The Course Leading to Destruction
-- Hosea Twelve --
The path of forsaking God always
leads to sure and certain destruction. Ephraim forsook God, and courted the
alliance of idolatrous nations. Such a path could only lead to destruction. God
had been so good to the man that He named Israel and later to the nation that bore
that name. Yet the nation became dishonest and deceitful. Hosea described in
very understandable terms how unprofitableness Israel had become and desolation that
would attend their choices and actions.
The
children of Israel would lose their possessions are
a result of their rebellion against God. God said, "I that am the LORD thy
God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in
the days of the solemn feast." (Hosea 12:9) God had provided them many opportunities of
instruction and repentance for Israel, yet they refused. He said,
"I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and
used similitudes, by the ministry of the
prophets." (Hosea 12:10) God raised these people from a very humble
beginning to become a strong nation. Divine judgments was about to fall upon Israel.
"Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly: therefore shall he
leave his blood upon him, and his reproach shall his Lord return unto
him." (Hosea 12:14)
God's controversy with Israel and Judah -- Hosea 12:1-4: Israel was wasting her time on that
which had no spiritual substance. It was like feeding on the wind. It was an
"east" wind or a wind off of the desert. It would be a hot, dry,
dusty wind that would have no value but would even do injury. Israel had become so corrupt that deceit
and violence were found everywhere. They made threats with Assyria and took olive oil to Egypt. Observe how evil the people of
the Northern
Kingdom
had become. In addition to His disappointment with Israel God also brought
charges against the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom. They were also
descendants of Jacob or Israel. Punishment would likewise be
brought upon them for what they had done. Israel was wicked and would now pay for
their sins. Judah would face their wrongs too.
We see from this verse how Jacob was
blessed. "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength
he had power with God." (Hosea 12:3) This was in keeping with God's
promises in Genesis 25:23. "And the LORD said unto her, Two
nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy
bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the
elder shall serve the younger." God's power worked in the life of Jacob.
"Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made
supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake
with us." (Hosea 12:4) God promised to bless and be with Jacob. It was
said, "God spoke to us there" and this was in the sense that these
people were in the loins of Jacob at Bethel.
Trust the Lord and return to him
-- Hosea 12:5-6: Hosea wanted to communicate to both Israel and Judah that Jehovah is the same God as
when Jacob so successfully wrestled with Him. He is, was and always be the
same. God's name is the LORD, the LORD God All-Powerful." He was
unchangeable in the way that he had blessed Jacob and his descendants. “Jehovah
has all the power of heaven and earth at His command. He is the LORD God of
hosts. Host means an army, especially the army of heaven. The Lord God Jehovah
is that name that is expressive of the character and of the power of God.
Hosea appealed to the people to
return to God, to patiently trust Him, and to show love and justice. He
appealed to those that wised to be true descendant of Jacob. They had bound
themselves by covenant to God and He had bound Himself to them. They were not
bound to idols and they should abandon them quickly. Imagine the joy that Israel could have had if only they had
returned to the Lord. He is the same God that had blessed Jacob. If they served
Him as Jacob did they would have found Him to be the same merciful and
compassionate God.
Paying for
dishonesty in business -- Hosea 12:7-10: Israel had become
deceitful.
They enjoyed cheating and taking advantage of other people. These dishonest
people would use a heavy weight to buy with and a light weight to sell by. The
people of the land had become deceitful, and it was especially sad that their
leaders were deceitful also. Their gain caused them to say to themselves, "I'm rich! I earned it all on my own,
without committing a sin." Israel was prosperous and as a result
had been very vain and rebellious. The situation described in Deuteronomy 32:15
is very parallel to Israel's situation. "But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou
art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made
him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation."
Even though Israel had rebelled and refused God He
said, "I, the LORD, am still your God, just as I have been since the time
you were in Egypt." God promised to reduce Israel to a miserable state in Assyrian
captivity. He promised, "Now I will force you to live in tents once again,
as you did in the desert." When some returned from captivity they also
found themselves living in tents. Israel was without excuse for their
sinful conduct. God had communicated His message to them in many ways and yet
they still rebelled. God said, "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I
have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the
ministry of the prophets." (Hosea 12:10) They would have no grounds for
complaint when the captivity came.
Israel provoked God to Anger -- Hosea
12:11-14: Gilead was a large area in Palestine known for producing many healing
items but they had become terribly sinful. Now they will end up in ruin. Bulls
were sacrificed to idols in Gilgal on altars made of
stones. There were also idols scattered in every field. What a horrible picture
of the national corruptions of the people of God. Places on each side of the Jordan were known equally know for their
idolatry. Their worship was vain because it was devoted to false gods.
God said, "Jacob fled into the
country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife
he kept sheep." The purpose of this mention was to let Israel know the humble background of the
man from whom they received their name and how God blessed him. The dependence
of the nation of Israel upon God is seen in the words,
"I sent the prophet Moses to lead Israel from Egypt and to keep them safe."
Without God guidance and protection Israel would never have made it to
escape Egypt. He preserved and protected them
in the wilderness. Yet, they provoked the Lord with many acts of rebellion.
Now God would make them pay for their terrible sins and for disobeying and
insulting him. Israel would be
chastised for their iniquity.
It is time for us to seriously
consider God's judgment against the wicked. Will you not receive Christ as your
Lord and Savior this day? To become a Christian you must hear the gospel
(Romans 10:17), believe in Jesus (John 8:24), repent of sins (Acts 17:30), confess Christ as Lord (Acts 8:37), and be baptized in order to be
saved. (1 Peter 3:21) After baptism worship and serve God according to His
truth!