Hosea 9:1-10:15 Rejoice Not!
This is one of the saddest sections I have ever read. “Rejoice Not” calls God to His people who have disappointed Him BEYOND measure. From love to hate.
What does it take to make God HATE? Yes. God uses the word “hate” when He is talking about Israel. It takes A LOT to drive Him to this place. From the very beginning, Israel was stubborn and rebellious. There were times of GREAT JOY when the were following the Lord. Since the split in the kingdom, there has been nothing but evil and chasing after other gods; especially the one made for them by Jeroboam.
God had called to Israel through His prophets for CENTURIES and they refused to listen. He held up His end of the covenant, yet they attributed His gifts to others. He kept them in safety, even when they sought help from others. God’s heart can only take so much. “Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels” (verse 9:15).
What does it take to make God hate? It takes A LOT!
Israel made it to that place. The place where God was SO ANGRY that He would remove ALL His protection and gifts. The place where He would even remove their joy; remove their children. God said that He would not only make it impossible for them to have children but take the ones they had from them. “Ephriam’s glory shall fly away like a bird – no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left” (verse 9:12-13a). “Give them, O Lord – what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts” (verse 9:14). “Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death” (verse 9:16). THAT is HEARTBREAKING! THAT is an ANGRY God!!!
With this world of ‘disposable children’ one might wonder if this is such a terrible punishment. But, from a mother who has miscarried, it is DEVESTATING. My heart broke when my child departed by body because of death. The emptiness was profound. Praise God, my pain was replaced by joy with more children. Though I will NEVER forget the life that was lost.
Not only does losing your children at ANY age bring grief, it also brings about the end of a future. A nation that has no children is a dying nation. A church that has no children is a dying church. With no more young lives, the old ones eventually die and the people are no more. I’m wondering how much of this very thing happened with the ‘lost tribes of Israel’.
This SEVERE punishment was a LAST RESORT. God did not get to this place overnight or lightly. Israel was rebelling against God from the beginning. God’s love, His protection, His gifts, and His mercy were not enough for the people. They chased after other gods and threw it in God’s face. They built alters and raised pillars to other gods all over the land God had given them. Even these, though, would be destroyed! The very calf that Jeroboam raised up for them would be carried away for spoils.
Empty words and broken promises were not enough to prevent this judgment. “When I please, I will discipline them. And nations shall be gathered against them when they are bound up for their double iniquity” (verse 10:10).
As heart rending as this section is, there is still hope to come. We will see that hope the next time. Right now, I want to stay with the weight of what it took to make God hate.
Father God, my heart breaks at the depth of hate that was hammered into You with every sin piled up. I honestly can’t imagine You THAT angry. I KNOW You were driven to that place. I suppose it was a lot like the day I was furious with my middle son. THANK YOU FATHER that You didn’t STAY that way! THANK YOU FATHER that You brought me back from that place too!!!
I have a question. If Jesus’ death would have been ONLY for Israel, would He still have laid down His life? With as ANGRY as they made God, and the fact that they REFUSED to accept Jesus as their Messiah, would Jesus have said, “NOT for THESE people!”? As a mother, I think Jesus would still have come. That is what “unconditional love” is all about.
