Hosea 5:1-15 Punishment
God is calling to the whole nation, especially the leaders. Punishment is coming for both Israel and Judah.
Solomon brought idolatry back into Israel after his father David wiped it out. When the kingdom split, Jeroboam brought idolatry even deeper into the midst of the nation. This idolatry was NOT a ‘bottom up’ movement but a ‘top down’ one. From the very seat of the king, idolatry spread throughout Israel and also to Judah. God was NOT going to let the leadership skate on their responsibility for leading the people astray.
But the leadership alone would NOT be where judgment and punishment ended. The whole house of Israel would pay for their sins. Things are SO BAD in Israel that God is withdrawing from them. They have come to the place where they don’t even know God anymore.
Israel has attributed all their ‘success’ and ‘prosperity’ to other gods. They have gone to the depths of child sacrifice to please their gods. They have fallen (stumbled) so hard that their ‘wounds’ are incurable. They are a gangrene infection. It can’t be treated. It has to be completely cut out for the body to survive.
Judah is not guilt free either. God says “The princes of Judah have become like those who move the landmarks” (verse 10a). They are trying to profit from another’s misfortune; to take what is not theirs from those who cannot defend themselves. I’m not sure if this means the kingdom of Judah trying to take what has been lost by Israel or the princes taking from the common people. BOTH are WRONG in God’s eyes. God assigned the portions. It is not for men to move them!
Several of the princes (kings) of Judah turn away from God and to idols. They learned well from their ‘brothers’ this sin. Judah was still closer to God than Israel was. But their turning away won’t go unpunished. God “will pour out My wrath like water” (verse 10b) on Judah.
Israel sought help in their well-earned time of trouble from other nations. They didn’t turn to God at all. God will NOT allow them to be rescued by ANY hand but His own. Assyria will tear them down instead of save them.
I am curious as to why the difference between Israel and Judah and the ‘age’ of the lion. I can see Israel being attacked by a full-grown lion that rips and tears his prey. But why the young lion for Judah? The young lion is practicing his skill as a hunter. He does not have the power that the adult lion does. Thinking about this and looking at history, one sees that the northern tribes of Israel are ‘lost’; absorbed into the countries that took them prisoner. The people of Judah returned to rebuild. They young lion didn’t devour but injured them.
God had finally had it. He stopped calling out to Israel and Judah to come back to Him. He had them removed from HIS place and taken elsewhere; not in today’s story but eventually. And then He waited. He waited in HIS place for them to come back. He waited on HIS side of the line of sin for them to cross back over. He waited for them to fall on their knees and seek Him instead of Him always seeking them. We don’t see the northern kingdom of Israel ever actually doing this. Judah did and God welcomed them on their return.
God says that in the last days there will be 144,000 from EACH tribe of Israel that come to Him. Man may have lost track of the northern tribes but God hasn’t. He knows the number of hairs on EACH person’s head; SURELY, He knows their lineage too!
God calls out to ALL of us to come back when we start to wander. The longer we wander the louder and sterner His voice becomes. Until the point where He stops calling and picks us the stick. YOU DON’T WANT THE STICK! So, listen early and often!!! This is the same message for me! Also, when we DO listen early and often, we don’t wander far. We don’t usually sit still, but we remain within ‘our play yard’ where we can see Him well.
Father God, help me stay within my ‘play yard’. I NEVER want to wander away from you. Whenever I get moving too close to the lines, bring me back. I just want to be where You are!
