HOSEA LESSON 13
We will begin this lesson in Hosea 13:1 "When Ephraim spake
trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal,
he died."
As long as Ephraim kept great fear and reverence for God, He did
just fine. It was when he got too proud, and started worshipping Baal,
that God was offended. It does not mean to imply that all the other
worship of false gods was unimportant. It just means it grew to its
worst stage, when they worshipped Baal. The worship of the golden calf
in the wilderness had been terrible, and many died in punishment for
it, but this is speaking of the whole land being involved in the
worship of Baal. Jereboam instituted the worship of the calf as God.
The death of the nation was sounded, when this last offence against
God came.
Hosea 13:2 "And now they sin more and more, and have made them
molten images of their silver, [and] idols according to their own
understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them,
Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves."
The making of idols was just another sign of how far they had
fallen from God. They used the precious metals of silver and gold,
that God had blessed them with, to make these abominable idols.
Anything that you can see, is not God. If it is made by human hands,
it is not God. Even this calf was made by human hands, and was not to
be worshipped. God is a Spirit. Kissing the calves just shows the
degradation of their worship.
Hosea 13:3 "Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as
the early dew that passeth away, as the chaff [that] is driven with
the whirlwind out of the floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney."
All of these things are experienced for a moment and fade away.
The "chaff" many times, symbolizes the lost of the world. Their
terrible sin, they had committed, was bringing them to swift
destruction.
Hosea 13:4 "Yet I [am] the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt,
and thou shalt know no god but me: for [there is] no saviour beside
me."
Exodus 14:13 "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand
still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you
today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them
again no more for ever." Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any
other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men,
whereby we must be saved."
Hosea 13:5 "I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of
great drought."
God had protected them from the famine. He had caused water to
come from the Rock to take care of their thirst. They should recognize
His goodness, and be faithful to Him.
Hosea 13:6 "According to their pasture, so were they filled; they
were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they
forgotten me."
God had led them to green pastures. He had provided for their
every need. The most difficult time to stay in good fellowship with
the Lord, is when everything is going great. We have a tendency to be
like them, when things are running smooth. We take God for granted,
and the first thing you know, we are backsliding. A believer in God
never stands still. They are either pressing closer to God {usually in
time of great trials}, or they are drifting away from God. They had
become comfortable and wandered away from God.
Hosea 13:7 "Therefore I will be unto them as a lion: as a leopard
by the way will I observe [them]:"
The end of all their sin is destruction. The lion, or leopard,
stalks its prey, and then at a convenient time, pounces on them. The
destruction that comes on them for their unfaithfulness to God, will
be sudden.
Hosea 13:8 "I will meet them as a bear [that is] bereaved [of her
whelps], and will rend the caul of their heart, and there will I
devour them like a lion: the wild beast shall tear them."
A mother bear, that has lost her whelps, is a ferocious animal.
She will destroy everything that gets in her way. This is speaking of
this ferocious animal grabbing at the heart area, and tearing an
opening to the heart to kill it.
Hosea 13:9 "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me
[is] thine help."
This is a cry for them to stop and consider all of this, before
it is too late. Their only help is in the Lord.
Hosea 13:10 "I will be thy king: where [is any other] that may
save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give
me a king and princes?"
Israel had been unfaithful to God, when they sought the help of
the worldly kings around them. God was their help. These worldly kings
not only could not save them from destruction, but would not, if they
could. They have made agreement with the world and left God. God is
the only One that could, and would, save them.
Hosea 13:11 "I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took [him]
away in my wrath."
God had never wanted Israel to have an earthly king. He wanted to
be their only King. They kept insisting on having a king like the
countries around them, until God gave them Saul to be their king. It
turned out he was not a good king, and God {in His wrath} destroyed
him, and put David in his place as king.
Hosea 13:12 "The iniquity of Ephraim [is] bound up; his sin [is]
hid."
The sin of Ephraim had not been forgotten. He might believe it to
be hidden, but God knew. God would bring judgement upon them.
Hosea 13:13 "The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon
him: he [is] an unwise son; for he should not stay long in [the place
of] the breaking forth of children."
This is speaking of the pain accompanied with child birth. The
severity of the punishment is compared to the pain of childbirth. His
sorrow will overcome him. It is very bad to stay in the sin, that got
him into this trouble. His way out is through repentance.
Hosea 13:14 "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I
will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave,
I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes."
This is a promise that God will redeem them. Jesus defeated
death, when He rose from the grave. This is a promise of restoration
to them. Not restoration to their homeland, but restoration to their
God. God will not repent of their punishment, but will use it to
change them.
Hosea 13:15 "Though he be fruitful among [his] brethren, an east
wind shall come, the wind of the LORD shall come up from the
wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be
dried up: he shall spoil the treasure of all pleasant vessels."
The coming storm would not completely do away with them. Ephraim
speaks of double fruit, and is thought of as being fruitful. The wind
of an angry God can change that. The wind shows up in the Assyrians
that take the land, but comes from God. The Assyrians do take the
vessels for spoil.
Hosea 13:16 "Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled
against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be
dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up."
This is speaking of their capital. The severity of the war is
shown in the infants being dashed to pieces, and the women with child
being ripped apart. This is a very nasty war. We must remember, they
actually bought it upon themselves, when they worshipped false gods.
Hosea 13 Questions
1. When Ephraim spake ___________, he exalted himself in Israel.
2. When he offended in Baal, he ________.
3. Who instituted the worship of the calf as God in Ephraim?
4. What had they made with their silver?
5. God is a _________.
6. What things were they compared to in verse 3?
7. What did these things have in common?
8. What did the "chaff", many times, symbolize?
9. Quote Exodus chapter 14 verse 13.
10. Quote Acts chapter 4 verse 12.
11. When is the most difficult time to stay in fellowship with God?
12. Verse 7 says, God will be to them as a ________.
13. Describe a mother bear who has lost her whelps.
14. What is verse 9, really?
15. Who had Israel sought help from?
16. Who was the king God had given them in His anger?
17. Who did God replace him with?
18. What was their trouble compared to in verse 13?
19. What is his only way out of this trouble?
20. What is verse 14 a promise of?
21. What takes away the fruit of Ephraim?
22. How bad was the war?
Home