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Texts -- Hosea 4:1-14 (NET)

Context
The Lord’s Covenant Lawsuit against the Nation Israel
4:1 Hear the word of the Lord , you Israelites ! For the Lord has a covenant lawsuit against the people of Israel . For there is neither faithfulness nor loyalty in the land , nor do they acknowledge God . 4:2 There is only cursing , lying , murder , stealing , and adultery . They resort to violence and bloodshed . 4:3 Therefore the land will mourn , and all its inhabitants will perish . The wild animals , the birds of the sky , and even the fish in the sea will perish .
The Lord’s Dispute against the Sinful Priesthood
4:4 Do not let anyone accuse or contend against anyone else : for my case is against you priests ! 4:5 You stumble day and night , and the false prophets stumble with you; You have destroyed your own people ! 4:6 You have destroyed my people by failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests . Because you reject the law of your God , I will reject your descendants . 4:7 The more the priests increased in numbers, the more they rebelled against me. They have turned their glorious calling into a shameful disgrace ! 4:8 They feed on the sin offerings of my people ; their appetites long for their iniquity ! 4:9 I will deal with the people and priests together: I will punish them both for their ways , and I will repay them for their deeds . 4:10 They will eat , but not be satisfied ; they will engage in prostitution , but not increase in numbers ; because they have abandoned the Lord by pursuing other gods.
Judgment of Pagan Idolatry and Cultic Prostitution
4:11 Old and new wine wine take away the understanding of my people. 4:12 They consult their wooden idols, and their diviner’s staff answers with an oracle. The wind of prostitution blows them astray ; they commit spiritual adultery against their God . 4:13 They sacrifice on the mountaintops , and burn offerings on the hills ; they sacrifice under oak , poplar , and terebinth , because their shade is so pleasant . As a result , your daughters have become cult prostitutes , and your daughters-in-law commit adultery ! 4:14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit prostitution , nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery . For the men consort with harlots , they sacrifice with temple prostitutes . It is true: “A people that lacks understanding will come to ruin !”

Pericope

NET
  • Hos 4:1-3 -- The Lord's Covenant Lawsuit against the Nation Israel
  • Hos 4:4-10 -- The Lord's Dispute against the Sinful Priesthood
  • Hos 4:11-14 -- Judgment of Pagan Idolatry and Cultic Prostitution

Bible Dictionary

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Arts

Hymns

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  • [Hos 4:1] Our Guilt Do We Confess Today
  • [Hos 4:6] Long Have I Sat Beneath The Sound

Questions

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Any attempt to fulfill God's desires will almost certainly draw opposition from God's enemies."The real test of a leader is how he or she faces crises and reacts to opposition. This chapter recounts several forms of oppositio...
  • There are two more "woes"that deal with Jerusalem in this chapter (vv. 1-14, 15-24) in addition to the one in chapter 28. The first of these is similar to the previous "woe"(cf. vv. 1-8 with 28:1-6, and vv. 9-14 with 28:7-13)...
  • 1:4 The prophet now began speaking to his readers and telling them what the Lord had said to him. Throughout this book, an indication that the Lord had told Jeremiah something is often the sign of a new pericope, as here (cf....
  • 3:1 God posed the question to His people of what happens in a divorce. The answer to His rhetorical question is, no, a husband who divorces his wife, if she goes to live with another man, will not return to her.92The Mosaic L...
  • The major biblical doctrines that Hosea stressed were sin, judgment, salvation, and the loyal love of God.Regarding sin, the prophet stressed the idolatry of the Israelites, which he compared to spiritual adultery. Israel had...
  • I. Introduction 1:1II. The first series of messages of judgment and restoration: Hosea's family 1:2-2:1A. Signs of coming judgment 1:2-9B. A promise of restoration 1:10-2:1III. The second series of messages of judgment and re...
  • The Lord used Hosea's family members as signs to communicate His message of coming judgment on Israel.1:2 At the beginning of Hosea's ministry, Yahweh commanded him to take a wife of harlotry and to have children of harlotry....
  • Chapters 4 and 5 contain more messages of judgment. Chapter 4 focuses on the sins of the Northern Kingdom. Chapter 5 describes the guilt of all the Israelites in both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms and announces judgment ...
  • The Lord brought a legal charge against the Israelites for breaking the Mosaic Covenant. Again the literary form of this section is a legal confrontation (Heb. rib, cf. 2:2). The Lord stated His charges against Israel in 4:1-...
  • In this pericope God addressed the Israelites as a whole but identified sins of their priests in particular.4:4 Israel's guilt was so clear that the Lord forbade the people from denying His charge against them. As judge, He s...
  • The following section is a general indictment of the people of Israel for their idolatry.4:11 The practice of idolatry (spiritual harlotry), with its emphasis on drinking wine, had turned the heart of the Israelites from Yahw...
  • 4:15 The Lord warned the Israelites not to pollute their brethren in the Southern Kingdom with their unfaithfulness. He also warned them not to go to the pagan shrines and take an oath in His name since they did not really wo...
  • The general pattern of accusation of guilt followed by announcement of judgment that marked the messages in chapter 4 is also evident in chapter 5. One significant difference, however, is that in chapter 5 Judah falls under t...
  • The target audience of this warning passage was originally the leaders as well as the ordinary citizens of Israel.5:1 Hosea called on the Israelite priests, the whole population of Israel, and the royal household to hear this...
  • This warning confronted the tribe of Ephraim, or perhaps all Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.5:8 Blowing trumpets in cities announced the coming of an invader. Throughout Israel's towns the sentries would blow alarm...
  • This first part of chapter 6 envisions Israel's repentance. The prophet predicted the words that the penitent generation of Israelites would say when they sought the Lord (5:15). The message contains two cycles, each containi...
  • This section stresses Israel's covenant disloyalty to Yahweh.6:4 The Lord twice asked rhetorically what He would do with Ephraim and Judah. The questions express frustration, helplessness, and despair more than inquiry. The l...
  • 8:1 The Lord commanded Hosea to announce coming judgment by telling him to put a trumpet to his lips. The blowing of the shophar announced that an invader was coming (cf. 5:8). Israel's enemy would swoop down on the nation as...
  • 11:12 The Lord complained that Ephraim (Israel) had consistently lied and tried to deceive Him. He described Himself as surrounded and under attack by His own people. Wherever He looked all He saw was cheaters. Deception (Heb...
  • Joel called on four different entities to mourn the results of the locust invasion: drunkards (vv. 5-7), the land (vv. 8-10), farmers (vv. 11-12), and priests (v. 13). In each section there is a call to mourn followed by reas...
  • This section is an individual lament similar to many of the psalms (cf. 1:8-16).7:1 Micah bewailed his own disappointment with Israel's situation. He compared himself to Israel's fruit pickers and grape gatherers who felt gre...
  • In the first subsection he explained his need to present this evidence.11:1 Paul found it necessary to remind and reveal to the Corinthians some of the evidences of the Lord's commendation of his ministry (cf. 10:18). He call...
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