Hosea 8:1-9:9 "Reaping the Whirlwind" April 30, 2007 Paul says in Galatians 6:7-8, Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Do you know what makes this so deliciously ironic? The Hebrew word for "wind" is the same word as "spirit" ruach Hosea 8:7 says, "for they sow the ruach, and they reap the whirlwind." Paul now engages on a play on words with Hosea. Hosea had said that the one who sows the ruach will reap judgment, but Paul says that the one who sows to the ruach will reap eternal life. Sometimes the prophets can appear to be a jumbled assortment of fire and brimstone. We've been working through the central section of Hosea's prophecy. Each section concludes with a message of hope. Chapters 1-3 are a clear introduction that set up the whole book. Hosea is called to take a wife of whoredom Gomer as a picture of how Israel is God's wife of whoredom. But chapter 3 concludes with a message of hope Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days. Hosea 4:1 - 11:11 is the central section. There are four parts to this central section. The first part (4:1-5:7) consists of the two calls to "hear" (4:1 and 5:1) as Hosea brings the covenant lawsuit of the LORD, focusing on the theme of Israel's whoredom. The second part (5:8-7:16) opens with the call "Blow the horn in Gibeah" and focuses on the theme of "return"-- Israel will return, but into captivity and bondage, rather than to God. Now we have come to part three (8:1-9:9) which also begins with a trumpet. This section will focus on Israel's apostate worship, though it will continue the prior themes of whoredom and return. Part four (9:10-11:11) provides a historical overview of Israel's relationship with God, still continuing the themes of the whole section, concluding with the promise that God will have mercy in the end. The conclusion of Hosea (11:12-14:9) then summarizes the argument of the book, and also concludes with a message of hope. 1. The Golden Calf and the Broken Covenant (8:1-6) Set the trumpet to your lips! One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed my covenant and rebelled against my law. Last time, in Hosea 6:7, we heard about how Israel has transgressed the covenant like Adam. Like Adam, Israel was called to be the son of God. Like Adam, Israel was placed in a land of blessing and delight. Like Adam, Israel sinned and broke God's covenant. And like Adam, Israel will be cast out of the garden of blessing and delight. And so rather than a shepherd-king, Israel has a vulture-king! Actually, the word translated "vulture" may refer to an eagle. The reason why few translators are willing to translate it "eagle," is because in our culture, the eagle is a noble bird. But quite frankly, the eagle probably provides a more accurate picture, because eagles (and some vultures) will kill live animals. How is an eagle or vulture like a shepherd? Both the eagle and the shepherd go in search of lost sheep! But right about there the comparison stops. Because an eagle (or a large vulture) will attack a little lamb and kill it and eat it! And that is what Israel's kings have done. They have destroyed the sheep with their depredations. To me they cry, "My God, we Israel know you!" (8:2) At least they think they do. But if they truly knew God, they would not live the way they do! Israel has spurned the good; the enemy shall pursue him. (8:3) Verses 4-6 describe this apostasy in terms of the kingship and worship. They made kings, but not through me. They set up princes, but I knew it not. The dynasties of the northern kingdom were dynasties of human invention. Only the house of David was of divine authority. Yes, God set up Jeroboam I against Rehoboam because of the sin of Solomon. And yes, God set up Jehu against the house of Ahab. (Jehu is the closest thing to a northern Messiah or anointed one). But the northern kings all followed after the sin of Jeroboam: With their silver and gold they made idols for their own destruction. (8:4) We need to see that these errors in kingship and worship are not really two different errors. If we divide Israel's apostasy into "political" and "religious" errors, then we will miss God's point. Because God is Israel's king. The anointing of the house of David was not a replacement for God. Rather, David's sons are adopted as God's sons, so that they might exercise his divine authority on earth. And so God declares of the apostasy of the north: I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of innocence? For it is from Israel; a craftsman made it; it is not God. The calf of Samaria shall be broken to pieces. Jeroboam I had established the golden calves at Bethel and Dan as an alternative to worshiping in Jerusalem. Just as Israel had worshiped the golden calf in the wilderness, so now Israel has turned away once again. But the kings of Israel did not claim to be worshiping other gods. They wanted to worship Yahweh by means of the golden calf. This is an important lesson regarding idolatry. Because idolatry often masks itself in the language of the true worship. Today we seem to think that we can be just as materialistic as our neighbors, but still worship the true God. We seem to think that we can be devoted to the accumulation of wealth and the triune God at the same time. We fall prey to the "rat-race" mentality that says that we need to be doing all these things in order to be happy or fulfilled, or just "normal." They sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind. 2. The Futility of Foreign Alliances (8:7-10) That's how part two begins. This pithy proverb forms the transition between the condemnation of idolatry and the condemnation of Israel's foreign alliances. Again, though, these foreign alliances are so deadly to Israel because of the intersection of politics and religion. Yahweh was Israel's God and protector. To look for help from other nations was tantamount to denying that Yahweh was God. Remember the theme of whoredom where we started in Hosea? The Baal worship of the ancient world was interwoven with sacred prostitution, because they believed that ritual sexual intercourse as a part of worship would excite Baal to bring fertility to the ground. So Hosea uses this language of fertility and harvest in his condemnation of Israel: The standing grain has no heads; it shall yield no flour; if it were to yield, strangers would devour it. (8:7) Rather, Israel is swallowed up; already they are among the nations as a useless vessel. For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers. Though they hire allies among the nations, I will soon gather them up. And the king and princes shall soon writhe because of the tribute. (8:8-10) If Israel thought that my lordship was oppressive, they haven't seen anything yet! To play with the Assyrians is to play with fire. Foreign alliances will destroy the people of God. This is what has happened to the church today. The church feared that the Enlightenment would overthrow her place in society, so the church adopted Enlightenment ways of thinking. And the result is that now the church writhes under the tribute that is demanded of her. Liberal churches have simply adopted the moral teachings and practices of our culture and even conservative churches have accepted the basic principles of Enlightenment rationalism. By making each individual conscience the final arbiter of truth, the church has abandoned the lordship of Christ, and has returned to the era of the Judges where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. If you sow the wind, you shall reap the whirlwind. 3. Therefore Judgment Is Coming (8:11-14) Verses 1-10 of chapter 8 document the sins of Israel. Verses 11-14 now warn that judgment is coming. Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning, they have become to him altars for sinning. Were I to write for im my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing. (8:11-12) Laws do not change the heart. If the church is going to take a prophetic against the corruption in this nation, then must first realize that there is no political solution to that corruption. You cannot draft legislation that will "fix" the United States of America. Think about it: Israel was God's own holy nation. It was governed by his law the law that he gave to Moses. The United States is not (and never has been) a holy nation. Our constitution, from the start, has recognized no authority higher than "We, the People." Is it any surprise, then, that the United States have gone the route of allowing everyone to do what is right in his own eyes? If Israel, the holy nation, could not be reformed by legislation, how much less can the United States? Certainly we should be in favor of good laws, and we should oppose bad laws after all, this country does give us the right to vote. But we should not be so foolish as to think that the right to vote is an inalienable right given by God. As the situation in Iraq has aptly demonstrated, the right to vote does not automatically produce justice. There may come a day of chaos and disorder, when the citizens of the United States may willingly give up their right to vote in exchange for peace and security. But even ten thousand laws from God would not change the hearts of man. The heart of a rebel hears the voice of God and considers it a strange thing. They may go through the formal ritual of God's worship. As for my sacrificial offerings, they sacrifice meat and eat it, but the LORD does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they shall return to Egypt. For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities; so I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour her strongholds. (8:13-14) Israel and Judah had become strong, and in their strength and might they forgot the LORD. This is what Deuteronomy had warned against. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day. And if you forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. (Dt 8:17-19) God had warned- if you forget me, you will perish. Fire is coming upon Israel. As Jesus will say, "I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished." (Lk 12:49-50) Jesus has come to bring fire upon the earth judgment is coming against Israel, but it will fall first upon himself. Jesus takes upon himself the fire and wrath that we deserved. Because unless Jesus takes the fire of God's wrath, Israel would forever have wavered between blessing and cursing. The cycle of disobedience and repentance would never have been broken. But now it is! There is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah Jesus. The problem is that too often the church forgets this! We forget our Maker and Redeemer, and we think that the future depends on us. If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind! 4. False Worship and Foreign Alliances Will Result in Exile (9:1-9) Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking your God. You have loved a prostitute's wages on all threshing floors. (9:1) Notice that the whole of chapter eight was spoken by God to Israel. God has declared his reasons why he will bring judgment, and he has declared what that judgment will be: return to exile. Now 9:1-9 is Hosea's commentary on what God has said. Watch the pronouns in chapter 9. Hosea alternates back and forth between "you" (verses 1 and 5) and "they" (verses 2-4 and 6) This helps us see the structure of the section. Verses 1-4 and 5-6 run in parallel, concluding with Hosea's comments about the futility of the prophet's call in verses 7-9. Israel is a harlot. The reference to a "prostitute's wages on all threshing floors" reminds us of the image of Gomer and the ritual prostitution of the fertility cults. But God has promised that judgment is coming against the harvests of Israel: Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. They shall not remain in the land of the LORD, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. (9:2-3) The "return to Egypt" is not necessarily a literal return to the land of Egypt as the parallel reference to Assyria suggests, the return to Egypt refers to how Israel will return to captivity. They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the LORD, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners' bread to them; all who eat of it shall be defiled; for their bread shall be for their hunger only it shall not come to the house of the LORD. In exile Israel will be separated both from the temple in Jerusalem, as well as from all their high places where they worshiped Yahweh. And so in verse 5 Hosea asks Israel a question: What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of Yahweh? When you are in exile, how will you worship the LORD? What will you do on your feast days? For behold, they are going away from destruction; but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents. Israel will die in exile, and all their land will be overgrown with briars and thorns. Given the reference to Adam earlier, I am inclined to see here a reference to the curse upon Adam. When Adam was exiled from the garden, God said that the ground would be cursed for man's sake, and that it would bring forth briars and thorns. Now as Israel is exiled from their garden, Hosea says that it, too, will bring forth briars and thorns. Verse 7 is the transition from this statement of judgment to Hosea's concluding reflections: The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. They have refused to know God, so instead, they shall know judgment. If you sow the wind, you shall reap the whirlwind! But then Hosea turns to reflect on his own prophetic calling: The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. (9:7b) This may sound strange, but verse 8 explains it: The prophet is the watchman of Ephraim with my God; yet a fowler's snare is on all his ways, and hatred in the house of his God. The prophet is a fool. Everyone thinks that he is a blithering idiot. Even in the house of his God he is hated. The prophet watches and sees the corruption and sin of Israel, and he goes crazy because he sees clearly what no one else can see. Verse 9 functions as a transitional verse. It concludes the section, but also points forward to the next section, which is a historical survey of Israel's rebellion. They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. Gibeah was the site of the apostasy of Benjamin, when the men of Benjamin became like the men of Sodom, and God nearly annihilated the tribe of Benjamin (Judges 19-21). Chapter 5:8 reminded us of Gibeah, saying that Israel is now following Benjamin on the path to utter destruction. Chapter 10:9 will continue the theme of Gibeah. Israel has become like Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore judgment is coming. God has warned us throughout history that he will not put up with the rebellion of man forever. Nations come, and nations go. If we fall prey to the idolatries of our nation, then we will fall under its judgments as well.