Hosea 8

Sound an alarm verse 1

Set the trumpet to thy mouth

He shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD

BECAUSE they have transgressed MY covenant

and trespassed against MY law

Alarm sounded too late verse 2- 4

Israel shall cry unto ME – My God

we know YOU

Israel has cast off the thing that is good

the enemy shall pursue him

They have set up kings – BUT not by ME

they have made princes – AND I knew it not

of their silver and gold have they made them idols

that they may be cut off

Calf worship unacceptable verse 5- 6

Your calf – O Samaria – has cast thee off

MINE anger is kindled against them

How long will it be ere they attain to innocency?

For from Israel was it also – the workman made it

THEREFORE it is not God

BUT the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces

Israel reaping what it has sown verse 7- 8

FOR they have sown the wind – and they shall reap the whirlwind

it has no stalk

The bid shall yield no meal – if so be it yield

the strangers shall swallow it up

Israel is swallowed up

NOW shall they be among the Gentiles as a vessel

wherein is no pleasure

Israel looked to humans only for help verse 9- 10

FOR they are gone up to Assyria – a wild ass alone by himself

Ephraim hath hired lovers

YEA – though they have hired among the nations

NOW I will gather them

and they shall sorrow a little for the

burden of the king of princes

Ritualistic worship brings death verse 11- 13

BECAUSE Ephraim has made many altars to sin

altars shall be unto him to sin

I have written to him the great things of MY law

BUT they were counted as a strange thing

They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of MINE offerings – and eat it

BUT the LORD accepts them not

NOW will HE remember their iniquity – and visit their sins

they shall return to Egypt

Memory loss fatal verse 14

FOR Israel has forgotten his Maker – and builds temples

and Judah has multiplied fence cities

BUT I will send a fire upon his cities

and it shall devour the palaces thereof

COMMENTARY:

DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers

: 1 Set the trumpet to your mouth. HE shall come as an eagle against the house of the LORD, BECAUSE they have transgressed MY covenant, and trespassed against MY law. (1285 “covenant” [bariyth] means eat together, league, confederacy, alliance, pledge, treaty, constitution, ordinance, or alliance)

DEVOTION: In a marriage we pledge to be faithful to each other. This pledge is supposed to last for a lifetime. We make agreements with car companies that we will make payments for a set amount of months and then we own the car. Our credit cards are agreement between some bank or company that we will make monthly payments to pay off our charges. Life is made up of some sort of statements when we tell someone else or a company that we agree to the terms of our relationship.

In this passage we find that the children of Israel were not agreeing to the terms of the relationship that the LORD made with them in the wilderness. HE stated that if they were faithful to HIM, HE would bless them. The blessings included land, crops, and peace if they obeyed HIS commands. These commands were not followed from the start of the children of Israel entering the land until the present moment in their history. They wanted the LORD to continue to be longsuffering with them and let them do what they wanted when they wanted. They expected the blessings without the work.

In an agreement both parties have to do their part. It can never be just one sided. God wanted to do HIS part but they kept sinning against HIS commandments. They were breaking the agreement that was made in the wilderness and the promise they made to Moses, Joshua and many of the prophets that they would be faithful to the LORD.

Today the LORD has made a promise or covenant with the church. It is called a NEW covenant that says basically the same thing but with belief in Jesus Christ at the center of the agreement. We are to promise to obey the commands that Jesus set for those who want to be HIS disciples. If we are obedient HE will bless us. There is promised that there will be times of suffering even with obedience but HE will never leave us alone to face these times.

We have not kept our part of the agreement by obeying HIS command regarding reaching our world for the LORD. We have been sidetracked by other issues. Salvation has to be our main message. Along with salvation is a commitment to growth in the LORD. Just saying a prayer or walking to the front in a church or other place doesn’t make a commitment or agreement. It only makes a commitment or agreement when we follow up our prayer or walk with obedience in our life.

Too many people claim Christianity without growth. At the time of judgment they might find the LORD saying to them “I never knew you.” Don’t let that happen to you.

CHALLENGE: Lead an examined life by going to the LORD regularly with all your heart and asking HIM how you are doing and wait for HIS answer. Remember HE will keep HIS promise.

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:2 Israel shall cry to me, MY God, we know you. (2199 “cry” [za ‘aq] means cry out, assemble, called, gathered together, call for help, summon, raise a battle cry, or to utter aloud a request for help with intensity.)

DEVOTION: There is a tendency in all believers who find themselves in a bad situation to call on God for help. This is the way it should be. We should be able to depend on the LORD to help us through every situation. HE promises to never leave us or forsake us. HE sees everything and can send help immediately.

There is a problem with the people crying out to the LORD in this verse. They are part of a nation that the LORD wants to bless but they are not obeying the commands of the LORD. They were not honoring the LORD in any way but they expected HIM to get them out of any jam they got themselves into. They were wrong.

God only helps believers who are repentant of their sin. This group was not repentant. They just wanted help have their problems go away. That is not how God does things.

There is a second problem. What if these people were people who didn’t really have a relationship with the LORD? They were part of the chosen people but they were disobedient. Some people believe that they are part of the chosen people because they went forward in church or something but their life never changed.

If we want help from the LORD we have to have a relationship with HIM before we pray. HE doesn’t hear the prayers of those who don’t have a working relationship with HIM until they confess their sin and change direction. Has your lifestyle changed since becoming a believer? Do people in school see a difference or are we the same? Are we living an obedient life? If your parents/boss tells you to do something or not do something what do you do? Is your reaction good? Saying NO or saying yes, but not doing it is wrong in the sight of the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Obedience to parents or employers is a sign of obedience of the LORD.

DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers

^:12I have written to him the great things of MY law, but they were counted a strange thing. (2803 “counted” [chashab] means to weave, to respect, to hold in high regard, to assume, impute, reckon, to be deemed or reckoned to be, or to be considered.)

DEVOTION: God does HIS part by giving proper instructions to HIS people. HE covers any topic in HIS law that is important to living a proper obedient life by HIS standard. HE wrote it in the language of the Hebrew people. HE gave them a group of men to instruct all of them in how to live their life according to these standards. HE had each parent receive instructions regarding how to raise their children properly in HIS sight.

The children of Israel at that time thought that HIS laws were in a foreign language. They didn’t want to obey laws that restricted their freedom. The worship of foreign gods was better in their eyes.

So when they looked at the laws of the LORD they were blind. This happens even today in many eyes of those who claim Christ. The New Testament gives us the guidelines for our life. But when they are preached faithfully people walk out of church and forget them because obedience is foreign to many who claim Christ. There is the thought that they can pick and choose which standard they can follow.

We need to learn the standard of the LORD and obey it. Then we need to teach the next generation what we have learned. It should never be foreign to genuine believers. It will always be foreign to those who are just fans of the LORD.

CHALLENGE: Many church members are just fans and not true followers of the LORD. Don’t just be a fan or religious!!

DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers

: 14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and builds temples; and Judah has multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. (6213 “Maker” [‘asah] means to do, fashion, accomplish, produce, to act, or to put in order.)

DEVOTION: The LORD wants the children of Israel to sound the alarm. The enemy is at the door of their cities. They have set up calf worship. They will not destroy the golden calves. They have set up leaders that don’t honor HIM. Even with the calves they claim that they are innocent before the LORD. When they think that there is an enemy coming they hire other nations to defend them instead of turning to the LORD for help. The LORD because of their false worship does not accept them.

The LORD is the creator of the universe. HE created the world in six twenty-four hour days. HE still controls the universe. Israel and Judah had forgotten that fact. They thought that HE was powerless against them. They build fenced cities to protect them. They build false temples to worship in. They thought that HE would accept anything they wanted to do to worship HIM. They were WRONG!!! HE was going to send fire upon their cities. This fire of was going to destroy them.

HE has a plan for our lives. HE had a plan for the children of Israel. HE gave them laws to follow. HE gave them promises. They chose to worship false gods. They chose to depend on their fenced cities. They chose to call on other nations to defend them. They made wrong choices. The choices would come back to cause them problems.

Did God know they were going to make wrong choices? YES!! Was HE still in control? YES!! Was HE still working HIS plan for the children of Israel? YES!! Is HE still working HIS plan for our lives? YES!!

HE is the ONE who put the universe in order. Is it hard for HIM to put our lives in order? NO!! Should we depend on HIM? YES!! Are we depending on HIM or in our own fenced cities or our own defenses?

Only we can answer this question. We have a choice to make each day. It is a choice of either depending on HIM or depending on someone or something else. Make the right choice today.

CHALLENGE: If we genuinely believe HE is God our life will fall into place with HIS commands. Too many really don’t believe HE exists even though they are in church each Sunday. Their actions speak louder than words.

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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:

BODY

Chastity (Purity in living)

Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)

Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)

Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)

Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)

SOUL

Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)

Frugality (wise use of resources)

Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)

Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)

Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)

SPIRIT

Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)

Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)

Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)

Israel going to cry out verse 2

Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)

Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)

House of the LORD verse 1

Offerings verse 13

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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:

Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)

Covenant verse 1

Law verse 1, 12

God the Father (First person of the Godhead)

LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 13

House of the LORD verse 1

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2, 6

Anger of the LORD verse 5

Maker verse 14

God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)

God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)

Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)

God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 2, 6

Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)

Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)

Enemy verse 3

Strangers verse 7

Gentiles verse 8

Assyria verse 9

Nations verse 10

Egypt verse 13

Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)

Transgressed verse 1

Trespassed verse 1

Idols verse 4

Calf worship verse 5, 6

Ere verse 5

Hired lovers verse 9

Altars of sin verse 11

Disobedient to Law verse 12

False sacrifices verse 13

Iniquity verse 13

Sins verse 13

Forgotten his Maker verse 14

Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)

Covenant verse 1

Know the LORD verse 2

Good verse 3

Innocence verse 5

Israel (Old Testament people of God)

Israel verse 2, 3, 6, 8, 14

Bad kings verse 4

Samaria verse 5, 6

Ephraim verse 9, 11

Judah verse 14

Church (New Testament people of God)

Last Things (Future Events)

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QUOTES regarding passage

Verse 2 might be better translated, “They cry out to me, ‘My God!’ (and) ‘We know you!’ (and) ‘Israel!’ ” That is, “My God!” and “We know you!” and “Israel!” are three fragments of the liturgical prayers offered at the shrines. The outcry “Israel” refers to their confidence that they were the people of the covenant and therefore the special recipients of his favor (cp. John 8:39). This confidence was misplaced, of course, as were their claims to know Yahweh. In the texts that follow, Yahweh and Hosea will demonstrate that the people did not know Yahweh or have him as their God and that they embodied the worst, not the best, of what it meant to be Israelites. (Garrett, D. A. (1997). Hosea, Joel (Vol. 19A, p. 181). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)

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8:2–3. Israel made a pretense of devotion to the Lord, addressing Him as her own God and claiming to acknowledge His authority over her. This profession, however, was mere lip service (cf. 4:1, 6; 5:4). Her sinful actions spoke louder than her words. In reality she had rejected what was good (the Lord’s moral and ethical requirements; cf. Amos 5:14–15; Micah 6:8). Consequently an enemy would soon pursue her. The swift retreat pictured here fulfills another covenant curse (cf. Deut. 28:45). (Chisholm, R. B., Jr. (1985). Hosea. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1396). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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The eagle (Hosea 8:1–6). “The house of the Lord” refers to the nation of Israel, for the people were God’s dwelling-place (9:15; Ex. 15:17; Num. 12:7). The Assyrian eagle was about to swoop down and destroy God’s house because the nation was given over to idolatry, and the leaders were not seeking God’s will in their decisions. They made kings and removed kings to satisfy their own desires, and they manufactured gods (especially the golden calves at Bethel and Dan) that could not help them. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be amazed (p. 31). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)

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GOD seems almost to exhaust figurative language in describing the unhappy condition of His deluded people, their hearts set on wandering from Him who was their only real good. We have already contemplated them in their wretchedly fallen estate, under the expressive symbols of an adulterous wife, a wine-inflamed drunkard, a backsliding heifer, troops of robbers, a leavened mass, a cake not turned, a silly dove, and a deceitful bow. Now they are warned that because of their sins they shall be scattered among the nations as “a vessel wherein is no pleasure.”

This was the logical result of the covenant at Sinai, where they pledged themselves to obey all the words of the law, which promised blessing to all who kept it, but invoked a curse upon the violators of its precepts. According to this chapter, Israel had broken it at every point. Therefore, on that ground, they had nothing to claim. That God had wondrous resources of grace, yet to be manifested, the final chapter makes abundantly plain; but they would only come into the good of it when they owned their sin and gave up all pretension to merit.

The prophet, as it were, sounds the trumpet to summon the whole congregation into the presence of the Lord, that they may face the reality of their condition as a people who have transgressed the covenant and trespassed against the law (ver. 1).

In the second verse, we might understand a hint of future restoration: “Israel shall cry unto Me, My God, we know Thee.” But it seems rather to imply their unconsciousness of their true state at that time, and during the years of their wanderings while under God’s hand. With amazing effrontery, they cry, “My God, we, Israel, know Thee,” as the R. V. puts it; while all the time they go on in their folly, having cast off the thing that is good, and so are driven before their enemies. They set up kings after their own heart, and make princes without asking Jehovah’s counsel. Idolatry too is everywhere flourishing, and the temple service but a mockery (vers. 3, 4). Thus do they profess that they know God, but in works deny Him. How easy it is, alas, to fall into the truly lamentable state of soul here depicted! How many today talk of being the people of the Lord, or being “in the line of the testimony” (to use a vainglorious phrase popular in certain quarters), while all the time condoning unrighteousness and walking in disobedience to the Word of God. In His time our Lord had to say: “The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not after their works: for they say, and do not”—they could preach to others fairly well according to the Law, but their practice was the true indicator of their soul’s condition—and how far from God! It should ever be remembered that while it is of prime importance to be in a right position as to ecclesiastical and other lines of truth, a merely correct position is a poor thing if there be not likewise a right condition of soul. Neither can be neglected without loss; but nothing can be worse than to be priding oneself on “maintaining divine ground,” and going on “in the line of the testimony,” while the life is defiled and the heart is insubject to the truth. (Ironside, H. A. (1909). Notes on the Minor Prophets. (pp. 61–63). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)

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Ver. 2. Israel shall cry unto me, my God, we know thee.] In their distress they shall cry to the Lord to help them, and have mercy on them, as they used to do when in trouble, Isa. 26:16. when the eagle is come upon them, and just ready to devour them; when Samaria is besieged with the Assyrian army, their king taken prisoner, and they just ready to fall into the hands of the enemy, then they shall cry to God, though in a hypocritical manner; own him to be the true God, and claim their interest in him, and pretend knowledge of him, and acquaintance with him; though they have not served and worshipped him, but idols, and that for hundreds of years; like others who profess to know God, but in works deny him, Tit. 1:16. Israel is the last word in the verse, and occasions different versions: they shall cry unto me: these transgressors of the covenant and the law, these hypocrites, shall pray to God in trouble, saying, my God, we Israel, or Israelites, know thee; or, we know thee who are Israel; and to this sense is the Targum, “in every time that distress comes upon them, they pray before me, and say, now we know that we have no God besides thee; redeem us, for we are thy people Israel;” why may they not be rendered thus, they shall cry unto me; my God, we know thee, Israel shall say? Castalio renders them to this sense, my God, say they; but we know thee, Israel; we, the three Persons in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit, we know thy hypocrisy and wickedness, that it is only outwardly and hypocritically, and not sincerely, that thou criest unto and callest upon God. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, pp. 415–416). London: Mathews and Leigh.)

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The second ironic charge, in v. 12, is especially incriminating. Yahweh had given the nation an abundance of principles and regulations regarding every aspect of life, including sacrifices, feasts, religious practices, diet, military and political life, and the family. The priests had so little respect for the Torah, however, and the people were so poorly taught (cf. 4:6) that some regarded the Torah as the religious laws of some foreign land! The principles of Baal had been accepted as orthodox and indeed as the genuine expression of the Israelite faith. For modern readers the lesson is that we need to beware of how easy it is to substitute culture and prevalent opinions for true Christianity. It is possible to regard true examples of Christian spirituality as alien. (D.A. Garrett)

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FROM MY READING:

Nehemiah 1
Nehemiah weeps as he learns of Jerusalem’s deterioration.
INSIGHT

One of the essential characteristics of leadership is that the leader feels the full weight of the plight of certain people and assumes responsibility for their condition. Many people knew of Jerusalem’s condition, but few felt the impact and had the vision for response. Nehemiah did and God used him in a mighty way. What in life “hits” you? What situations cause you to feel the impact of the plight of others, and for what situations do you have a vision for response? It might be as large as a nation or as small as a church nursery. But if you feel it and have a vision for it, chances are God would like to use you there. (Quiet Walk)

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A TOTALITARIAN DEMAND

Taste and see that the LORD is good.Psalm 34:8

Christianity is a way of life. And it is a way of life that demands a total commitment; it is, if you like, a totalitarian demand. It does not merely ask that we consider it and say, “Oh yes, I can take on that teaching; that’s a good emphasis there, I’ll add that!” No; it is not something to be applied as we think and when and where. Jesus says, “Seek ye first.” In other words, let me put it like this: Men and women will never know the truth of Christianity or the blessings that it can give until they have given themselves to it. You can examine Christianity from the outside, but you will never know it, you will never get it. “If any man will do his will,” says our Lord, “he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God” (John 7:17).

Here is a great fundamental principle about this way of life: “Taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8). You will never know that the Lord is good until you have tasted Him, until you have tried Him. So many of us are like a man standing in an orchard, and there he looks at an apple tree or a pear tree, and he examines it at a distance. Somebody says, “You know, that has a most wonderful flavor. If only you would try it, you would say that it is the most wonderful fruit you’ve ever tasted in your life.” But the man looks on, and he is not quite satisfied; he is not convinced, and he can argue and stay there for as long as he likes, but he will never know the fruit until he takes it and puts it in his mouth and bites it and proves it. “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”

A theoretical examination of Christianity will never bring us anywhere. Our Lord always calls for a committal.

A Thought to Ponder: Christianity is a way of life that demands a total commitment. (From The Kingdom of God, pp. 31-32, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)

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Kingdom of Priests

“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:6)
These were the words of God to Israel, even before they received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. As a priest serves as an intermediary between God and men, so this “kingdom of priests” had been called by God to bring God’s Word to man. As a holy nation with such a high calling, its people also should have been holy (that is, consecrated to God) in life and witness. But instead, after almost 2,000 years, God had to lament: “All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people” (Romans 10:21).
A day will come when “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26), but God has, in the meantime, chosen a new people, in whom “there is neither Jew nor Greek . . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). We are now “one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:5).
We now have been given the same high privileges long ago given to Israel. We who belong to Christ have been “born again” into the “kingdom of God” (John 3:3), and this is nothing less than a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. Peter said: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
Not only are we a holy priesthood, we are a royal priesthood, a kingdom of priest-kings. “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (v. 9). We, indeed, have a high calling, and should devote our lives to showing forth His praises, for He “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; unto him be glory and dominion for ever and ever” (Revelation 1:6).

(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)

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To summarize, full reconciliation is present only where there is forgiveness, trust, and respect. If any one of these is lacking, it is difficult to move ahead in a meaningful relationship. (p. 155)

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Lie number one: “God doesn’t care about my pain.” Those who believe this lie tell themselves, If God cared He would have judged the person who has wounded me; instead, HE has postponed HIS justice for some elusive date. I won’t wait for that. (p. 156)

Lie number two: “If I’m hurting, I’m justified in making everyone around me equally miserable.” How sad is this deception. The idea is that if you’re hurting , everyone else must hurt too. It’s the law of misery loving company – but rather, it’s misery demanding company. (p. 157)

We must recognize these lies and reject each one as a falsehood hindering our ability to forgive an offense. When reconciliation fails, we must recall the one overarching truth: We must forgive the offender. (p.157)

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When you forgive you do not minimize the hurt, the pain, or the evil. What you do is release it into the Lord’s capable and loving hands. As we noted in the previous chapter, He is the perfect judge and ultimate keeper of justice. (p. 158)

(WHEN YOUR’VE BEEN WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer)

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