Hosea 13 and 14
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he exalted himself in Israel, but he trespassed through Baal, and he died” (N. T.).
It is a short moral history of the foremost tribe of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Scriptures do not tell of any great accomplishments by the tribe of Ephraim, but they had the firstborn’s place (Jeremiah 31:9; 1 Chronicles 5:1; Genesis 48:13-20); the fact that Joshua was an Ephraimite (Numbers 13:9), and that Shiloh, where the tabernacle and the ark of God were first placed (Joshua 18: 1; 1 Samuel 4:3) was in the territory of the tribe of Ephraim, would naturally lead to pride among the people.
But the worship of Baal, god of the Canaanites, which had gone on during the time of the Judges, was given royal recognition when Ahab became king (1 Kings 10:31-33) with, his capital in Samaria. Of him it is written that he did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were bore him.
And new (verse 2) “they sin more and more”; the testimony of Hosea regarding the moral state of Israel is complete and unanswerable. Judgment was certain, and it would be overwhelming (verses 3, 7, 8, 13, 15, 10). Nevertheless God remembers mercy; He is Jehovah their God from the land of Egypt, where He redeemed them from the cruel slavery of the taskmasters. In verse 4 “thou hast known no God but Me” is more accurate translation.
Verse 10: The marginal note in most Bibles gives the correct reading: “Where is thy king, that he may save thee in all thy cities?” Verse 14 is an unconditional promise: “I will ransom them ... ..I will redeem them ... .” Death is the wages of sin, but the day approaches when “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” will have its full realization.
Chapter 14 is a lovely close for this remarkable book. “O Israel, return!” True repentance is foreseen in verses 2 and 3; what a change from the state which required their God to say “No more mercy”, and “not My people” (chapter 1)!
Verses 4-7 tell of the profound depth of God’s grace which will be seen in the restoration of Israel in the coming day. Then shall Ephraim say, “What have I to do any more with idols?” (Compare chapter 4:17).
This word of Ephraim’s, yet to be spoken, draws forth the comment of their God,— “I have heard him, and observed him.” Then we hear the Ephraim to be speaking again,— “I am like a green fir tree,”—symbol of the unfailing beauty of Israel in the Millennium; and God responds ‘From Me is thy fruit found’, for there will be fruit for God in that day in the ways of His earthly people.
The last verse is a comment on the whole of Hosea’s prophecy. They that are wise will understand, and the just shall walk in the ways of Jehovah, but the transgressors shall fall therein.
“Hosea” means “deliverance”, and his brief prophecy has exposed the wickedness of the human heart and revealed the astonishing depths of divine grace to meet man’s dire need. No other book of the Bible surpasses Hosea in passionate pleadings to lost, ruined man to give heed to God who must deal in judgment unless there be true repentance.
EXTRACT
Have you received Christ? Then you are entitled to all that is in Christ. His fullness is your fortune, and it pleases Him to see you make use of it, and try to live up to it.
ML 12/06/1936