as their congregation hath heard.  God does not allow His people to wander away without warning.  God calls to His people with His mercy, but if they do not return, He will come to them in judgment.  As His people, when we do not follow God in our lives we should expect to be chastised.  Sin separates us from God, and when we allow sin back into our lives, looking anywhere other than to God for our safety and security, we need to have God correct, or to chastise us.  Verse thirteen continues, Woe unto them! for they have fled from me: destruction unto them! because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet they have spoken lies against me.  God's people had fled from Him, and destruction awaited them.  No power in the world could save them.  God had redeemed them, but they rejected Him. I believe this warning applies to us today.  If we claim to be God's people but look anywhere else for peace and security, we are headed for woe or disappointment.  Verse fourteen says, And they have not cried unto me with their heart, when they howled upon their beds: they assemble themselves for corn and wine, and they rebel against me. We have to wonder why God's people did not call to Him for deliverance, but we today as followers of Christ can be guilty of the same thing.  We look to the world for security and do not call on God.  We need to remain committed to God no matter what the situation of the world may be. Verse fifteen adds, Though I have bound and strengthened their arms, yet do they imagine mischief against me.  God had given the people of Israel their strength as a nation, but they looked on Him without respect.  They had more faith in the power of other nations than they did in the power of God. As followers of Christ, we need to look to God alone for strength and deliverance.  Verse sixteen continues, They return, but not to the most High: they are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.  When God's people began to look to other nations for deliverance, instead of looking to God, they found themselves captives once again.  We must look to God in all that we do to avoid being taken captive by sin once again.  Though if we are truly followers of Christ, we will not lose our salvation, we can certainly lose the joy and peace that it should bring if we do not always put our faith in God.  No power in this world can bring true peace and security.  That can be found in God alone.

Hosea 7:1

Hosea 7:1 says, When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.  God was waiting ready to restore Israel, but they chose to still live in wickedness and chase after sinful practices.  They committed a falsehood, in that they claimed to be God's people but did not follow His leadership.  Thieves and robbers were everywhere.  When we begin to take the things of God for our own purposes, then we are living a falsehood.  As God's people, we must acknowledge His will in all that we do.  Verse two adds, And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.  The people of Israel might have thought that God did not know of their iniquity, but He was reminding them that there are no sins that are a secret to God.  God said that their sins were before His face, as are ours, where they will remain until they, and we today, come to Him in true repentance and He puts them out of His sight forever.  Only God can remove the stain of sin from our lives.  Verse three continues, They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.  The people of Israel were living to make the king and princes happy instead of living to make God happy.  When we start to live to make those in power happy instead of living to please God, we stand guilty before God.  Verse four states, They are all adulterers, as an oven heated by the baker, who ceaseth from raising after he hath kneaded the dough, until it be leavened.  The people of God were no longer leavened with God's word, but had become flat, useless to anyone, especially God.  They needed to be leavened, made alive again, by God's word.  Verse five adds, In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine; he stretched out his hand with scorners.  The leaders had become sickened with wine and were reaching out to those who scorned God.  Earthly pleasure and false Gods ruled them.  Verse six continues, For they have made ready their heart like an oven, whiles they lie in wait: their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire.   Verse seven concludes, They are all hot as an oven, and have devoured their judges; all their kings are fallen: there is none among them that calleth unto me.  I believe that God was telling them that they burned with the lusts of the flesh with no one to check the flame.  The priests and kings had turned away from God, and there was no one left of God's chosen people who called out to Him.  We need to make sure that our hearts burn for following the will of God, not the lusts of the flesh, or we too are in danger of having our witnessing for God burned away.

Hosea 6:6

Hosea 6:6 says, For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.  God was not looking for empty acts of worship, but for the hearts of His people to be changed.  They were to show mercy and be in a real relationship with God.  Wearing a cross, or even carrying a Bible everywhere, means very little if we don't have mercy for all those around us.  If we want to keep God for a particular group of people or limit Him to a particular place or particular area of our lives, then we are never going to please God.  God calls us to be changed people.  We are to show God to the world, not by symbols and occasional practices, but by the way we live our lives every day.  If we have no mercy for those around us, or even for those anywhere in the world, we cannot witness for God as we should.  Verse seven adds, But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacrously against me.  God's people had transgressed the covenant they had with God.  Covenants, or contracts seem to mean very little anymore.  An example would be people who had a contract with a company for retirement benefits, but suddenly the company declares the pension fund bankrupt.  There are many more we could cite, but usually when a contract, or covenant is broken, the one with the most power breaks it.  This is never true with God.  He has all the power, but it is people who break the covenant and never God.  Verse eight continues, Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.  This tells us the result of God's people acting with treachery toward God.  What should have been a city of refuge was a city polluted with blood.  As followers of Christ, when people come to us seeking help, we should offer them a place of refuge, not a place of condemnation.  We can look at the news about the world today and see that there are many more places filled with blood than there are places of refuge.  This still falls under the showing of mercy and not just empty worship.  There was indeed no balm in Gilead at this time.  Verse nine states, And as troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent: for they commit lewdness.  God said the priests in that day were no better than the other people.  They murdered by consent and acted with lewdness toward others.  We today as followers of Christ are a priesthood of believers, and we need to make sure that we do not endorse sinful acts or commit lewd acts toward God. When we offer empty sacrifices and worship to God, this is exactly what we are doing.  Verse ten adds, I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel: there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is defiled. This is a sad commentary on God's people.  Since they chased after false gods, they were defiled before God.  Verse eleven continues, Also, O Judah, he hath set an harvest for thee, when I returned the captivity of my people.  God had rescued Judah from captivity, but they were also turning to false Gods and would soon fall also without God's power keeping them safe.  We today as followers of Christ have been delivered from the power of sin, and we need to make sure that we do not begin to chase after false gods.

Hosea 6:1

Hosea 6:1 says, Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.  This is a call for the return of God's people to Him so that they might be healed.  We can never be truly healed of the results of sin, which will indeed tear us down, until we return to God to be lifted up by Him.  Israel and Judah had felt secure in their place in the world without God, relying on their own abilities.  When God left them without His protection, they were defeated and torn apart as a nation.  Verse two adds, After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.  After calling for the people of Israel and Judah to return to Him, He told them that He had provided the way for them to be restored.  I believe this verse refers to the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah so long awaited by God's people.  Too often, though, when time passed without the appearance of the Messiah, the people began to look to other gods for their salvation. We today cannot be impatient with God.  Verse three continues, Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.  Hosea told the people of Israel that there was still hope.  He said they could know this hope if they followed God.  We today have that same promise.  We do not have to guess if we put our faith in Christ.  We can know that we are God's children forever. Hosea told them when they returned to God, He would restore and refresh them.  Verse four states, O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away.  This did not mean that God did not know what He should do to them but was more of a question of what they really thought He should do.  Their goodness melted away like the morning cloud and early dew, quickly passing away.  Even they should know what they deserved from God, and that was punishment for their sins.  The same is true today.  If our faith melts away at the first temptation, then we are deserving of God's punishment.  It is only through faith in Christ that we can be restored.  Verse five adds, Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goeth forth.  Hosea said God had sent His prophets to hew His people, to call them to cut out the idolatry and sinful actions.  God sent His words to them, and was like a light that went before them, if they would only listen and see.  God's word and light are still here in the world today, if we will only listen and see.

Hosea 5:6

Hosea 5:6 says, 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.  After worshipping other gods, God's people would finally start seeking Him.  Matthew Henry points out this was most likely directed at Judah, who did still worship God, but they did not worship Him exclusively.  We never find God of our own ability, but He finds us through His mercy and grace.  Verse seven adds, They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions. God was telling His people that they were not dealing with Him honestly.  They were to be children of God through their faith in Him, but they were leading their children to be strangers to God.  We as followers of Christ have a responsibility to God to teach our children about Him.  They may not always listen, but that does not relieve us of the responsibility to tell them.  If we fail to do so, they may end up as the children of Israel in Hosea's day, being strangers to God.  Verse eight continues, Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin.  Through two cities, one in Judah and one in Israel, God was sounding the warning to both kingdoms. It was too late to sound the trumpet in Bethaven, or Bethel, since it had already fallen, but the people could still cry a warning. The entire kingdom, divided or not, was going to fall.  If we begin to stray from God, someone needs to sound the alarm.  Israel and Judah, God's chosen people, had turned to other gods, and they fell captive to other nations.  We should never feel that we are above the same thing.  Verse nine states, Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.  God had made known to His people what was going to happen, and there could be no doubt what would occur.  They, divided kingdom or not, were all turning to false gods, and God was removing His protective hand.  Verse ten adds, The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water.  Judah was following Israel in rebelling against God, so they to were going to lose His protection.  We need to be careful that when we see a fellow Christian fall into sin that we do not start feeling superior to them.  We are all sinners saved by grace. Verse eleven continues, Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment.  Ephraim, one of the tribes of Israel, willing followed the commandment of the king to worship the false idols.  God pronounced the result of this idolatry.  They would be oppressed and broken.  Verse twelve says, Therefore will I be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness.  A moth destroys silently, and rottenness destroys by infecting everything it stays in contact with.  God was not going to loudly destroy Ephraim and Judah, who were mentioned here, but was going to let them be eaten up or rotted away from their own sins.  Verse thirteen adds, 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 God's people saw what was happening, they didn't turn to God, but to other worldly leaders.  If we find ourselves overcome due to sin we can look to God alone for restoration.  Verse fourteen continues, 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.  God's judgment would be like a lion, and no one could rescue His people until they repented and returned to Him.  We must rely on God alone to deliver us from the power and consequences of sin.  Verse fifteen concludes, 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.  God was removing His protection until His people acknowledged their sins and sought Him again.  He would stand ready to come to them again as their God.  If we allow sin into our lives, until we repent and ask God's forgiveness, we cannot enjoy all the blessings He awaits to pour out on us.

Hosea 5:1

Hosea 5:1 says, 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.  In their prosperity, Hosea was warning them that God's judgment was coming.  We may feel so secure in our own wealth that we begin to forget God and attribute our success to our own abilities, but we must never allow this attitude if we are truly followers of Christ.  Israel was warned of the coming judgment against them, because the priests and kings had become corrupt.  We today can expect no less.  We cannot be unfaithful to God and still expect Him to bless us.  If we want God to bless America again, we must start by blessing Him.  I think we have become too much like Israel was in Hosea's day, professing to be God's people while ignoring His leadership.  We, of our own merit, are no more deserving of God's blessing than people anywhere in the world.  The nation of Israel in Hosea's day had become vain.  They felt that God would be with them no matter what.  We today need to be careful that we don't become the same way.  Verse two adds, And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all.  Those who were revolting against God were profound in their beliefs, but that did not make them right.  We can be deeply convinced of our beliefs, but if they go against the word of God, they will always be wrong.  Hosea, as God's prophet, rebuked them, from priests to rulers.  We today must speak out against sin, no matter who is proclaiming it to be right.  Verse three continues, I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled. The people of Ephraim and Israel, those who had been chosen by God to represent Him, were not hiding their sin from Him.  They may have thought that God wasn't involved in the world when they felt they didn't need Him, but they were sadly mistaken.  The same holds true today.  Verse four states, 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 had become arrogant in their sin.  They would not put an end to their sin and turn to God.  There was an even greater indictment in that Hosea said they had not known God.  We have to wonder how this could be true of God's chosen people, but many today who call themselves God's people refuse to acknowledge Him.  They reject the truth that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone.  Verse five adds, 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 people of Israel had pride in themselves, but Hosea gave them a warning that all God's people were going to fall due to their sins.  Judah may have lasted longer, but iniquity would also claim them in time as they turned away from God.

Hosea 4:10

Hosea 4:10 says, For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take heed to the LORD.  I believe God was warning His people that no matter how well off they became materially, they were never going to be satisfied because they were no longer faithful to God.  When we begin to look for peace and purpose in the things of this world and forget God's will for us, we will never be satisfied.  There is a saying that you can never be too rich, but if riches are seen as an end unto themselves, without being placed under God's guidance in their use, then I do not believe this to be true.  When we start chasing after material things instead of following God, we will never be satisfied.  Verse eleven adds, Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.   God was still referring to the relationship between Israel and Himself.  When they started chasing after other gods and physical pleasure, their hearts were turned from obedience to God.  We today can let things slip between God and us as we follow other gods.  I think of those who follow horoscopes, for example, to determine what they will do each day.  Verse twelve continues, My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err, and they have gone a whoring from under their God.  I believe that what God was saying in this verse is that His people were looking to false religious symbols to guide their lives, much like following things like horoscopes today.  God calls it the spirit of whoredoms, or that cheating of His people in their relationship to Him.  We cannot be faithful followers of Christ and look to anything in this world to guide us spiritually but the Holy Spirit.  Verse thirteen states, They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms, because the shadow thereof is good: therefore your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your spouses shall commit adultery.  God said that His people were very open in their religious ceremonies, but they were not worshipping Him.  As followers of Christ, God's people in the world today, we need to make sure that when we are openly worshipping that we are doing it for the glory of God and not our own glory.  Verse fourteen adds, I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your spouses when they commit adultery: for themselves are separated with whores, and they sacrifice with harlots: therefore the people that doth not understand shall fall.  I believe God was saying that He sometimes just allows people to go on in their sins with no immediate punishment.  Matthew Henry equated this with people being given over to vile affections as Romans 1:24 would later say.  These were the people who called themselves God's people and felt that just claiming that made them special.  Verse fifteen continues, Though thou, Israel, play the harlot, yet let not Judah offend; and come not ye unto Gilgal, neither go ye up to Bethaven, nor swear, The LORD liveth.  Judah, part of the divided nation, had not become as corrupt as Israel.  Israel was more prosperous, and Judah could have been tempted to follow after them and chase false gods.  Verse sixteen says, For Israel slideth back as a backsliding heifer: now the LORD will feed them as a lamb in a large place.  The nation of Israel had turned away from God, and He was going to remove His protective hand from them.  We cannot expect to call ourselves God's people and follow other gods and still expect His guidance and protection.  Verse seventeen adds, Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone.  I believe that this is God's warning that we must avoid those who claim to be His but are committed to false gods. We must leave them alone.  Verse eighteen continues, Their drink is sour: they have committed whoredom continually: her rulers with shame do love, Give ye.  The nation of Israel was committed to following false gods and the rulers were only looking out for what would bring them the most reward materially.  Verse nineteen concludes, The wind hath bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.  Though the people of Israel, God's chosen people, might be feeling prosperous and not in need of God, there was coming a day when they would be ashamed of their idolatry.

Hosea 4:5

Hosea 4:5 says, Therefore shalt thou fall in the day, and the prophet also shall fall with thee in the night, and I will destroy thy mother.  God was warning the people of Israel that they were going to be destroyed because of their actions.  God was not allowing them to fall as a nation because of any failure on His part.  The people of Israel as a nation had turned their backs on God, and even the prophets had become corrupt. People today, even followers of Christ, often do not want to hear what God teaches, but put their faith in the things of the world.  I will state again that as followers of Christ, when we do not follow His leadership, that does not mean we are uno longer saved, but it does mean that we are no longer effective witnesses for Christ and no longer find satisfaction in life.  God's promise to Abraham was still in effect.  Those who were truly God's people, though small in numbers would still see His promise fulfilled.  Today people of the world, those who would love to eliminate God from any aspect of life, refuse to listen to those who proclaim God, and do everything they can discredit those who proclaim Him.  Verse six adds, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.  I do not believe that the warning could have been more direct.  Those who called themselves God's people had no knowledge of Who He really is.  If we forget the knowledge of God, we will no longer be a priest, one set aside to serve God, to Him.  When we forget the law of God, He will allow us to suffer the consequences in this old sinful world.  It was a sad thing that God was going to forget those who were to be His representatives in the world.  Again, this was based on their forgetting His law.  We today may display God's law on signs and monuments, but until it is written in our hearts and directs our actions, it is but an empty display.  Verse seven continues, As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.  God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be vast in numbers, but here God says that as their numbers increased, they sinned against Him.  Today, the numbers of those who profess to be followers of Christ may be great, but many sin against Him by proclaiming other requirements in order to obtain salvation than simply faith in His sacrifice.  God said He would change their glory into shame. When we glory in our own abilities instead of God's abilities, we will end up shamed in God's eyes. Verse eight concludes, They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.  God said those calling themselves His people were full of sin and set their hearts, their innermost nature, on iniquity.  When we allow other things to get between God and us, we are chasing after iniquity.  Verse nine states, And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.  None of God's people, including the priests, those who were to represent Him to His people, can sin without expecting a penalty to have to be paid.  As followers of Christ, we never lose our relationship with God if we sin again, but we lose our effectiveness and the joy that salvation brings.  Sin is never without consequences.

Hosea 4:1

Hosea 4:1 says, Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Hosea begins to tell the people more directly what awaits them due to their disobedience to God.  God had a controversy with them.  We can be certain today that if God has a controversy with us that it is not due to His being wrong.  Hosea listed some things that caused God to have a controversy with His people.  God said there was no truth, mercy or knowledge of God in the land.  We need to remember that this was Israel, the ones that called themselves God's people, that God was speaking to through the prophet Hosea.  There was no truth, mercy or knowledge of God in the nation of Israel as a group at that time.  As a nation that calls itself a Christian nation, are we becoming guilty of the same thing?  We continue to try and remove the name of God from as many places as we can.  We seem to too often seek revenge against instead of showing mercy to those who harm or even just offend us.  We often attempt to change the truth, that which is based on God's word, to a lie based on the knowledge of man.  Verse two adds, By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.  As the sins increased, so would the murders, or blood touching blood as Hosea stated it.  These do not sound like the actions expected of God's people, but the are what was happening in those days.  Unfortunately, they still occur today with some who call themselves followers of Christ. God was sending a warning to Israel through Hosea, and He will send a warning to us today when we fail to follow His will.  Verse three continues, Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.  God was warning the people of Israel, His chosen people, that their rebellion against Him would have consequences.  The same is true for His followers today.  If we are truly followers of Christ, we are forever saved, but we may lose all the joy of that salvation if we begin to allow the things of this world to creep back into our lives.  No matter how successful we may become in the view of the world, we will never be successful in God's view.  The nation of Israel at this time were relying on their own abilities and not the mercy of God.  God warned that He was going to remove His mercy and protection from them until they once again trusted in Him.  Verse four concludes, Yet let no man strive, nor reprove another: for thy people are as they that strive with the priest.  People today, like those in Israel in the time of Hosea, do not want anyone to tell them that what they are doing is wrong, especially from a priest, which means a representative of God to the people.  So much of the world today denies the very existence of God, so we as His followers must stand firmly in His truth.

Hosea 3:1

Hosea 3:1 says, Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.  God was again comparing the relationship between Israel and Himself to a husband and wife.  God still loved the people of Israel, even if they had failed to remain true to Him. Our disobedience never stops God's love for us, but it can take away the benefits of His love.  We cannot simply profess that we are His people and ignore His leadership.  Verse two adds, So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley:  While Israel was disobedient to God, He would still be at work in the world to bring them back to Him.  We know that we are His because He has bought us with a price, salvation through the sacrifice of Christ.  If we remain disobedient to Him in any aspect of life, we cannot expect to receive the full blessings of God.  If He is our God, He will sustain us even in our unfaithfulness.  In rebellion against God, the nation of Israel proved to be worthless to Him as the people who were to share His love and redemption to the world. As followers of Christ, sharing the gospel of Christ with the world is our responsibility, and if we fail to put God first in all we do, we too will be worthless in carrying out our commission.  Verse three continues, And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee.  I believe that God is promising us that we can be certain that when we are faithful to Him that He will be faithful to us.  We need never question if we are following Christ in vain.  Even if everything in the world seems to be falling apart, God will still be with us to see us through, if we are His by faith in Christ.  Verse four states, For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:  God was warning the people of Israel that the were going to be be taken captive.  They were not only going to be deprived of the freedom to govern themselves, but they were going to be deprived of places of public worship.  There are places in the world today where people really do not have the right to govern themselves and are also not allowed to freely worship in public.  This did not then nor does not now mean that people could not nor cannot worship God if they truly believe in Him.  It just means it may be more difficult or costly.  Verse five adds, Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.  The people of Israel had rejected God, what it meant to be true descendants of David, and fear or respect for God. They had the promise of God that when they returned to Him that they would be restored as His people.  We cannot claim to be God's people and at the same time claim to be free to live any way we want to live.  We must always put the will of God first.  When we fail to do so, we can be certain that God awaits with open arms to welcome us when we do return.

Hosea 2:18

Hosea 2:18 says, And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.  When God created the world, there was no enmity between man and the other creatures of the world.  When man sinned, that harmony of all things in the world ceased.  I believe here God was referring to the time of complete restoration of creation to the way it existed in the Garden of Eden.  This does not mean that when the nation of Israel returned to their relationship with God that all of the earth would immediately be restored to its intended state.  We see this in the second part of the verse where God said He would break the bow and sword and the battle for the earth.  We can live in peace through Christ, but we know that the war with evil still rages and will continue to do so until Christ returns triumphant.  We will never see the world restored until then.  Verse nineteen adds, And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.  God said that His people would be betrothed to Him.  God then tells us of the nature of this relationship.  First, it is forever.  Once we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we have a forever relationship with Him.  It is preserved by the power of God, so nothing will ever be able to break that relationship.  We are told next that if is also a relationship based on righteousness, not our own, but God's.  Then, we are told we are God's in judgment.  We cannot pronounce ourselves restored to God, but God through the sacrifice of Christ will judge us to be His if we accept salvation through Christ.  We are then told that we are His through God's loving kindness and mercy.  I can think of no better place to be than in the loving kindness and mercy of God.  We have this everlasting relationship through the new covenant of Christ.  Verse twenty continues, I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.  God expects His people to be faithful to Him. We can really know God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  God is not just an abstract thought existing somewhere in space, but a personal Savior living in His people through the Holy Spirit.  Verse twenty-one states, And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;  When we come to God in true faith, He promises that He will hear us and that we will hear Him.  God is involved in the world through His people.  He does not leave us on our own.  Verse twenty-two adds, And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.   When we are obedient to God, all our needs will be met.  God had earlier said He would take these things away, and He was now telling the people of Israel that when they returned to Him, He would again meet all their needs.  If we seem to be struggling without any real peace and joy in the world today, we need to turn to God, Who waits to restore them. Verse twenty-three continues, And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.  God said He would sow His people in all the earth.  God will call those who are not His, the unbelieving Jews and the Gentiles.  They will truly call Him their God.  That is still true today.  If we are God's people, we must proclaim to the world that He is our God.

Hosea 2:14

Hosea 2:14 says, Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.  Though God had pronounced their destruction due to their disobedience, He was not abandoning them for good.  God said He would allure Israel, call them into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to them.  When they had been in the wilderness, the people were totally dependent on God, and He brought them comfort.  Once they realized again that they were dependent on God, He would comfort them.  Verse fifteen adds, And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.  God told His people, just as He had delivered them from Egypt, He would deliver them again when they turned to Him in hope.  They had been relying on false gods and their own status by birth for happiness and security and had forgotten that God was responsible for that status in the world.  If the world seems to be overwhelming today, we need only look to God to have our hope restored.  If we find ourselves in a spiritual wilderness where we see little hope, all we need to do is look to God and submit to His will once more.  Verse sixteen continues, And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.  Both names denote husband, and God was reminding the people of Israel that their true relationship was with Him, not the false god Baal. When we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, that means that false gods no longer have a place in our lives.  Verse seventeen concludes, For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.  God told the people of Israel that when He restored them, they would no longer even remember the false gods, much less call on them.  We, as followers of Christ, are to be the same way.  Once we accept Christ, all the false gods in our life, whatever they might be, need to be totally forgotten.  We cannot effectively serve God while at the same time chasing after false gods.  We often think of false gods as being some idol that is worshipped. It is more than that, though. A false god is anything that becomes more important to us than our relationship with God.  When we are truly God's, He will be the One we follow at all times.

Hosea 2:8

Hosea 2:8 says, For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.  It was a very sad testimony to the people of Israel, God's chosen people, that they did not even recognize where all the good things in their lives came from.  We today as followers of Christ must never think that the good things that we have in life are a result of our own actions. God gives us all that we need to be secure in this world, because nothing here can ever last. What will last is our relationship with God.  We must never feel that what we have in this world is a result of our own efforts and therefore have nothing to do with God.  The people of Israel had lost sight of the fact that God was their provider, and had started to attribute their success to the false god's of the world.  Verse nine adds, Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.  God gave them a warning.  They may have felt secure in their position in the world, but they had forgotten God. They may have felt all that they had was theirs and had nothing to do with God, but God was about to remind them everything in this world is His.  When God removes His protection and provisions from us, we are truly stripped bare.  As God's people, we must always acknowledge that everything we have belongs to God.  It is by God's love and mercy that we have our needs met daily, and we must always give Him the praise and glory. Verse ten states, And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.  God was giving Israel notice that they could no longer hide their idolatry.  God also told them that their false gods could not save them.  We must understand the same thing.  When we become committed to false gods, God will let us know that He is aware of it, and the false gods will not be able to save us.  Verse eleven adds, I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.  I believe that God was telling the people of Israel that there could be no lasting joy through false religious practices.  God is the One Who can bring true peace and joy, and when we turn against Him, He removes that peace and joy in life.  Verse twelve continues, And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them.  Though the people of Israel were giving credit for their physical well-being to other gods, they were warned that God was about to remove His protective hand from them. We may feel that we or some other group are responsible the blessings that we have in life, but as followers of Christ, we must always acknowledge that we owe it all to Him.  Verse thirteen concludes, And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.  The people of Israel had turned to false gods, but they still called themselves God's people.  We today must be careful that we aren't guilty of the same thing.  God said they had forgotten Him, but He was to remind them that He was the true God.

Hosea 1:8

Hosea 1:8 says, Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.  Verse two adds, Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.  After a time, when their daughter was older, they had another son.  Hosea was told to name him Loammi, which means for you are not My people.  So far, the only prophecies that we have recorded of Hosea were his marriage and the birth and naming of his children.  As followers of Christ today we need to acknowledge that God reaches out to the world through our lives.  We need to live our lives so that even the ordinary, everyday events are a witness to God.  Loammi means you are not my people.  This was a message to those who prided themselves on being Gods people, but then refused to follow His leadership.  God did not forsake them but allowed them to suffer the consequences of abandoning Him. We need to understand today, that as followers of Christ, if we stop following God in everyday life, we will be allowed to suffer the consequences of that failure.  This does not mean that we are no longer saved, but it does mean we become ineffective in our witness for Christ.  Though they still thought of themselves as the people of God, simply by the fact of their birth, God said that by their actions they proved themselves to be not His people.  The way we live our lives today should show Christ to the world.  Verse ten adds, Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.  God still had not forgotten His promise to Abraham.  The promise was made in relationship to the covenant between God and those seed of Abraham who followed God in faith.  The number of those who were following God faithfully might have dwindled, but there was coming a day when God's way to redemption would be put in place, and then the followers of God would come from all people in all the world, not just the nation of Israel.  This had been the role of Israel, to proclaim God to the whole world, but they had become exclusive, feeling superior to the Gentiles.  God promised that in that place where it was said that they were not His people that they would become much more, being called the sons of the living God.  We know that this is what happened when Christ came to redeem all mankind, and the gospel went to all people.  Verse eleven concludes, Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.  Though Judah and Israel were now divided, there was coming a day when they would again be united into one nation.  The Jews would be reunited, but the gospel would go to the Gentiles as well.  The descendants of Abraham were to be God's people by faith in Him, but they had come to believe that they were His simply by being born into nation of Israel or Judah, in this case. When Christ came, He came to save everyone who believed in and professed Him as Savior and Lord. We as followers of Christ must be careful that we don't start believing that we are God's children based on where we were born or any other factor except faith in Christ.

Hosea 1:6

Hosea 1:6 says, And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. We are still looking at God working through Hosea's family live to reveal His prophecy for Israel.  We should be closely aligned with the will of God today so that He can work through us to reveal Himself and His will to the world.  Hosea and Gomer had a second child, a daughter, who Hosea was instructed to name Loruhamah, which means not beloved or not having obtained mercy.  If we were instructed by God to name a child with a name such as this, would we do it?  They now had a son and a daughter, and both were named to signify God's displeasure with His chosen people, Israel.  The sons and daughters of Israel had all gone astray from the will of God.  God told Hosea that He would have no mercy on the house of Israel, but He would utterly take them away.  God had not failed in His covenant with the people of Israel, but they had failed in their covenant with Him.  As followers of Christ, we are in a covenant relationship with God through accepting salvation through the sacrifice of Christ.  We need to take care that we never allow the circumstances of the world to come between the will of God and us.  In their time of success, Israel had turned away from God.  Verse seven adds, But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.  The people of God were divided at this time into the nation of Israel and the nation Judah.  God had not divided the kingdom, but the people had.  Here, God tells Hosea that He will have mercy on the house of Judah.  God was going to save them, not by their own military might, but by His mercy.  We may often look for our security to our worldly power, but we can truly find security only in the sustaining power of God.  We might be the most powerful nation in the world, but if we do not rely on God's mercy for our redemption and strength, then we are doomed to ultimate failure.  The people of Israel thought God would protect them, even if they did not follow His laws.  They were mistaken, and so will we be if we have the same attitude.  To be God's people requires that we are His in everything we do.  It is only by the mercy of God that we have hope.

Hosea 1:1

Hosea 1:1 says, The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.  We are not told how the word of the Lord came to Hosea, only that it did and that Hosea recognized it as God's word.  Hosea was called to be a prophet at a young age and prophesied for many years.  Verse adds, The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.  This is really not what we would expect as a way to follow God. Hosea was told by God to go and take a wife who was a prostitute, and that this would be representative of the relationship between God and His chosen people.  They were chasing other gods, and not remaining true to the One real God.  If we felt that God was leading us to do the same thing today, would we obey, knowing without a doubt that it was indeed God directing us?  Hosea had a relationship with God that was close enough for him to know God's voice, however he heard it.  We need that same closeness with God today.  Verse three continues, So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.  Hosea obeyed God, and took Gomer to be his wife, and they had a son.  Hosea was a young prophet, and could have questioned the word of God, but instead he chose to obey it.  We as followers of Christ today must be willing to carry out God's will for our lives, even if we do not understand why God directs us to do certain things.  Hosea could have thought he certainly misunderstood God's instructions, but instead simply obeyed.  I believe Hosea loved Gomer, just as God loved His people even as they were chasing other gods.  We know that Hosea and Gomer's relationship was to be representative of God and His relationship to His chosen people.  Though Hosea may have known that at first, it was only truly revealed as he lived in obedience to God's call.  We are not assured that we will always understand what God is doing through us as we follow Him in obedience to His will, but if we fail to follow, we will never understand.  Hosea obeyed God, and so must we.  Having just finished the book of Romans, we know that God's people continued to rebel against Him.  Verse four concludes, And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. God told Hosea what to name his soon and the significance of that name.  Jezreel signifies the seed of God, but also can mean the scattered of God.  Those who were the seed of God through the promise to Abraham were about to be scattered because of their disobedience to the will of God.