Sow Righteousness, Reap Mercy

Hosea 10:1-15 

1 Israel empties his vine;
He brings forth fruit for himself.
According to the multitude of his fruit
He has increased the altars;
According to the bounty of his land
They have embellished his sacred pillars.

2 Their heart is divided;
Now they are held guilty.
He will break down their altars;
He will ruin their sacred pillars.
3 For now they say,
"We have no king,
Because we did not fear the LORD.
And as for a king, what would he do for us?"

4 They have spoken words,
Swearing falsely in making a covenant.
Thus judgment springs up like hemlock in the furrows of the field.

5 The inhabitants of Samaria fear
Because of the calf of Beth Aven.
For its people mourn for it,
And its priests shriek for it—
Because its glory has departed from it.

6 The idol also shall be carried to Assyria
As a present for King Jareb.
Ephraim shall receive shame,
And Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

7 As for Samaria, her king is cut off
Like a twig on the water.

8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel,
Shall be destroyed.
The thorn and thistle shall grow on their altars;
They shall say to the mountains, "Cover us!"
And to the hills, "Fall on us!"

9 "O Israel, you have sinned from the days of Gibeah;
There they stood.
The battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity
Did not overtake them.

10 When it is My desire, I will chasten them.
Peoples shall be gathered against them
When I bind them for their two transgressions.

11 Ephraim is a trained heifer
That loves to thresh grain;
But I harnessed her fair neck,
I will make Ephraim pull a plow.
Judah shall plow;
Jacob shall break his clods."

12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.

13 You have plowed wickedness;
You have reaped iniquity.
You have eaten the fruit of lies,
Because you trusted in your own way,
In the multitude of your mighty men.

14 Therefore tumult shall arise among your people,
And all your fortresses shall be plundered
As Shalman plundered Beth Arbel in the day of battle—
A mother dashed in pieces upon her children.

15 Thus it shall be done to you, O Bethel,
Because of your great wickedness.
At dawn the king of Israel
Shall be cut off utterly.

Israel’s sin and captivity are contrasted with the call to sow and reap good things instead of sin’s judgment from wickedness and lies.  They trusted their own ways and strength over God’s word and rule, and therefore reaped the whirlwind of destruction as they broke their covenant which Je made with them.  With divided hearts they erected lifeless idols and left worship of the only God in heaven and on earth.  There remained no fear of God in their eyes and the Lord pulled down their idols as they cried out for Him to hide them from sudden destruction saying, “to the mountains, "Cover us!" and to the hills, "Fall on us!"  Just as Jesus said would happen in the latter days foreshadowed by these (Luke 23:30, Revelation 6:16-17).  Yes, since sudden destruction will come in judgment on all our sin, we should also sow righteousness instead of wickedness and reap eternal life at peace with God as we seek Him according to His word.  The idle fallow fields of our hearts, like those of Israel, must be turned over in repentance and good seed sown for the kingdom as we trust in Christ alone for fruitfulness and lasting goodness.  Israel faced a certain judgment for rejecting repentance and the LORD; we who are in Christ have acceptance and received Him to trust and obey.  Our future is an eternal unbreakable covenant if we have been reborn of His never fading word of salvation (1 Peter 1:23-25).  We have sown His righteousness and reaped eternal mercy.  Amen.