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.