Oséias 4

Oséias 4

Clarke comments that this is “What we should call a lawsuit, in which God is plaintiff, and the Israelites defendants. It is Jehovah versus Israel and Judah.” Has a case (rib) means to "strive (contend typically when outraged enough to initiate a lawsuit – i.e. a legal case with specific charges ("bringing suit" against a defendant)") – properly, strife, dispute. NET Note adds "The noun רִיב (riv, “dispute, lawsuit”) is used in two contexts: (1) nonlegal contexts: (a) “dispute” between individuals (e.g., Gen 13:7; Isa 58:1; Jer 15:10) or (b) “brawl; quarrel” between people (e.g., Exod 17:7; Deut 25:1); and (2) legal contexts: (a) “lawsuit; legal process” (e.g., Exod 23:3–6; Deut 19:17; 21:5; Ezek 44:24; Ps 35:23), (b) “lawsuit; legal case” (e.g., Deut 1:12; 17:8; Prov 18:17; 25:9), and (c) God’s “lawsuit” on behalf of a person or against his own people (Hos 4:1; 12:3; Mic 6:2; HALOT 1225–26 s.v. רִיב). The term in Hosea refers to a covenant lawsuit in which Yahweh the suzerain lodges a legal case against his disobedient vassal, accusing Israel and Judah of breach of covenant which will elicit the covenant curses." Because - Term of explanation - Gives the "grounds" for God's case with Israel. It is notable that in the Greek text the modifier "no" in all three cases speaks of absolute (not relative) negation. They are in essence completely devoid of these three characteristics (faithfulness, kindness, knowledge). Guzik astutely comments that "Each of these three points is connected.When people forsake the knowledge of God, soon truth and mercy are both gone. Truth must be rooted in something more than personal opinion, and mercy means going beyond self-interest. True wisdom and understanding always begin with the knowledge of God.Proverbs 9:10 says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Hosea) Alexander Pope wrote: “Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; the proper study of mankind is man.” Spurgeon responded to Pope’s statement: “It has been said by someone that ‘the proper study of mankind is man.’I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God’s elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead.The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father.” (ED: And this is where Israel was woefully deficient - a true knowledge of God - see Septuagint (Lxx) use below of epignosis for knowledge). Faithfulness (truth) (0571)('emeth from the verb aman = to confirm, support, believe, be faithful) is a feminine noun meaning truth, faithfulness, that which gives complete reliability. Emeth means something confirmed as true ("truth"), the objective reality of truth. The NAS translates it "faithfulness" but it is more properly the idea of truth (in context truth in this relationship) as it is translated in the Septuagint (Lxx) with aletheia (from a = indicates following word has the opposite meaning ~ without + lanthano = to be hidden or concealed) which has the literal sense of that which contains nothing hidden. Now think of this in terms of relationships, in this case God (the "Husband" of Israel - Jer 31:32+, Isa 54:5) and His "wife" Israel. In this context the word would speak of authenticity, transparency, integrity. This is the only use of 'emeth in Hosea. Kindness (02617)(hesed/chesed/heced) is most often rendered "lovingkindness" and speaks especially of covenant-loyalty, preeminently, God's perfect loyalty to His own covenant. But as a faithful Husband, Jehovah also requires full loyalty from those who would seek to enter covenant with him and experience His covenant blessings. Disloyalty to His covenant brings chastisement and even condemnation if the sinning party refusing to return in repentance! The Septuagint (Lxx) renders hesed with eleos which means mercy, compassion, pity, an attitude and emotion roused by the affliction of another, kindness or concern expressed for someone in need. Hesed is used 6x in Hosea - Hos. 2:19; Hos. 4:1; Hos. 6:4; Hos. 6:6; Hos. 10:12; Hos. 12:6; Knowledge (01847)(daat derived from yada = to know, speaking in many contexts of an intimate knowledge) expresses knowledge gained in various ways by the senses (and is the opposite of folly). It describes “experiential active knowing." In other words this knowledge is not just a bookish collection of information but is experiential knowledge of the Living God. The Septuagint (Lxx) translates daat here the word epignosis, which speaks of true experiential knowledge. Here's the point -- Israel may have KNOWN ABOUT God (however to some degree that is even questionable), but they did not truly KNOW HIM! Jesus gives a solemn warning to all who are laying claim "I know God!," or "I know Jesus!" but their unchanged sinful lifestyle indicates clearly that they never at any point in time really knew Him, knew Him intimately which is the oneness experienced in the New Covenant. Dear reader, don't pass over this somber truth too quickly! We all do well (yours truly included) to apply what I would call the "Second Corinthians 13" test to our lives - read 2 Cor 13:5+. If we fail the test, we will surely hear these horrible words from the lips of Jesus... Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does (present tense = as one's lifestyle. NOTE: Not perfection, but "direction") the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never (AT ANY TIME) knew (INTIMATELY - LIKE THE KNOWLEDGE HOSEA SAYS ISRAEL LACKS HERE IN Hosea 4:1) you; DEPART (command) FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE (present tense = as the unbroken pattern of your life) LAWLESSNESS.’ (Mt 7:21-23+). POSB - Introduction: being accused or tried for a serious crime is bound to be a terrifying experience. Imagine standing in court with the indictment or charge being read against us. And the more serious the crime, the more frightening the experience would be.The present Scripture is a courtroom scene. God is seen issuing a strong indictment and warning against Israel and Judah. They were guilty of the most serious crimes. This is, The Lord’s Indictment and Warnings: A Picture of God’s Case Against the Human Race, 4:1–5:15. (The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Daniel, Hosea) Criswell - Hos 4:1-3 These verses could be understood as a summary of Hosea's public preaching. God brings a "charge" (riv, Heb.) against His people. In a sense God is taking His people to court. His charge is threefold and is based upon a broken covenant relationship. "There is no truth [or faithfulness] or mercy [hesed, Heb.] or knowledge [intimate knowing] of God in the land." God displays all three of these covenant, relational virtues toward His people, but His people have ceased to display any of them toward Him. As a result sin permeates the entire land. Gomer is thus a type of Israel, and Hosea is a type of God. The book ends with the promise of God doing to Israel what Hosea did for Gomer. God's love truly is amazing! As the book progresses, knowledge is stressed in 4:1-6:3, mercy in 6:1-11:11, and truth in 11:12ff. (Believer's Study Bible) David Thompson - In this section we seem to leave the specific account of Hosea and his marriage and we begin a new section that extends to the end of the book and contains oracles of doom and hope. Even though we are not specifically dealing with Hosea’s marriage, it is still in the background because there are allusions to the nation as mother and children and there are a number of references to spiritual harlotry and adultery. Chapter four really seems to focus on the sins of the northern kingdom. God presents His case against His own family . Hos 4:1-3 Abraham Herschel, who has written a book called “The Prophets,” said that “The Lord is in love with Israel, but He also has a passionate love of right and a burning hatred of wrong” (p. 50). p. 34 God cannot and will not abandon Israel in spite of her unfaithfulness, but He can and He will make things miserable for her. There are chastening judgments that God will send to His own family, in order to get them back to Him. Verse 1 develops the idea that this is the Word of the LORD and it is specifically aimed at Israel, the family of God. God has a judicial case against His own family. Dr. Bruce Waltke said these messages in this chapter actually “form a lawsuit” (Old Testament Theology, p. 836). God has a legal right to judge His own family and we learn reasons why: Reason #1 - Because there is no faithfulness in the land. 4:1c Think about this charge. Israel was in her promised land and no one was faithful or trustworthy in regard to Him and His Word and will. Reason #2 - Because there is no kindness in the land. 4:1d This particular word (hesed) has to do with a kindness and loyalty. Reason #3 - Because there is no knowledge of God. 4:1e There was no evidence that any in this land knew God. The people of God had completely lost their way. They were not faithful to God; not loyal to God and didn’t even have true knowledge of God. These were God’s own people. Hosea 4:1,3 F B Meyer Our Daily Homily - Hosea 4:1,3 The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. Throughout the Old Testament the sin of the people and the prosperity or otherwise of their country are closely conjoined. If the people please God, harvests are plentiful, and the seasons of the year pursue their round in unbroken bounty. If the people backslide, the land is smitten. There is probably a much deeper connection than we suppose between the moral condition of our nation and its prosperity. It is at least remarkable that ever since the Indian Government has legalized impurity in India, and has made money out of the vices of Chinamen, that empire has been smitten with drought and pestilence. So with Africa; the injustice with which the natives have been treated has been terribly avenged in the rinderpest which has swept over the land. And may there not be a close connection between the vice, Sabbath-breaking, and drunkenness of Great Britain, and the agricultural distress which has so long driven our people from the open country to life in the cities? It is an awful thing when God has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. Sin is then terribly avenged. One noticeable feature with all the prophets is their intense devotion to God on the one hand, and their ardent patriotism on the other. They never scrupled to denounce the sins which were bringing their land to desolation, and to indicate the inevitable result. In the present instance, Hosea turned on the priests and showed how accountable they were for the desolation of the country. On a wider scale still, we remember that creation groaneth and travaileth in pain because of sin; and its emancipation awaits the advent of the Lord, and the manifestation of his saints (Romans 8:21). Hosea and His Message Hear the word of the LORD, you Israelites, because the LORD has a charge to bring against you who live in the land: “There is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land.” [Hosea 4:1] The prophets were called by God to bring his covenant lawsuit against the nation of Israel. At the beginning of his series of oracles (Hosea 4–14), Hosea summoned the nation to hear God’s charge against them. In Hosea 4:2, God charged them with breaking the Ten Commandments, mentioning cursing, murder, adultery, stealing, and lying. Not only were the people doing these evil deeds, but they were doing them repeatedly, so that “bloodshed followed bloodshed.” God judged the land by letting the people experience the consequences of their behavior. The land did not yield its produce, the people were wasting away, and even the animals were dying off (Hosea 4:3). The people were litigious, constantly bringing lawsuits against one another (4:4). Why had this come to pass? Israel was not faithful to God, their true Husband. They did not love him, nor acknowledge him as their sovereign (4:1). Thus, God would reject them and bring them under judgment. Ultimately, judgment came upon them because they had “rejected knowledge” (4:6). It is a serious thing when a nation rejects the knowledge of God. A parallel in Western culture is that, while theology once was regarded as the queen of the sciences and held a position of supremacy in the curricula of schools and universities, now theology is hardly even taught. “Comparative religions,” which usurped its place, is regarded as simply a subdivision of anthropology. But as bad as it is for a nation to reject theology, it is worse when the church does so (4:6–9). How often we hear evangelical Christians say that they don’t want to wrestle with doctrinal issues. They only want a “sweeter, closer walk with Jesus.” This anti-intellectualism is reflected in some preaching and teaching, and in some songs we sing in worship. It is a great evil when “head knowledge” is pitted against “heart knowledge.” If we don’t know what God is like, we cannot have a real relationship with him. If we don’t know what he wants, we cannot be faithful to him. Coram Deo - Are your heart and mind prepared before you hear God’s Word? Covenant fidelity is nurtured through a meditative dependence on God’s self-disclosure. Christians should grasp onto his truth with a white-knuckled grip. It is of no profit to Christians if they hold a high view of Scripture and fail to do what God has said. (Before the Face of God) Hosea 4:1-3 TODAY IN THE WORD "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God." (James 4:4) The story of Hosea and Gomer perplexes many readers of Scripture. God instructs the prophet Hosea to marry a woman he knows will be unfaithful–she not only commits adultery, she also becomes a prostitute that Hosea must buy back from those making a profit from her (see Hos. 1–3). God does explain the reason behind His mysterious command to Hosea: “Because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord” (Hos. 1:2). Hosea 4 details the charge of adultery that the Lord brings against His people. Their sin includes unfaithfulness, a lack of love, cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery (Hosea 4:1–2). God’s concern for His people on these issues hasn’t changed through the centuries; we will see that James rebukes his readers for many of these same sins, and we can be sure God still cares about these issues in our lives today. Throughout his letter James has been drawing on themes that recurred in the Old Testament prophets, specifically justice and care for the poor (typified by the fatherless and the widow). In our passage today, James alludes to another theme frequently found in the Old Testament. The Prophets frequently refer to God’s relationship with Israel in terms of marriage, so it’s not surprising that Israel’s sin is referred to in terms of adultery. When Israel acted in ways that were inconsistent with their relationship with God, they acted adulterously. James is making the same point. Conflict in the church arises from unwise living and following our own desires. This is the same thing as living like the world–which is to say, it’s spiritual adultery and cheating on God (v. 4). Now we can understand why James uses such a strong tone here! James highlights another contrast here between pride and humility (v. 6). Pride, pursuing our own way, puts us in opposition to God. Humility, however, positions us to receive blessings of grace from God (cf. 3:13). And this is the relationship God desires to have with us. James says that the Holy Spirit “envies intensely”–God loves His people, and wants us to walk in the path of life (v5). Just as God used Hosea and Gomer to reflect Israel’s adultery with God, He uses the marriages of Christians to reflect the relationship between Christ and His people (Moody Bible Institute) Hosea 4 TODAY IN THE WORD Either a misunderstanding of orders or the personal rivalry of two British officers was responsible for one of the most celebrated, but senseless, moments in military history. During the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimean War, a brigade of British cavalry charged into a heavily fortified Russian position. The attack had no effect whatsoever on the battle's outcome and was very foolish. More than 250 of the 670 men in the brigade were killed or wounded. But British poet Lord Tennyson immortalized the attack in his poem, ""The Charge of the Light Brigade."" It's fair to say that in the spiritual realm, Israel was mimicking that British brigade's foolish charge. Everyone, from the man on the street to the priests, was charging headlong into the judgment of God--with equally disastrous results. Hosea 4 is a powerful and specific indictment against the sins of God's people. Their guilt was beyond question. In Hosea 4:2 alone, the Lord cited five of the Ten Commandments the people were breaking! Since the Ten Commandments were the heart of Israel's covenant with God, the people's actions were a very serious breach of their promise to obey God's law and serve Him alone. God's love--His loyal, covenant-keeping love--was being repaid with faithlessness on His people's part (Hosea 4:1). Yes, the people were charging into the judgment of God, rather than toward victory. As God specified His charge, it soon became apparent where a great part of the problem lay. The prophets associated with Israel's royal court, and particularly the priests, were wicked, faithless men leading the nation even further into the teeth of God's wrath.God's people were perishing for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). And the priests, who were charged with teaching the people about God, bore much of the blame. They not only rejected the knowledge of God and ignored His law, but they also benefited from the people's sins. This is another sobering passage, partly because we also are capable of the same sins that drove Israel into exile. However, today's verse contains a wonderful reminder of the blessing we can bring by teaching God's way of righteousness. You can do that even today, by following this simple suggestion. Turn to Exodus 20:1-17 and read the Ten Commandments. Hosea 4:1-9 Today in the Word But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God. (1 Peter 2:9) In September 2007, Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers filed a lawsuit—he sued God. In an attempt to demonstrate how people take advantage of the freedom to bring any suit against anyone, the agnostic senator filed a string of ridiculous charges against God Himself. God is without fault, and the countersuit against humanity is overwhelming. Hosea 4 is the beginning of God’s case against Israel for violating His laws. The terms of God’s complaint are clear: name a commandment, Israel had broken it. God had made Israel aware of the penalties for violating the Ten Commandments, the laws of His covenant with them (cf. Ex. 34:27–28). Israel would suffer plagues, military defeat, agricultural disaster, political upheaval, and a long list of other consequences (Lev. 26:14 ff.). But Israel loved sin more than they loved God (Hosea 4:7, 8). One particularly interesting aspect of this passage is the language concerning priests. Israel’s people and priests were equally guilty of apostasy (Hosea 4:4, 9), so who was left to represent the people to God or God’s Word to the people? The sins of the priests had multiplied so greatly that no one could hold anyone else accountable. The spiritual leaders in a nation ordained to be spiritual witnesses to the world had completely given themselves over to sin. The priests and the people were utterly rejected (Hosea 4:6). Verse 6 also contains a dagger of prophetic wisdom: “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” Ignorance is not bliss—it is destruction. Israel was unraveling because they willfully rejected the knowledge of God in favor of the foolishness of the world. Hosea’s point for us is crucial: the way we think is vital to the way we live. Israel’s hearts wandered to other gods after their minds ceased to be filled by the wisdom of the Word of God. Likewise, if we fail to center our minds on the Lord, how can we ever hope to love and follow Him as we should? We need to ask ourselves whether we are representing God as a royal priesthood to a society lost in wickedness, or if we are being pulled along by the tides of popular thought. You are currently engaged in one definite positive step: studying the Word of God! As you read, watch, and listen to other media, use God’s truth to guard your mind. And in your conversations, don’t be afraid to challenge worldly ideas with the Word you know to be true. Encourage others to think biblically! Chuck Smith - I. WHO WAS THE CONTROVERSY WITH? THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. A. It was with His own people. 1. Being the people of God has great advantages. You have special privileges. a. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, this is the heritage of the people of God. b. Rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees their fruit. c. Peace in the land, you will lie down, and none will make you afraid. d. You can leave your doors unlocked. e. God said that He would chase their enemies. f. God said that He would walk among them. b. There are also special responsibilities. 2. You are held accountable to a higher standard. a. What the world might do and get by with, the Lord will not let you get by with. b. If you are driving by a bunch of boys throwing rocks through the windows of a vacant building you might think naughty boys. But if you notice that your boy is among the boys throwing the rocks that is a different story. II. THE COMPLAINT OF GOD. A. There is no truth in the land. 1. The people were defrauding and deceiving one another. 2. The newscasters were distorting the news. 3. The politicians were lying to the people. 4. Even the prophets and priests were giving false comfort to the people by lying to them concerning the nature of God. B. There was no mercy. 1. They had received great mercy from God, but they were not willing to show mercy. a. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. b. Ps.18:25 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. c. The standard of measurement that you use to dish things out to others is the standard that God will use as He dishes out to you. 2. Hosea had named his second child Loruhamah, (No mercy) as a warning to the people. God was going to show no more mercy to them. C. No knowledge of God in the land. 1. Here was a people, a nation that owed its existence to God. 2. In the beginning they framed their laws by God's decrees. 3. They sought the Lord. 4. God made them strong, prosperous, and mighty among the nations. 5. Now there was no knowledge of God in the land. 6. The children were growing up in a pagan environment. D. Could not God make the same case against our land today? 1. The parallels between Israel and America are so great. 2. Started out honoring and trusting in God. 3. Became strong and great among the nations of the world. 4. In their prosperity turned from God, the one who had made them strong and prosperous. 5. The next step is given over to their enemies, because there was no truth, mercy or knowledge of God in the land. E. These are the foundations upon which a strong and moral nation are built. III. THE RESULT OF REMOVING THESE FOUNDATIONAL PILLARS. A. There was a moral breakdown. 1. The people were swearing, lying and killing. 2. People would swear to a lie. a. Their word meant nothing. b. They would make contracts that they had no intention of keeping. c. They thought nothing of breaking their contracts. 3. Killings became very common. a. You would not dare to go out on the streets after dark. b. They had a very low value on life. 1. They thought little of taking another mans life. 2. They thought nothing of throwing their babies into the bonfires to sacrifice them to the god of pleasure. 3. One thing that the Christian faith teaches us is the great value of life. 4. Only a pagan nation could advocate and support abortions. 5. What does that tell you about our nation? 4. They were stealing from each other. a. Nothing was safe, and nothing was sacred. b. They had no restraints of conscience. c. No remorse for their evil, the only remorse was that they were caught. d. They had become an amoral society. 5. Adultery had become a common practice. a. A man was ruled by his passions. b. They had become like animals in their selection of their sexual partners. c. The home is broken down, family values are trashed, children had become an inconvenience, and roamed the streets in gangs. 6. They break out, that is they burst through every restraint. a. The laws had become so permissive, and lenient, that there were no restraints. b. Nothing holding them back from giving themselves over completely to their lusts. IV. THE ULTIMATE, INESCAPABLE RESULT, THE LAND WILL MOURN, AND THE PEOPLE SHALL LANGUISH. A. There will be a total breakdown of law and order. 1. The police forces will be unable to protect the citizens from assault. 2. A society out of control, entering into a deadly tailspin without ability to pull out of it. B. Is it too late for America? 1. Only God knows. 2. There is a refuge for the people of God. a. The name of Jehovah is a strong tower, the righteous runneth into it and are safe. b. Surround your family, home, church with prayer. C. Isaiah 55:6,7 "Seek the Lord while He is near, call upon Him while He may be found. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, let him return unto our Lord for He will have mercy upon Him and unto our God for He will abundantly pardon." Hosea 4:2 There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed. KJV Hosea 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. bloodshed. LXE Hosea 4:2 Cursing, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery abound in the land, and they mingle blood with blood. NLT Hosea 4:2 You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere-- one murder after another. ESV Hosea 4:2 there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. CSB Hosea 4:2 Cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another. NIV Hosea 4:2 There is only cursing, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. NAB Hosea 4:2 False swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery! in their lawlessness, bloodshed follows bloodshed. NKJ Hosea 4:2 By swearing and lying, Killing and stealing and committing adultery, They break all restraint, With bloodshed upon bloodshed. NJB Hosea 4:2 only perjury and lying, murder, theft, adultery and violence, bloodshed after bloodshed. GWN Hosea 4:2 There is cursing, lying, murdering, stealing, and adultery. People break my laws, and there is one murder after another. NRS Hosea 4:2 Swearing, lying, and murder, and stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. YLT Hosea 4:2 Swearing, and lying, and murdering, And stealing, and committing adultery -- have increased, And blood against blood hath touched. There is swearing, deception, murder: Isa 24:5 48:1 59:2-8,12-15 Jer 5:1,2,7-9,26,27 6:7 7:6-10 Jer 9:2-8 23:10-14 Eze 22:2-13,25-30 Mic 2:1-3 3:2,9 6:10 7:2 Zep 3:1 Zec 5:3 7:9 bloodshed follows bloodshed: Ho 5:2 6:9 La 4:13 Mt 23:35 Ac 7:52 1Th 2:15 Rev 17:6 Hosea 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries ISRAEL'S "DIRTY LAUNDRY LIST" The Lord makes a strong case against Israel. In His indictment God presents 9 charges against His people and all of the charges are serious! There is swearing - This probably has reference to the fact that God’s own people were swearing oaths to other things other than God. Thus the NLT paraphrases it "You make vows and break them." They employ violence - "they break all bounds" (ESV, NIV) So that bloodshed follows bloodshed - "one act of bloodshed follows another." (CSB)