No Other God

We are in chapter 13, and we noted last time we met that this chapter contains lessons from from the Northern kingdom (Ephraim).

God’s Grace (4-5)

God’s Promise

LORD = Yahweh

The sacred name reveals God’s self-existence, and by revealing it to Israel, it marked the covenant relationship established with them.

The word know signifies more than reception of information. The same word is used to describe the intimacy between husband and wife.

God’s Command

He delivered them from the land of Egypt, thereby establishing them as His people.

you know no God but me, and besides me there is no savior. - what’s the command here? Have no god but me. Worship no god but me.

And because is their Savior, demonstrated through His rescue of the from Egypt, He alone is to be sought for provision and protection.

By reminding them of the drought in the wilderness, God is saying he displayed His covenant love for them in the water that flowed from the rock.

So, through His promise and command, God displays His grace to His people. But Israel marginalized the promise and disobeyed the command. They, in other words, rejected or forsook God’s grace.

Grace Forsaken (6)

so the grace of God had been given to Israel, but Israel was falling apart. Why? Verse 6:

Hosea 13:6 ESV

6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.

What does this mean?

False sense of self-sufficiency, pride, worldliness

Grace Consequences (7

The consequences of their rebellion should not have been a surprise:

Deuteronomy 8:19–20 ESV

19 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. 20 Like the nations that the Lord makes to perish before you, so shall you perish, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God.

Hosea’s hearers were going to experience this.

What is the imagery of the lion in verse 7 meant to convey about God?

The ferocity of the judgement. God possessed a holy fury and His wrath would be felt by Israel. So, God would seem like a lion to them and a leopard.

Lions possess an overwhelming ferocity and leopards are lurking predators

Bears who are robbed of their cubs: God’s wrath reflects His anger over the corruption of Israel. As much as outrage is justified by cubs being taken from a bear, God’s wrath is against Israel for their forsaking Him and His commandments.

This is summed up in verse 9:

Hosea 13:9 ESV

9 He destroys you, O Israel, for you are against me, against your helper.

The people placed their trust in ungodly kings (10), and God rebukes them for it.

These are mocking questions because of how absurd their seeking in ungodly kings what only God could provide. How absurd rejecting God’s grace is.