Hosea 10:1-8
1 Israel is a luxuriant vine;
He produces fruit for himself.
The more his fruit,
The more altars he made;
The richer his land,
The better he made the memorial stones.
2 Their heart is deceitful;
Now they must suffer for their guilt.
The Lord will break down their altars
And destroy their memorial stones.
3 Certainly now they will say, “We have no king,
For we do not revere the Lord.
As for the king, what can he do for us?”
4 They speak mere words,
With worthless oaths they make covenants;
And judgment sprouts like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
5 The inhabitants of Samaria will fear
For the calf of Beth-aven.
Indeed, its people will mourn for it,
And its idolatrous priests will cry out over it,
Over its glory, since it has left it.
6 The thing itself will be brought to Assyria
As a gift of tribute to King Jareb;
Ephraim will be seized with shame,
And Israel will be ashamed of its own plan.
7 Samaria will be destroyed with her king,
Like a twig on the surface of the water.
8 Also the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, will be destroyed;
Thorns and thistles will grow on their altars;
Then they will say to the mountains,
“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”
The Destruction of the Kingdom (1)
The Assyrian Exile (v 1-3)
In today’s passage, both the imminent judgment (the Assyrian exile) and a heavier judgment in the future are prophesied. (1) Israel was a vine that bore much fruit. That is, it was a nation to which prosperity had been promised. (2) However, the more they were blessed by God, the more they increased altars for idol worship (Baal worship). The stone pillars represent the god Baal. Setting up stone pillars was forbidden in the Law of Moses (ref. Deut. 16:21-22). (3) The hearts of the people of Israel were divided between the Lord God and Baal. (4) Because of that sin, God’s judgment comes upon the people of Israel. Their altars will be destroyed, and their stone pillars will be crushed. It is the Lord Himself who does this. This judgment is fulfilled in the form of the Assyrian exile. (5) At that time, they will realize that the king they had set up was not a person approved by God, and that they could receive no help at all from such a king.
The Great Tribulation (v 4-8)
Verses 4-8 are a prophecy concerning God’s judgment that will occur in the future, that is, the time of the Great Tribulation. The judgment described there is more severe than the Assyrian exile. (1) The direct cause for this judgment is that “they speak mere words, with worthless oaths they make covenants.” This foretells that the people of Israel will make a covenant with the Antichrist (ref. Dan. 9:27; Isa. 28:14-22). (2) The calf of Beth-aven (Samaria) will be carried away to Assyria and become a gift to the great king. In this context, “Assyria” refers to Mesopotamia, and “the great king” refers to the Antichrist. In 5:13 it says, “Ephraim then went to Assyria and sent word to King Jareb.” Let us confirm again that, historically, the Northern Kingdom never made a covenant with Assyria nor sought help from it. Moreover, no individual called King Jareb (meaning “the king who contends”) ever existed. Therefore, in this context, the great king (King Jareb) to whom Israel seeks help should be understood as the Antichrist. (3) The suffering that will come upon the people of Israel during the time of the Great Tribulation will be unimaginably severe. Seeking refuge, they will say to the mountains, “Cover us,” and to the hills, “Fall on us” (ref. Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16). The people of Israel tried to oppose Assyria by forming alliances with the nations instead of seeking help from God. Because of that sin, the judgment of the Assyrian exile came upon them. Furthermore, the people of Israel will come to seek help from the Antichrist rather than from God. Because of that sin, the time of the great tribulation will come upon them. In every case, Israel’s sin is the sin of “not placing trust in God.” What about you? If you are placing your trust in something other than God, repent immediately and restore your faith in God. Let us learn from the failure of the people of Israel.
Today's prayer
O God of Israel, not placing trust in You is a great sin. May I be able to learn from the failures of the people of Israel. You alone are my God and my Savior. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.