Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 61
H O S E A 7 : 1 3
and bring them down like a bird from
the sky.
I will punish them for all the evil they
do.*
“What sorrow awaits those who have
deserted me!
Let them die, for they have rebelled
against me.
I wanted to redeem them,
but they have told lies about me.
14 They do not cry out to me with sincere
hearts.
Instead, they sit on their couches and
wail.
They cut themselves,* begging foreign
gods for grain and new wine,
and they turn away from me.
15 I trained them and made them strong,
yet now they plot evil against me.
16 They look everywhere except to the
Most High.
They are as useless as a crooked bow.
Their leaders will be killed by their
enemies
because of their insolence towards me.
Then the people of Egypt
will laugh at them.
13
Israel Harvests the Whirlwind
1 “Sound the alarm!
The enemy descends like an eagle
on the people of the Lord,
8
60
7:13
Matt 23:37
7:14
Amos 2:8
7:15
Nah 1:9
7:16
Ps 78:57
Ezek 23:32
Hos 9:3, 6
8:1
Hab 1:8
8:4
Hos 2:8; 13:10
8:5
Jer 13:27
8:6
Hos 13:2
8:7
Isa 66:15
Nah 1:3
for they have broken my covenant
and revolted against my law.
2 Now Israel pleads with me,
‘Help us, for you are our God!’
3 But it is too late.
The people of Israel have rejected what
is good,
and now their enemies will chase
after them.
4 The people have appointed kings
without my consent,
and princes without my approval.
By making idols for themselves from
their silver and gold,
they have brought about their own
destruction.
“O Samaria, I reject this calf—
this idol you have made.
My fury burns against you.
How long will you be incapable of
innocence?
6 This calf you worship, O Israel,
was crafted by your own hands!
It is not God!
Therefore, it must be smashed to
bits.
5
7
“They have planted the wind
and will harvest the whirlwind.
The stalks of grain wither
and produce nothing to eat.
And even if there is any grain,
foreigners will eat it.
7:12 Hebrew I will punish them because of what was reported against them in the assembly.
7:14 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads
They gather together.
Applica tio n
Stubbornness Calls for a Verdict • Hosea 7
Israel was a stubborn, stiff-necked nation. The people and the but it does not affect them. You may want to abandon the
rulers alike rejected God and worshipped idols. The people person, but the love you have for them is so strong you feel
behaved as if they had lost their minds, “first calling to Egypt paralysed. In the end, with a broken heart, you will leave
and then flying to Assyria for help” (Hosea 7:11). Their sin the person. All you wanted was the best for them, but they
was the rejection of God’s help; their stubbornness called for rejected you.
a verdict: “I will throw my net over them and bring them down
If we as human beings can be deeply affected by someone’s
like a bird from the sky. I will punish them for all the evil they rejection, how much more so the God who created us and
do” (Hosea 7:12). The judgement would be terrible: “Let them gave himself to us? We were doomed to death, but because
die, for they have rebelled against me” (Hosea 7:13).
he so loved his creation, he sent his only Son to die for us
It is a terrible thing to love someone with all your heart and and redeem us from eternal damnation (John 3:16). Let us
give everything to that person, only to realise your love is not think about the pain we are causing God and repent so that
returned. You may cry and complain about their indifference, he may restore us.
Losing Focus • Hosea 8
God became unhappy with his people because they lost their of idols in Africa, though there are lingering pockets of idol
focus on him and fell into idolatry and materialism—note worshippers and people who mix the traditional religions with
the references to idols (Hosea 8:4-5), a calf (Hosea 8:5-6), Christianity. However, all too often we make idols out of things
altars (Hosea 8:11), and images such as “lovers” (Hosea 8:9). like sports, entertainment, titles, and recognition. And like the
In addition, they focussed their attention on political activity Jewish people in Hosea’s time, our continent continues to be
(Hosea 8:4) and material possessions (Hosea 8:4, 14). So troubled by the false appeal of materialism and by the corrupt
their lives were characterized by disobedience (Hosea 8:1, 3, influences of perverted politics. Our pastors and Christian
12-13). Such prostitution brought God’s anger and judgement leaders must accept the challenge of Hosea if our continent
on his people (Hosea 8:2, 4-8, 10, 13-14).
is to break out from under the misery and abuse that comes
Every culture faces temptations to reject or ignore God. from these things. They must put the trumpet to their mouths
We have made good progress in conquering the worship and denounce all such evil.