Guilt and Punishment - Part 1 (ch. 9)

Introduction

As we continue in our study of the Old Testament book of Hosea, I want to take a step back, since we are about two-thirds through Hosea, and review where we are before we move forward in this morning’s message.

If you will remember, Hosea was a prophet sent to the ten northern tribes of Israel with a message of judgment because of their rebellion against their husband Yahweh. God sent Hosea in a special way, using his life as a living, breathing parable to help Israel understand the seriousness of their sin. You will remember that Hosea was asked to marry the prostitute, Gomer, and have children whose names would each represent an aspect of God’s judgment, such as, Jezreel (house of punishment), Lo-ruhama (no mercy), and Lo-ammi (not my people). We saw that Gomer was unfaithful to Hosea and left him for her trade and ended up on the slave market where Hosea went and bought her, and brought her back. Thus signifying Yahweh’s love for Israel and his desire to buy her back. This all happened in Chapters 1-3.

Starting in chapter 4, we saw a transition into detailing the sins of Israel and seeing how God builds his case against Israel and their leadership in chapters 4 and 5. Then in Chapter 6, we read in verses 1-3, the answer to Israel’s sin…repentance! Only through turning from their sin and to Yahweh, could they be forgiven and know him intimately. We then picked up the reality of their sin in chapter 6:4, and were shown how deceitful sin is in the rest of chapter 6 and all of chapter 7. Then last week, we were saw the inevitability of God’s judgment on sin; though he is slow to anger and plenteous in steadfast love, his judgment on sin will occur.

This brings us up to this morning where we learn Israel’s guilt and subsequent punishment in chapters 9 and 10, which we will split into two sermons with part 1 from chapter 9 this morning, and part 2 from chapter 10 next week.

Text: Hosea 9

Hosea 9 ESV

1 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. 2 Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them. 3 They shall not remain in the land of the Lord, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria. 4 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. 5 What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the Lord? 6 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. 7 The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. 8 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. 9 They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins. 10 Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved. 11 Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! 12 Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them! 13 Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow; but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. 14 Give them, O Lord— what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts. 15 Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels. 16 Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death. 17 My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.

Main Idea: Since God is perfectly holy, he will not strive with those who are continually guilty before him, but will punish them by causing them to experience life apart from his grace.

This is not new, and the NT shows us this same idea in Romans 1:

Romans 1:24 ESV

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

Romans 1:26 ESV

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

Romans 1:28 ESV

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

As we go through these scriptures, both this week and next, we will see the ramifications of how people, guilty and unrepentant before God, experience life apart from the grace of God.

I. Removal of Israel from the Promise Land (1-9)

A. Reason for the removal (1-2)

(1) Rejoice not, O Israel! Exult not like the peoples; for you have played the whore, forsaking (downward aspect; moving from the heights of) your God. You have loved a prostitute’s wages on all threshing floors. (2) Threshing floor and wine vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall fail them.

(1) Rejoice not...Exult not - this is not a time for rejoicing or merriment, the time of God’s wrath is upon us, we must take this seriously!

(1) threshing floors - The flat, open area used for threshing wheat and barley was also a place where Israel prostituted itself by indulging in sensual activities related to the fertility worship of Baal.

(1) A prostitute’s wages (cf. 2:12) are scorned by the Lord (Deut. 23:18).

(2) wine vat - This device was used for both wine and oil.

In other words, they have taken every opportunity to distance themselves from God in all the norms of life.

B. Result of the removal (3-5)

(3) They shall not remain in the land of the Lord, but Ephraim shall return to Egypt, and they shall eat unclean food in Assyria.

the land of the Lord - Also called the Lord’s “house” (8:1; 9:15), the Promised Land is owned by the Lord and not by Baal—or even by Israel (Lev. 25:23 and note). Since God is the owner, he has a right to dictate its use.

Exodus 3:5 ESV

5 Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

The failure of crops in the land is not the only outcome of Ephraim’s adultery. Expulsion is another consequence. The mention of exile to Egypt and Assyria reflects the oscillating politics of Israel, trying to play the two against each other (cf. 7:11).

unclean food - Other nations and the food they produced were considered unclean (Ezek. 4:13; Amos 7:17). Their whole life has been taken up with ceremonial cleansing and abstinence from the unclean, now they will be forced to eat the unclean food of their captors.

(4) They shall not pour drink offerings of wine to the Lord, and their sacrifices shall not please him. It shall be like mourners’ bread (unclean bread associated with a funeral) 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. - again, removing Israel from his land, they will be forced into defilement.

(5) What will you do on the day of the appointed festival, and on the day of the feast of the Lord? - without a land, there is no longer any need or use for their sacred festivals.

C. Rejection of God’s Prophets (6-9)

(6) For behold, they are going away from destruction (Assyrian invasions); but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents.

Memphis - Here poetically paired with Egypt, this Egyptian city was known for its great cemeteries, tombs, and pyramids.

precious things of silver … tents. The abandoned tents and valuables may have been religious shrines and idols, or their personal property in general, will be covered with weeds.

(7) The days of punishment have come; the days of recompense have come; Israel shall know it. The prophet is a fool; the man of the spirit is mad, because of your great iniquity and great hatred. (8) 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.

(7) prophet is a fool - In their sin, the Israelites consider the Lord’s prophets to be foolish and idle talkers.

(7) man of the spirit - Used in parallel with “prophet,” this is probably another expression for “man of God” (1 Sam. 10:6; 1 Kin. 18:12; 22:21–28; 2 Kin. 2:9, 16).

(7) mad. The Hebrew word indicates a nonsensical babbler or madman (1 Sam. 21:13–15; 2 Kin. 9:11; Jer. 29:26).

(8) watchman … fowler’s snare. The prophets kept watch over Israel (5:8; Jer. 6:1; Ezek. 3:17; 33:1–7). But the one who sounded the alarm now found himself hunted like an animal and an object of hostility.

(8) the house of his God. The land

(9) They have deeply corrupted themselves as in the days of Gibeah: he will remember their iniquity; he will punish their sins.

Gibeah. This town was infamous for the gang rape of the Levite’s concubine and the war that followed (Judg. 19–21). The gravity of Israel’s former sins also shows how deeply they require a complete renewal of their nature. They have descended into the deep of depravity that was evident during the time of the judges.

he will remember...he will punish - God has decreed that Israel will be punished

II. Fading of Israel’s Original Glory (10-14)

A. Original Insignificance (10)

(10) Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to the thing of shame, and became detestable like the thing they loved.

grapes in the wilderness - An unusual and delicious find.

first fruit on the fig tree - The early fig that ripens on the previous year’s sprouts is not only very tender but quite uncommon (cf. Is. 28:4). These images stress how exceptional and pleasing was the Lord’s initial covenant relationship with Israel.

Baal-peor - A reference to Israel’s sexual and spiritual adultery in the wilderness (Num. 25 )—behavior that was paralleled by Hosea’s contemporaries.

became detestable - By joining themselves to Baal, the god of shame, the Israelites themselves became detestable.

Israel’s present apostasy repeats the old apostasy at Baal-peor (Num. 25:1–5), pointing to the need for a permanent remedy and a permanent change of heart, which will come in Christ (Heb. 8:8–13).

Hebrews 8:8–13 ESV

8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 9 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

B. Final Insignificance (11-14)

(11) Ephraim’s glory shall fly away like a bird— no birth, no pregnancy, no conception! (12) Even if they bring up children, I will bereave them till none is left. Woe to them when I depart from them!

glory - This could be her political and military power. But the context suggests that it is her large population. The blessing on Joseph and Ephraim had made them fruitful (Gen. 48:16; 49:22–26).

no birth - The practice of fertility religion generated a fertility curse, not a blessing (Deut. 28:18).

Deuteronomy 28:18 ESV

18 Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.

Woe to them when I depart from them - When Israel spurns God’s grace, they are left to their own devices. Judgment is dramatic, for there will be no birth, no pregnancy, not even conception. If the nation does not change, it will soon head toward extinction.

(13) Ephraim, as I have seen, was like a young palm planted in a meadow; but Ephraim must lead his children out to slaughter. - the inevitability of God’s departure is that since there was no desire to lead their children to seek after God, they would as a result, lead their children into sure destruction.

(14) Give them, O Lord— what will you give? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

Give them - Hosea responds in prayer asking that God’s fertility blessings be withdrawn (Gen. 49:25; Ex. 23:26; Deut. 28:4, 11). The prophet can only agree with God’s righteous judgment.

a miscarrying womb - would be the opposite of the fruitfulness the people sought in Baal worship

III. Rejection by Israel’s God (15-17)

A. God’s Hatred of their Wickedness (15)

(15) Every evil of theirs is in Gilgal; there I began to hate them. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of my house. I will love them no more; all their princes are rebels.

Gilgal - This important Israelite sanctuary near Jericho was situated across the Jordan from Baal-peor. From the time of the conquest, Gilgal was an important place of worship (Josh. 4:19–5:12; 1 Sam. 10:8; 11:12–15). Later in Israel’s history, Gilgal became associated with wicked and syncretistic religious practices (9:15; 12:11; Amos 4:4).

drive them out of my house - Notice how this parallels God’s banishment of the Canaanites (Ex. 23:29, 30; 33:2; Josh. 24:18; Judg. 6:9), with the same ferocity and resolve.

When the Israelites were standing on the banks of the promise land, God let them know that the Canaanites were devoted to destruction because of their wickedness. Here the same idea prevails some 400 year later with regard to Israel.

Genesis 15:16 ESV

16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

It’s as if Hosea is saying that Israel has become the very abomination that God hates. It’s not just that Israel sinned, but that they are sin through and through, thus incurring God’s hatred and wrath.

B. God’s Rejection because of their Wickedness (16-17)

(16) Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit. Even though they give birth, I will put their beloved children to death.

Ephraim is stricken; their root is dried up; they shall bear no fruit - “Ephraim” (leading northern tribe is often used for the entire northern kingdom of Israel), sounds like “fruit” in Hebrew, and the wordplay ironically underscores the tragedy of Ephraim’s fruitlessness (Gen. 41:52). This punishment is the opposite of what they sought in worshiping the Baals.

(17) My God will reject them because they have not listened to him; they shall be wanderers among the nations.

My God - Unlike the people who have turned away from God, the prophet remains faithful to the covenant. This is a reminder, that in every generation, no matter how dark the moment and fierce the judgment, God will always have his remnant.

Isaiah 10:20–21 ESV

20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God.

will reject them - again, God’s rejection of them is inevitable.

they have not listened to him - God’s people put themselves at risk when they abandon dependency on the Lord and obedience to him.

wanderers among the nations - That is, they will be exiles.

So What?

Are you here this morning and know you are guilty before God?

In other words, do you know that not only do you sin, but that you sin continuously and without much thought or desire to change. If so, you will eventually experience life without God. God’s common grace is given to the wicked and the righteous, however, there will be a day when God’s common grace will end.

There is a difference between feeling guilty and being guilty. God has given us consciences to tell us when we’ve disobeyed God’s laws. Many people today are spending much money seeking ways to make that guilty feeling go away without dealing with its root cause, our sin.

The truth of the matter is that even if you were to silence that still small voice, you are still guilty before God, if you continue to harbor unconfessed sin. The only way to get rid of the guilt is to get rid of the root of the guilt by repentance and faith.

Do you feel that God has abandoned you?

This is not uncommon, in fact much of the Psalms are filled with God’s people wondering where God is in the time of need. This is different in that God has promised never to leave his children, but at times allows them to experience times of draught which increases our yearning for him.

But there are also those who know God has left them because of their sin and don’t know what to do as they wonder through life without direction and purpose. If this describes you this morning, the solution is repentance and faith once again. Turn from and abandon your sin, and place your faith in Jesus Christ alone; his finished work of redemption; substituting his life for yours on the cross; becoming sin for us; enduring the wrath of God for us. While there is time, there is still hope.