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Israel Will Reap the Whirlwind
8 Set the trumpet to your lips!
One like a vulture is over the house of the LORD,
because they have transgressed my covenant
and rebelled against my law.
To me they cry,
“My God, we—Israel—know you.”
Israel has spurned the good;
the enemy shall pursue him.
They made kings, but not through me.
They set up princes, but I knew it not.
With their silver and gold they made idols
for their own destruction.
I have spurned your calf, O Samaria.
My anger burns against them.
How long will they be incapable of innocence?
For it is from Israel;
a craftsman made it;
it is not God.
The calf of Samaria
shall be broken to pieces.
For they sow the wind,
and they shall reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads;
it shall yield no flour;
if it were to yield,
strangers would devour it.
Israel is swallowed up;
already they are among the nations
as a useless vessel.
For they have gone up to Assyria,
a wild donkey wandering alone;
Ephraim has hired lovers.
Though they hire allies among the nations,
I will soon gather them up.
And the king and princes shall soon writhe
because of the tribute.
Because Ephraim has multiplied altars for sinning,
they have become to him altars for sinning.
Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands,
they would be regarded as a strange thing.
As for my sacrificial offerings,
they sacrifice meat and eat it,
but the LORD does not accept them.
Now he will remember their iniquity
and punish their sins;
they shall return to Egypt.
For Israel has forgotten his Maker
and built palaces,
and Judah has multiplied fortified cities;
so I will send a fire upon his cities,
and it shall devour her strongholds.
(ESV)
Hosea 8 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Here we see the consequences and punishments of Israel. It was one compromise after another as they decided to bring idol worship and pagan rituals into their lives. They said they knew God with their lips, but denied him with their lifestyles, choosing to do whatever they wanted.
Many times we look at consequences as such a negative response. God’s desire is not to make the people of Israel miserable with consequences. His motive is to show them the error of their lifestyle so they can repent and live life to it’s fullest. It is in God’s love that he disciplines. Repentance was always on his mind.
“…properly understood, biblical truths are guardrails that protect us from plunging off the cliff. A smart traveler doesn’t curse the guardrails. He doesn’t whine, “That guardrail dented my fender!” He looks over the cliff, sees demolished autos below, and is grateful for guardrails. The guardrails of truth are there not to punish, but to protect us.”
Randy Alcorn, The Grace and Truth Paradox
However, when we want what we desire, we often abandon all logic to get there. We don’t think about the hardship or consequences on the back end. And this is where Israel found themselves. Just as a loving mother or father would not let their toddler play in the street, God wants the best for His people. He wants them to experience the life He designed specifically for them. And so in order to do that, there must be consequences and struggle. In the end, that “tough love” is what develops character and humility in the lives of God’s children.