Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1936

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Hosea 7

When God, who is rich in mercy, would stretch forth His hand to heal, the iniquity. of Ephraim and the wickedness of Samaria are discovered. Samaria was the seat of government; front it the kings who led the people in God’s dishonor ruled the country.

Hosea was the last prophet among the ten tribes, and his long-period of testimony—evidently exceeding 60 years (see chapter 1:1) must have ended not far from the time when they were made captives of the Assyrian conqueror, in B.C. 721 (2 Kings 18:9-12⁹And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria, and besieged it. ¹⁰And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken. ¹¹And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes: ¹²Because they obeyed not the voice of the Lord their God, but transgressed his covenant, and all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded, and would not hear them, nor do them. (2 Kings 18:9‑12)).

Chapter 7 thus unfolds the true moral character of that people at the end of their possession of the land bestowed on them by God’s favor—no more to return there until they shall have been recalled by divine power at the Lord’s appearing.

They practiced falsehood, and thieves within and robbers without carried on their doings apparently unchecked. These evidences of Satan’s service were early introduced into the world; are increasingly common in our day and will continue until God interferes in judgment.

It is significant that a lie was the means whereby Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44⁴⁴Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)) deceived Eve in the garden of Eden, thereby robbing God of the confiding trust of His creatures, and indeed robbing Him of the world, the fair creation of His own hands, Satan is still a thief, robbing men (did they but realize it!) of all he can, as witnessed by Mark 4:15¹⁵And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. (Mark 4:15) and Luke 10:30³⁰And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (Luke 10:30); and all false leaders among God’s sheep are thieves and robbers, like their master (John 10:1, 8, 10¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. (John 10:1)
⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. (John 10:8)
¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)).

“They consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness” (verse 2)—how true of the present age! Today few are concerned when they are told that God, who offers salvation to all, will ere long become the Judge of the world; then “the books” will be opened, and the dead will be judged out of those things which are written in them according to their works (Rev. 20:12-13¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. (Revelation 20:12‑13)), even to “every idle word” (Matthew 12:30³⁰He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. (Matthew 12:30)).

The whole nation is shown to be devoted to wickedness (verse 8). Immorality —fruit of the nation’s turning away from the true God, and in those clays associated with the worship of idols—abounded. It appears to be gaining ground rapidly nowadays. (Verse 8): Ephraim mixed himself among the peoples—the nations of those who knew not God, from whom Israel was designed to be separate (Exodus 19:6; 34:12-16⁶And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:6)
¹²Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: ¹³But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: ¹⁴For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: ¹⁵Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; ¹⁶And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. (Exodus 34:12‑16)).

The latter part of verse 13 should be read, “And I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.” The time came when they cried out because of the distress in which they found themselves (by reason of sin), but it was not a cry addressed in sincerity to God, when they howled upon their beds. Trouble did not turn their heart to Him any more than His mercy, and though they had called (in vain) on Egypt for help, they would be overwhelmed by the Assyrians, and in the day of their dire calamity the Egyptians would deride them (verse 10).

ML 11/01/1936

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.