Study notes
the LORD has a case against the people of the land: Hosea delivered a divine accusation against Israel for breaking their agreement with the Lord (see also Isaiah 3:13; Micah 6:2).
The accusations first highlight sins of omission, the qualities that should define the people of Israel but were missing. In Israel, there is no faithfulness, no kindness, and no knowledge of God. These important words describe the inner trust and devotion from which godly lives should arise.
This collection of Hosea’s prophecies is mostly in the order in which he made them. The prophecies began early in his ministry when Jeroboam II's was king. They ended just before Israel's destruction in 722 BC.
Hosea shares God's accusations against Israel, warns them of severe consequences for their sins, and ends with a promise of future restoration.
The people and leaders of the northern kingdom hadn’t loved God. They hadn’t shown faithfulness to him. The way that God explained this was like bringing charges against them in court. God accused them of not being faithful to the Mount Sinai covenant.
The people and leaders of the northern kingdom didn’t honour God as God. They stole and told lies. They committed murder and adultery. These things went against the Ten Commandments. The ways that God’s people acted brought harm to the land and animals around them. This showed that they weren’t being rulers of God’s creation like they should be.
They burnt incense to false gods on high places. They killed human beings and sacrificed them to false gods. This showed that God’s people didn’t recognise who God is. They didn’t recognise how he wanted to be worshipped.
The priests didn’t lead the people in following the Law of Moses. Many prophets didn’t speak the truth to the people. God’s people made fun of prophets who did speak the truth. The kings and princes didn’t follow God’s rules for kings recorded in Deuteronomy 17:14–20. They depended on the strength of their large armies and the armies of other nations. They trusted nations like Egypt and Assyria to save them when they were attacked. They didn’t cry out to God when they needed help.
Because of all of these things, God had made a decision. He would no longer keep the covenant curses from coming upon them. He would allow the northern kingdom to be destroyed by the armies of Assyria. The people and leaders of the northern kingdom would suffer terribly. Many would be killed and many would be forced to leave their land. They would be forced to live in Assyria and other nations. This was the exile of the northern kingdom.
God was very sad about this decision. He didn’t want it to happen. He wanted to bless and heal his people and give them success. But he could only do that if they changed their ways and did what was right and fair. He could do it if they recognised that he is God. He could do it if they asked him to forgive them. That was why God sent them messages through Hosea. God understood that his people refused to turn back to him. They refused to repent of their sin with their whole heart. But God’s heart was full of kindness, pity and mercy towards them. He described himself as Israel’s father. God was gentle and tender towards his son. He didn’t want his son to be destroyed.
God promised something for after the time of judgement. He promised to bring his people back from exile. Then they would follow God faithfully and he would love them freely.
The prophet also accused the Israelites of committing sins. These crimes are all forbidden in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3–17; Deuteronomy 5:7–21), which are the basic covenant responsibilities. Since the Israelites did not know the Lord, they failed to follow even the simplest covenant standards.
God's judgment will always come to sinful people. Because the Israelites sinned, their land and nature would suffer.
When accused of a crime, people often blame others. However, God made it clear that Israel’s apostasy was the fault of its religious leaders, priests, and false prophets.
God’s judgment on the priests and prophets was that they would stumble and fall, both in their work and in their personal lives. (The same Hebrew word is used for both kinds of stumbling.)
Since the priests refused to know the Lord, the people also did not know their God. As a result, the people were being destroyed.
A main role of the priests of Israel was to know, practice, and teach the laws of God. Ironically, these guardians of the law had forgotten it.
The people copied the bad behavior of their religious leaders. As a result, God would punish both the priests and the people for their wrong actions.
God's judgment fits the punishment to the crime. The Israelites worshiped Canaanite fertility gods, hoping for abundant crops and herds. However, God's judgment was that they would remain hungry, and their religious practices would bring them no benefits.
My people consult their wooden idols: For thousands of years, people have worshiped natural objects like wood and stones, thinking they held spirits and gods (Jeremiah 2:27). Biblical religion completely rejects these practices and beliefs (Exodus 20:4–5; Isaiah 44:19).
Many Canaanite religious rituals took place on mountaintops and hills. On these pagan "high places," sacred trees were often used in fertility worship (1 Kings 14:23; Jeremiah 2:20).
Israelite daughters and brides also engaged in sexual acts during the worship of Baal; their fathers and husbands possibly forced them to participate.
God stated that he would not target young women for their prostitution. This statement contrasts with the double standards common in ancient cultures.
prostitutes: The Hebrew word refers to female prostitutes dedicated to serving Baal and Asherah in Baal's temples (Deuteronomy 23:18).
Verse notes: Adapted by Mission Mutual (Aquifer Open Study Notes) from Tyndale Open Study Notes © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. CC BY-SA 4.0. Section notes: Biblica Study Notes © 2023 Biblica, Inc. CC BY-SA 4.0, via BibleAquifer. About the sources