Hosea 4:1-19 A Bone to Pick
God is angry with Israel’s behavior. He has ‘a bone to pick’ with them. The more they increase, the worse they get. It WON’T stand!
The Northern Kingdom of Israel walked away from God when they split the nation in two. They walked so far away that Jeroboam made them their ‘own gods’ of gold. They started worshiping the two golden calves Jeroboam installed. He told the people, “Here are your gods that brought you out of Egypt.” And they NEVER came back to Him as a people.
There were those among the people who were righteous. Hosea was one of them. But, on the whole, Israel had walked away from God. Even the knowledge of God had eked out of the land. So long without Him that they forgot about Him. And, it’s not for the lack of knowledge available but the refusal to listen to it. They want things their way instead. “There is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed” (verse 2). Their acts even pollute the land and animals around them. God has had ENOUGH.
Not even the priests of Israel were calling the people back. They condoned and ratified anything the people, or the king, wanted. “Like people, like priest” (verse 9a) when it should be “like priest, like people” when the priests are following God. God promises to punish ALL Israel, from the top down.
“They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the Lord” (verse 10a). They chase after sex, food, and drink instead of God. God will put a stop to their ‘increase’ in these areas.
THEN they go to their false gods and ask for protection or to restore the increase God took. “My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles” (verse 12a). I can almost hear the contempt in God’s tone as He says this. How could they EVER think these pieces of wood could replace The Living God? How could they be so stupid to exchange One for the other?!
I find it interesting that God says He would not punish the “daughters when they play the whore, o=nor your brides when they commit adultery” (verse 14a). Instead, He will punish the MEN who lead the households and commit vile acts themselves.
God tells Israel to keep their ways to THEMSELVES and NOT pollute their sister, Judah. Don’t even go to Beth-aven or Gilgal or swear by the Lord’s name. Keep your idolatrous ways to yourselves!
God says they “will be ashamed because of their sacrifices” (verse 19b). In other words, when He gets done with them, they will KNOW they have done wrong and be ashamed of their past behavior. They will repent and ask to start again. But NOT YET. They still have farther down to fall before they finally turns their eyes to Him.
When I was looking at the description of how Israel was living, I couldn’t help but compare it to how our world is today; my nation included. We are FULL of liars; many of whom we call our leaders. There is swearing; even from the young! Mouths that would once be washed with soap spew speech that would make a sailor blush! There is stealing everywhere, and some of it is even sanctioned; extreme inflation or “shrink-flation” as it is now called (paying the same or higher price for less product). Murder rates had declined for some time but is now on the rise again. Calling good evil and evil good is RAMPANT! Anyone watching what is going on around the world, especially the United States of America, can see that. Don’t even get me started on “adultery.” ‘Open marriages’, same sex marriage, divorce rates, domestic partnership,… How much farther away can our “contending with God” be? We may have ‘man’s knowledge’ but we have LITTLE understanding of the truth. For a ‘smart society’ we are VERY DUMB!
Father God, how much longer? As a nation and a people, we are SO FAR from where we should be. I know I’ve been in that same ‘ball park’ a few times. THANK YOU for Your grace, mercy and forgiveness! Keep me searching for YOUR paths and YOUR knowledge Father God. Don’t let me go out ‘discovering’ on my own.
