Hosea 10

Hosea 10:1

10:1, 2 Israel, once a luxuriant vine, is now empty, because it only used its prosperity to increase its idolatry. God now accuses them of being double-minded, holding them guilty for allowing their heart to be divided. 10:3, 4 The people disclaimed any need of God or of a king. In this we see how far the nation of Israel had fallen. Originally at Mt. Sinai they had pledged themselves to God’s rule through Moses and Aaron. A long, continuous, downward apostasy followed, finally leading to a point where they could not even accept a king’s rule over them. The progression of their spiritual demise is shown by the successive forms of government they had rebelled against: (1) God (theocracy); (2) Moses (prophet-lawgiver); (3) Joshua (spiritual/military general); (4) judges (judicial government); (5) kings (monarchy); (6) no king (anarchyno government). They made covenants with empty oaths; therefore judgment would cover the land like poisonous hemlock. 10:5-8 The golden calf of Beth Aven (Bethel) would be captured and carried away by the Assyrians. Instead of loving their God, who had saved them many times, the following words suggest with divine sarcasm that Israel was in love with the golden calf: “Because of the calf . . . its people mourn for it . . . and its priests shriek for itbecause its glory has departed.” No wonder God was about to punish them! Samaria’s king would perish, the idol shrines would be destroyed, and men would call on the mountains and hills to fall on them. 10:9, 10 At Gibeah the tribes stood together in punishing the tribe of Benjamin for its sin (Judg. 20). But since then, the history of Israel has been a record of sin. Now God will use the nations to chasten a people united in sin. 10:11 Ephraim was once a trained heifer, reserved for the light work of threshing grain, but now it will be put under the yoke of captivity, and Judah, too, will be put to hard labor. 10:12-15 Their only hope of escape would be in repentance and seeking the LORD. But Israel must reap the fruit of its sinful dependence on chariots and soldiers. The land would be plunged into war, all their fortresses would be plundered, Samaria would be destroyed, and the king killed. Shalman (v. 14) is Shalmaneser III, although some think the name refers to a king of Moab named Salamanu.