Hosea 4:1-10

Hosea 4-14 develops the message illustrated in Hos. 1-3 by Hosea’s marriage. 

·        Hosea 4: God’s charge against Israel (spiritual harlotry).

·        Hosea 5-10: God’s punishment of Israel (dispersion, captivity).

·        Hosea 11-14: God’s loving restoration of Israel.

These are somewhat general in that the nature of Israel’s harlotry becomes clearer throughout the book.  Let us take it verse by verse and seek the Spirit’s help in both understanding and application.

·        4:1-3 provides its own introduction to the message.  The charge is that there is no “truth or mercy” or “knowledge of God” in the land. 

o   Truth (faithfulness; Heb. emeth) and mercy (lovingkindness, zealous love; Heb. checed) are attributes of God (Ex. 34:67) that are to be evident in the lives of His people (Prov.3:3). 

o   Knowledge of God does not refer to a lack of theology; it refers to the lack of a relationship with God.  Spiritual harlotry means Israel had replaced the true God with idols.  What we will see is that Israel did some external things that made it look like they knew the LORD; but in fact they did not.

o   How was it evident that Israel lacked mercy and truth and that she did not know the LORD?  It was seen in the total lack of restraint in society.  In word and deed she lived in unabashed sin.  In these days in my country (United States) you can see this.  The “f” word is used unashamedly, even in news stories and other serious settings.  People break laws in the name of just causes, and the authorities do little or nothing to enforce those laws.

o   For Israel the result was that the land will mourn and everyone who dwells there will waste away.  God promised Abraham a specific land and a blessed people; but under the Law, which they agreed to keep, Israel’s disobedience brought lost productivity and removal from the land.

·        4:4-6: Everyone is involved in this sin (lack of knowledge of God) and everyone will be judged, including priests, prophets and even mothers.  Further, God will reject Israel her in her special role as priest for Me; Israel was to be have been as a priest by which the nations could come to God.

·        4:7-10: Israel’s glory refers to her place as God’s special treasure, the one nation of all chosen by God to display His character.  This glory would be turned to shame.  Like people, like priest (v9) refers to the judgment God had proclaimed on the idolatrous priests of the Northern Kingdom (NK; cf. 1 Ki. 13:1-2); as they were destroyed, so the people would be destroyed.  And in the process God would frustrate the plans of the people (v10).

When any people reject the knowledge of God and His law, the result is that they have nothing wherewith to maintain holy lives.  The result will be that we break all restraint.  Is your life characterized by truth and mercy? by discipline?