The Days of Retribution
Hosea 9 sets out the joyless doom of Israel for their lewd departure from their God; for they had taken their corn as a harlot’s hire from their false gods: all such outward mercies should fail, and they should not dwell in the land of Jehovah, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and in Assyria they should eat of unclean things—some fleeing voluntarily to the former, the mass captives in the latter. They should not pour out wine to Jehovah, nor should they be pleasing to Him—their sacrifices unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof should be unclean; for their bread should be for themselves—none should come into the house of Jehovah (verses 1-4). “What will ye do on the day of assembly, on the day of Jehovah’s feast?” (vs. 5). They should be not only incapable of keeping holiday after the manner prescribed, but alas! without the heart and conscience exercised, seeing man’s power, not their own sin nor God’s judgment. “For, lo, they are gone because of destruction” (vs. 6). To avoid the Assyrian they escaped to the south; but “Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them [not the land of their fathers]; as for their desired silver, nettles shall inherit it—thorns in their tents” (vs. 6). Impatience had long stupefied them. They should awake to suffering if not repentance. “The days of visitation are come, the days of retribution are come; Israel shall know it [not yet themselves, nor Jehovah]. The prophet is foolish, the man of the spirit frantic, for the greatness of thy punishment and the great hatred” (vs. 7).
Such had been Israel’s taunt against the true prophet; and such was meted again to the false. Of these deceivers it was true. “Ephraim [was a] watchman with My God; the prophet is a fowler’s snare on all his ways—hatred in the house of his God. They have gone deep, they are corrupted, as in the days of Gibeah: He will remember their iniquity, He will visit their sins” (vss. 8-9).
Jehovah’s Love for the People and Their Sad Return
As the Spirit compares their state as a whole to that frightful epoch when one tribe all but perished for its obstinate espousal of an evil most offensive to Israel, so now He dwells on Jehovah’s love for the people and their sad return. “I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree at her first time: but they went to Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved. As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away as a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception. Though they bring up their children, yet will I bereave them, that there shall not be a man left; yea, woe also to them when I depart from them! Ephraim, as I saw Tyrus, is planted in a pleasant place: but Ephraim shall bring forth his children to the murderer. Give them, O Jehovah: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of Mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit: yea, though they bring forth, yet will I slay even the beloved fruit of their womb. My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him: and they shall be wanderers among the nations” (vsss. 10-17).
Wanderers Among the Nations
Thus not only should a blight fall on their national prosperity, and their glory in their children perish, but woe to themselves forsaken of Jehovah! Murder and barrenness should befall Ephraim, who dared to make Gilgal itself the sink of their wickedness: for their wicked audacious doings Jehovah would drive them out of His house, and love them no more; but they should not wander only, but be wanderers among the nations. How truly accomplished to the letter! and the more strikingly because they do not form a separate community, but mix with the Gentiles within and without Christendom, chiefly abandoned to the lust of gain.