When Hosea was prophesying things perhaps were not too bad in Israel. Israel appears to have been gloating, but Hosea told them they must be careful because they were not innocent because of their idolatry (v1-4). Hosea’s message from The LORD was that their dependence on other gods and nations would not provide a harvest for them. Wine and grain would fail. Not only would The LORD not provide for them, but they would lose their land.
Verses 5-9 continue with the punishment to come on Israel. They start by asking, “What will you do in the appointed day….?” Israel had failed to honour God. Nations like Egypt and Memphis would be used against them and nature, like nettles and thorns would be involved. They considered that Hosea, the prophet, was a fool, and the spiritual man, insane, because he prophesied and spoke against them. It was fine when these men spoke in their favour, but it was quite different when it was against them. When we become consumed by evil, God’s words become unimportant and even seem to be foolish. Corruption was rife as it is today. An example is given here from Judges 19 where Gibeah is described as perverted and evil. It involved a Levite and homosexuality always condemned by God. Thus, things were still the same just as they are today. God will punish sin whatever it is but thank God repentance always leads to forgiveness.
God reminded Israel of the times when they were faithful. He described them as grapes in the wilderness and firstfruits on the fig tree. They were something special, but they went to Baal Peor into idolatry. Baal Peor is mentioned in Numbers 25 and associated with sexual immorality. God said that they had become shameful and an abomination. They had been fruitful in the past but now, barrenness and death would become their experience (v10-14).
The city of Gilgal was once a place where prophets were trained by Elijah and Elisha (see 2 Kings 2 and 4) but it had become a centre for idolatry (see Hosea 4 and 12, and Amos 4 and 5). God is scathing of Gilgal (v15), He shows his hatred of them for they had disgraced God’s house, and He was not pleased. It is so easy for us to start well, even in The Lord’s house, but to degenerate against God and into false teaching. How we must be careful that we check all we do against God’s word. God told them that He would not love them anymore and he would drive them from His house – what a dreadful position to be in, without the love of God and to be barred from the presence of God!
Ephraim/Israel would be fruitless, in fact their root would be dried up, and even if they had any children they would die. All because they disobeyed, and they would become aimless wanderers (v16,17). All this would come to pass as they were previously told in Deuteronomy 30, but they went their own way and forgot their true God.
