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News From Israel MagazineHosea 5:15
“I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5:15).
When we read the book of Hosea, or any of the other prophets, we quickly notice the unpleasant task each was responsible for among the people of Israel. It’s not surprising that many of them were mistreated, imprisoned, and even killed, because the judgments they proclaimed were not visibly manifested at the moment.
Doubtless, Israel considered itself specially blessed, after all, they were God’s chosen people, they were familiar with such Scriptures as Deuteronomy 14:2: “For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Therefore, when the prophets pronounced severe judgment upon them, the people did not believe, for they had all the proof they needed to believe that they were blessed.
Let’s look at an example in the New Testament. Here is the testimony of the very prosperous and blessed church: “I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing” (Revelation 3:17). I believe the same could be said about most of today’s churches. We drive to church in our climate-controlled vehicles. Our church buildings are technologically well equipped to provide state-of-the-art comfort for all ages. Biblical instruction is provided for all people. Even the very little ones are lovingly tended to in the church nursery. So what is wrong with this picture? Not a thing as far as we can tell, but what does the Lord see? “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth….and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:15-16,17b). This passage clearly differentiates the visible, physical reality of our lives in the flesh and the spiritual reality as viewed from heavenly places.
If the people of any one nation had the right to justifiably claim that they were blessed it would be the nation of Israel. Now comes the prophet Hosea, whose name may be translated in English as “deliverer.” Who needs a deliverer when things are going well? That is the sore point: our failure to realize our spiritual condition.
Before we study these 15 verses in more detail, it is important to emphasize that God’s message extends from Genesis to Revelation. Such is also the case with the book of Hosea. Although severe judgments were pronounced, we read these hopeful words at the end, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him” (Hosea 14:4).
We must never lose sight of the beginning and the end.
In the meantime, terrible judgments will come upon those who have refused to heed God’s commandments and instructions: “Hear ye this, O priests; and hearken, ye house of Israel; and give ye ear, O house of the king; for judgment is toward you, because ye have been a snare on Mizpah, and a net spread upon Tabor” (Hosea 5:1). This warning is directed to the priests and to the royal house. Surely they were doing well, yet the message is clear: “And the revolters are profound to make slaughter, though I have been a rebuker of them all” (verse 2).
The people will not listen, but they continue on their way of success: “I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me: for now, O Ephraim, thou committest whoredom, and Israel is defiled” (verse 3).
Ephraim is considered special among the tribes of Israel. He was Joseph’s second son. Ephraim means “fruitful.” Actually, it was Ephraim who received the right hand of blessing from his grandfather Jacob: “And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn” (Genesis 48:14).
The children of Israel were familiar with their history because they were instructed to pass it on from generation to generation.
Ephraim, the most beloved, is representative of the people of Israel: “They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God: for the spirit of whoredoms is in the midst of them, and they have not known the LORD. And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them” (verses 4-5). Again, total devastation and horrible judgment is pronounced against Israel and Judah: “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them” (verse 6). They are seeking the Lord but they will not find Him. This sounds contradictory, for the Lord patiently and compassionately invites the people to come to Him. But here He will not be found because, "They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions” (verse 7). Who are these “strange children?” Doubtless, this is a picture of their whoredoms due to idolatry. A “strange” child is one who is illegitimate. Israel brought forth “strange” children who did not know the Father in heaven.
“Blow ye the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah: cry aloud at Bethaven, after thee, O Benjamin. Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke: among the tribes of Israel have I made known that which shall surely be. The princes of Judah were like them that remove the bound: therefore I will pour out my wrath upon them like water” (verses 8-10). In addition to Ephraim, we also read about Benjamin and Judah.
We sense that in the midst of this proclamation of judgment, God in His mercy is still seeking someone who has not kept company with those who practiced the works of abomination in Israel and Judah: “Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked after the commandment” (verse 11). Speaking of this commandment, Luther translates this verse more clearly as the “commandments of man.” The Lord reveals additional information through the prophet Isaiah: “Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men” (Isaiah 29:13). This tendency to follow God, mixed with the commandments of men, is just as popular today as it was in Hosea’s time. But the result of manmade laws and commandments is described in verses 12-14: “Therefore will I be
unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house of Judah as rottenness. When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah [saw] his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound. For I will be unto Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah: I, even I, will tear and go away; I will take away, and none shall rescue him.” God’s prophet does not spare the details: there is no good news for evil deeds; there is no hope of mercy for those who deliberately oppose God. Destruction replaces help and damnation instead of salvation. We note that the house of Judah is mentioned again. Here we are reminded of the wonderful prophecy Jacob spoke about Judah: “Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?” (Genesis 49:9). We must recall that this lion symbolizes royal power. In Revelation 5:5 we read that “the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has prevailed.” But here, the lion becomes a form of judgment against Judah and Israel.
This is the other side of the story. Such we read, for example, in Revelation 6 where the people of the earth, rich and poor, free and bond, “hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6:15-16). The Lamb of God, which takes away the sins of the world, has become the object of fear.
Finally, we read in verse 15: “I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early” (Hosea 5). God withdraws from His people, but there is one small ray of hope in the last sentence: “in their affliction they will seek me early.”