B28-devotions

Hosea 10:9-15

Devotions for Saturday 27th February

As we read the Old Testament prophets, it is obvious that they speak about God’s judgement on the sins of God’s people. Indeed, this is what most people remember about the prophets. Certainly, the majority of Hosea’s prophecies are about God’s decision to act to end the sin and injustice found within the northern Kingdom of Israel in the eighth century BC, and we have dealt constantly with this theme throughout Hosea.

The warnings continue in this passage, and verses 9 and 10 notify Israel that God will punish her sins through war. Israel is to be punished for her ‘double sin’ (10:10), which Hosea links with Gibeah, as he has before (see 5:8, 9:9 and Judges 19,20). But what does Hosea mean by a double sin? Hosea equates Israel’s first national sin with the awful deed committed by Benjaminites in Gibeah, who murdered the Levite’s concubine in an orgy of lust (Judges 19,20). The second sin was Israel’s consequent lust for idolatry and sexual sin, to which Hosea constantly referred (see 2:2-9, 4:13f. etc.). There are many references to ‘double sin’ in Scripture (see Isaiah 40:2, 61:7, Jeremiah 17:18 etc.), and if we understand this here, we will understand it better elsewhere.

Verses 13 to 15 help us perceive the dynamic of Israel’s sin. Hosea uses an agricultural picture of ploughing and reaping to illustrate the on-going nature of sin, and the graphic word picture ‘eating the fruit of lies’ (10:13) to illustrate its consuming nature. However, Hosea’s most chilling warning is that because Israel has persistently chosen to trust her own judgement and her military strength (10:13), the destruction God will bring on her will be all the more terrible. He cites the example of a spine-chilling massacre of innocents at Beth-Arbel (10:14), something we know nothing about from the rest of Scripture, which was clearly a ‘news item’ of the day.

Yet Hosea says so much more. We should not ignore the importance of this message, both for the people of Hosea’s day and for those of God’s people who continue to sin today, but interlaced with this message is something very important. Hosea says that if God’s people would indeed choose Him, then He wants to work with them to produce ‘the fruit of covenant love’ (10:12) within the world.

Now Hosea, just like any other Israelite, was brought up knowing that God had chosen Israel and blessed them through Abraham and the forefathers. He knew that nation’s purpose was to give glory to God in worship, and be obedient to Him by keeping His laws. This is well evidenced in Scripture within the book of Exodus (and others, e.g. Leviticus and Deuteronomy). Before the time of the prophets, however, Scriptures says little about God’s long term plan for Israel beyond worship and obedience. Hosea was one of the first Israelites (together with others such as Jonah, Amos and Isaiah) to receive God’s revelation that He was working on a long term plan requiring His people to make choices and do some work.

If you read verses 11 and 12, this new revelation becomes clearer. Hosea’s prophecy does not speak about Israel as like a cow put out to pasture, rather, Israel was an energetic ‘trained heifer’ with work to do (10:11). We are so used to the work ethic of our day that we do not necessarily notice the significance of this prophecy. To the probable astonishment of the people of the day, Hosea prophesied that Israel needed to choose to seek their God, and also to sow ‘righteousness’ and produce the ‘fruit of covenant love’ when blessed by the ‘rain’ of God’s ‘righteousness’ (10:12). In this way, God’s people had a task to do to show God to an unbelieving world!

So much follows on from this prophecy. Previous passages of the Old Testament show hints of it, but this is an important part of the spiritual journey of God’s people. In decades to come, Isaiah would be given prophecies saying that God would send a ‘servant’ to complete God’s work on earth, and do what Israel could not. When we read this passage, verses 11 and 12 sound like a forlorn hope in the midst of Israel’s sea of sin; but God does not waste anything. They speak of much to come.

Go to - discipleship

9 Since the days of Gibeah

you have sinned, O Israel!

There they stand.

will not war against the unrighteous

reach as far as Gibeah?

10 I will come to punish them;

nations shall be gathered against them

when I bind them for their double sin.

11 Ephraim is a trained heifer

that loves to thresh,

But I will break her in;

I will make Ephraim work;

Judah must plough;

Jacob must harrow for him.

12 Sow righteousness for yourselves,

reap the fruit of covenant love;

break up your fallow ground;

for it is time to seek the Lord,

so that He might come

and rain righteousness on you.

13 You have ploughed wickedness,

you have reaped injustice,

you have eaten the fruit of lies.

For you have trusted in your own ways

and in plenty of warriors,

14 A battle-cry will rise against your people,

and all your fortresses will be destroyed,

as Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel in battle

and massacred mothers and children

15 This is what will happen to you, Bethel,

because of your great wickedness.

At dawn the king of Israel

will be totally destroyed.

You, Lord God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, make my life possible;

You, Lord Jesus Christ, are the One who gives me my salvation;

You, Almighty Father, are the One who has given light to my life;

You, Holy Spirit, are the One who enables me to reach my potential;

You are always alive and active in my life, and I give You all my praise!

Prayer ideas

Plan to do something different from usual today, however small, and see what God will do with this

On-going prayers

Pray for those who are growing old Pray for those who are dying and pray that they will be cared for properly and with dignity
Pray about food distribution, and pray for those who starve
Give thanks to God for the evidence of His love in the world

Breathe on us, Holy Spirit; breathe.

May we feel the breeze that comes from heaven,

And breathe more deeply of the things of God.

May we accept the unconditional love of Christ,

Which sweeps away our troubles and our fears.

May we rejoice in the challenge of the Spirit’s power,

By which the impossible is done within our world.

May we fully accept those unrestrained gifts of God,

Which guarantee our faith, and enable ministry.

May we be comforted by the Holy Spirit’s presence,

God’s generous strength to help and touch to heal.

May we wonder at the mystery of His graciousness

With joy unbound at all he promises ahead.

Breathe on us, Holy Spirit; breathe.

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