Hosea 10:1-15

     Hosea describes Israel as a luxuriant vine that produces fruit for itself, and then uses that fruit for promoting idolatry (Hos. 10:1); but their unfaithfulness results in guilt, and God promises to break down their pagan altars and pillars (Hos. 10:2). Like other times, Israel will utter insincere words, saying, “We have no king, for we do not revere the LORD. As for the king, what can he do for us?” (Hos. 10:3; cf. 6:1-3; 7:14; 8:2); but Hosea tells us, “They speak mere words, with worthless oaths they make covenants; and judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field” (Hos. 10:4). The truth is that Israel will mourn and cry over their idols, when they are taken away into captivity by the Assyrians (Hos. 10:5-6), and the king of Israel will prove helpless to stop these events (Hos. 10:7). In addition, God will destroy the high places of worship and weeds will consume their altars (Hos. 10:8a); then, in a state of spiritual irrationality, “they will say to the mountains, ‘Cover us!’ and to the hills, ‘Fall on us!’” (Hos. 10:8b). Israel’s sin is not merely the failure of the moment, but the sin of many years, reaching back to the days of bisexual perversion and rape as occurred in Gibeah (Hos. 10:9; cf. Judg. 19:1-30). God promises to chastise Israel for their “double guilt” (Hos. 10:10), which likely refers to the two places of calf worship that had previously been set up in Bethel and Dan (see 1 Ki. 12:26-30). Israel is then described as a heifer that enjoyed easy threshing, unmuzzled and able to eat when they wanted (Hos. 10:11a), but God would change their condition by placing a yoke over their neck and giving them the more difficult task of plowing a field (Hos. 10:11b). Though judgment is certain for Israel, He still calls for them to “Sow with a view to righteousness, [and] reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD until He comes to rain righteousness on you” (Hos. 10:12). Sadly, Israel’s history was that of rebellion and sin, for God states, “You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, you have eaten the fruit of lies” (Hos 10:13a). Because Israel had trusted in their own way and relied on the strength of human warriors (Hos. 10:13b), God would bring destruction upon their fortresses (Hos. 10:4a), and compares their devastation to an assault by a contemporary king named Shalman, who “destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle, when mothers were dashed in pieces with their children” (Hos. 10:14b). God then explains this judgment is the result of their sin, saying, “Thus it will be done to you at Bethel because of your great wickedness. At dawn the king of Israel will be completely cut off” (Hos. 10:15). So Hosea continues to level charges against Israel because of their unfaithfulness to the Mosaic Covenant.