The Lord's Case Against Them
Introduction
Israel was to maintain loyalty to the Lord by worshiping Him alone and by obeying His commandments. Obedience to the covenant would result in blessing (cf. Deut. 28:1–14). Disobedience would bring judgment and eventually exile (cf. the covenant curses listed in Deut. 28:15–68). Hosea’s role as a prophet was to expose the nation’s breach of covenant and announce God’s intention to implement the covenant curses. At the same time Hosea affirmed the Deuteronomic promise of Israel’s ultimate restoration (cf. Deut. 30:1–10).
The major themes of Hosea’s message can be summarized in three words: sin, judgment, and salvation.
Sin Exposed
The guilt of the Northern Kingdom is the main theme of this opening judgment speech. The people and their leaders (prophets, rulers, and esp. priests) were the objects of God’s displeasure. While most of the verses are accusatory in tone, announcements of forthcoming judgment are also scattered throughout (cf. vv. 6–10).
Covenant Relationship Broken
They failed to exhibit faithfulness and love (ḥeseḏ; cf. 2:19) and did not acknowledge God as their covenant Lord. (Acknowledgment translates dā‘aṯ, related to yāḏa‘, “to know”; cf. comments on 2:20.) Instead they blatantly disobeyed the Decalogue, which epitomized God’s ideal for Israelite society. Violations of five of the Ten Commandments are specifically mentioned: cursing, lying (cf. 7:1; 12:1), murder, stealing, and adultery (commandments 3, 9, 6, 8, and 7, in that order). “Cursing” does not refer to improper speech as such, but to calling down a curse on another (cf. Job 31:30).
Religious leaders are called out at the beginning.
In either case the reason for God’s prohibition was that all the people were guilty of rebellion. They were like those who brazenly defy God’s established human legal authorities (cf. Deut. 17:12).
The first two lines in this verse prohibit either lawsuits among the people (NIV) or formal opposition to God’s charges (cf. Mays, Hosea, p. 67). In either case the reason for God’s prohibition was that all the people were guilty of rebellion. They were like those who brazenly defy God’s established human legal authorities (cf. Deut. 17:12).
Here the accusation (v. 4) is extended to the religious leaders (NIV) or the demise of the religious leaders is announced (KJV, NASB). Stumble refers to their moral shortcomings (cf. 14:1, NASB; Isa. 3:8; Jer. 18:15; Mal. 2:8) or their coming downfall (cf. Hosea 5:5; Isa. 8:15; 28:13; 31:3; Jer. 6:21; 8:12; 20:11). These priests and prophets were attached to the official sanctuaries and royal court. Their allegiance was to their human king, not God (cf. 1 Kings 22:6–8; Amos 7:10–17), and they were characterized by self-gratification (cf. Isa. 28:7; Jer. 23:11) and greed (Jer. 6:13; Micah 3:11).
The Lord held these leaders responsible for the people’s lack of knowledge (cf. v. 1). The priests in particular had ignored their duty to communicate the Law of … God to the nation (cf. Deut. 31:9–13; 33:8–10; Mal. 2:7).
The repetition of the verb in each cycle of the announcement of judgment (destroy … destroyed rejected … reject … ignored … ignore) emphasizes that each punishment fits each crime perfectly.
the priests exchanged their Glory, the Lord, for something disgraceful (idols; cf. Ps. 106:20; Jer. 2:11).
In their greed the priests fed on the sins of the people by encouraging them to multiply the hypocritical sacrifices which the Lord hated (cf. 6:6; 8:11–13).
Despite their greedy schemes to accumulate food, their appetites would not be satisfied for drought would make food scarce (cf. 4:3; Lev. 26:26; Micah 6:14). Their efforts to promote fertility through cult prostitution would not succeed (cf. Hosea 2:13b; Deut. 28:18a).
They had deserted the LORD by breaking His covenant (cf. Deut. 28:20; 29:25; 31:16).
The people’s guilt is also exposed
The scope of the accusation widened to include the people in general. Sensual pleasures had robbed them of their senses, leaving them without understanding. They engaged in pagan worship practices, including divination (seeking answers by a stick of wood), sacrificed to false gods, and engaged in cult prostitution (cf. 5:4). The Canaanite shrines, which Moses had commanded Israel to destroy (cf. Deut. 12:2–3), were located on hills and/or under shady trees (oak, poplar, and terebinth) throughout the Northern Kingdom (cf. 2 Kings 17:10–11). Here many young women (daughters) of Israel took part in sexual rites with male cult prostitutes (cf. Deut. 23:17–18; 1 Kings 14:24). The intent of such acts was to ensure human and agricultural fecundity by making the fertility deities Baal and Asherah favorably inclined to their offerings and prayers. However, these women would not be singled out for divine punishment because the men frequented the shrines as well (Hosea 4:14)
Ephraim, a prominent tribe in the Northern Kingdom, mentioned 36 times in the Book of Hosea, stands for Israel as a whole