Impending Judgment and Restoration

Hosea 5:1-15 

1 "Hear this, O priests!
Take heed, O house of Israel!
Give ear, O house of the king!
For yours is the judgment,
Because you have been a snare to Mizpah
And a net spread on Tabor.

2 The revolters are deeply involved in slaughter,
Though I rebuke them all.
3 I know Ephraim,
And Israel is not hidden from Me;
For now, O Ephraim, you commit harlotry;
Israel is defiled.

4 "They do not direct their deeds
Toward turning to their God,
For the spirit of harlotry is in their midst,
And they do not know the LORD.

5 The pride of Israel testifies to his face;
Therefore Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity;
Judah also stumbles with them.

6 "With their flocks and herds
They shall go to seek the LORD,
But they will not find Him;
He has withdrawn Himself from them.

7 They have dealt treacherously with the LORD,
For they have begotten pagan children.
Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.

8 "Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah,
The trumpet in Ramah!
Cry aloud at Beth Aven,
'Look behind you, O Benjamin!'
9 Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke;
Among the tribes of Israel I make known what is sure.

10 "The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark;
I will pour out My wrath on them like water.
11 Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment,
Because he willingly walked by human precept.
12 Therefore I will be to Ephraim like a moth,
And to the house of Judah like rottenness.

13 "When Ephraim saw his sickness,
And Judah saw his wound,
Then Ephraim went to Assyria
And sent to King Jareb;
Yet he cannot cure you,
Nor heal you of your wound.

14 For I will be like a lion to Ephraim,
And like a young lion to the house of Judah.
I, even I, will tear them and go away;
I will take them away, and no one shall rescue.

15 I will return again to My place
Till they acknowledge their offense.
Then they will seek My face;
In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me."

There were approaching hoofbeats of judgment coming for Israel and Judah because of their adulterous idolatry and immortality resulting from turning their backs on God’s word.  They led others astray with their harlotry of spirit and bodies that followed after their sins of rejection and disbelief.  They defiled a people called to be holy (Leviticus 11:44-45) and the LORD uncovered their sin (as if it was ever hidden from Him) when He offered to cover it for them in the blood of pure sacrifices.  This was their judgment spoken through Hosea for them to hear, take heed to listen, and repent by turning away from their sin to Him.  Their adulterous nature testified against them and uncovered the fact that they did not truly know Him at all.  Their denial and defiance was their own pride testifying to them in their face as they continued to stumble, lost in the darkness of sin and rejection of Him.  Their rituals of sacrifice no longer were meaningful as they imagined that if they gave all their herds to sacrifice that it would cover unrepentant offenses against the Almighty Holy One.  We also must beware of the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13) which attempts works to earn forgiveness when repentance and faith in His grace are required instead.  Wisdom is known by her children (Luke 7:35) whether we bear divine or pagan fruit through following or living in opposition to the scriptures commanded by the Lord to us all.  Like Israel and Judah of time past, we can blow the trumpet to claim victory with words not backed by righteous and reap only defeat.  It is not our lack of enough faith, but of humility and obedience in seeking forgiveness for our presumptuous pride to demand and command God to do our will instead of praying for His to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).  It is not our power to defeat the enemy but God’s.  His rebuke teaches us humility and trust in His providence instead of thinking our might of effort in our good works makes right in His eyes for a speedy result instead of trusting in God’s timing and working.  These of old thought they could heal themselves and work victory but failed to trust and obey in humility.  May we learn not to repeat this bad example recorded for our edification and exhortation.  If God brings down a people or a work in opposition to His predetermined will, then those who do so like Ephraim and Judah these will find no rescue from continuing rejection and disbelief of disobedience.  However, if the sinner admits their sin and acknowledge they are as all others (Romans 3:23), then they can seek Him as they are drawn back in repentance through faith (1 John 1:9) to find forgiveness in God’s absolution found in Christ alone and through no other.  He called the sinner then to earnestly seek Him when afflicted by the consequences and condition wrought by their own disobedience and calls us now to do likewise.  Eternally, there is impending eternal judgment for those not covered by the sacrifice of Christ according to His work (John 6:28-29) which is unobtainable by our own efforts, but there is continuing forgiveness for those in Christ even when they wander back into pride with the spiritual and even physical idolatry of immortality.  We are called to seek Him when He calls us out of darkness into such marvelous light and then daily seek His absolution which is unobtainable by the hand or promise of any mere mortal man.  Hosea 5:15 reminds us to confess our sins, turn back to Him, and find Him before our faces clear again in restoration.  We are accountable and yet secure in Christ.